Gert Hilgers

Background

About Gert Hilgers

A social scientist by training and a technologist at heart. I work at the intersection of digital transformation, politics, and strategy, supporting cities/communities, policymakers, and organisations in navigating the complexities of interoperability, AI, and emerging technologies. As an independent consultant, I engage in diverse initiatives and welcome new collaborations in these areas. At OASC, I contribute to the advancement of Local Digital Twins (LDTs) and Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms (MIMs), helping to scale digital infrastructure across political, cultural, and technical divides. I also facilitate the MIM6 Working Group on Securing Data, which focuses on secure and interoperable data exchange, and serve as the editor of an ITU work item exploring how generative AI can enhance semantic data interoperability. In 2023 and 2024, I co-led a commercialisation project at the University of Warwick’s Department of Computer Science, exploring how generative AI can enhance policy analysis and decision-making. This experience provided first-hand insight into the evolving role of AI in governance, bridging technical innovation with practical application in political and regulatory contexts. While the project has concluded, its insights continue to inform my work, reinforcing the growing role of (Gen)AI in the evolution of policymaking and governance. My work is further shaped by a strong foundation in economic development,(techno-)geopolitics, and digital sovereignty, with a particular interest in how power dynamics and (investment) risk influence digital transformation and technological advancement. I have worked across Europe and the Asia-Pacific in areas such as technical cooperation, transport decarbonisation, and science diplomacy, advising stakeholders on the intersection of technology and political strategy. With a keen understanding of both policy and market forces, I help organisations anticipate challenges and seize opportunities in an increasingly complex digital and geopolitical landscape.