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AI4Business (AI4B)
Artificial intelligence is poised to reshape economies and the way organizations create value, and the pace of technological progress continues to accelerate. These developments offer major opportunities for businesses, while also raising important questions about effective and responsible AI adoption and innovation.
AI4Business (AI4B) is a faculty-level research cluster within the Faculty of Business Economics at Hasselt University that brings together scholars across disciplines to advance rigorous research on AI in business and society. We create a shared platform to exchange ideas and research insights, connect complementary expertise across the faculty, and engage in a sustained dialogue with external stakeholders. Our ambition is twofold: to strengthen and integrate AI-related research within the faculty, and to act as a trusted partner for collaborators in academia, industry, and the wider community.
Our focus
AI4B’s work spans three complementary streams, reflecting the breadth of interest and expertise within our Faculty of Business Economics:
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Developing AI algorithms for business applications: Some members develop new algorithms and analytical approaches that improve business processes and decision-making.
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Understanding AI’s implications for firms and the wider economy: Other members examine how AI is reshaping the economic landscape and business organizations. For example, our Innovation Management unit studies emerging organizational forms that help firms better leverage AI’s potential, as well as how EU-based startups and mid-caps can overcome obstacles to AI innovation and adoption.
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Using AI to strengthen our own research: A third stream focuses on applying AI-enabled tools and techniques to enhance research methods and evidence-gathering. For instance, within our Economics unit, supervised machine learning is used to proxy the innovativeness of enterprises at the national level using publicly available data.
Our research
- A business economics lens on AI: In line with our three focus areas, AI4B conducts research on (1) AI technologies for business processes, (2) AI’s effects on organizations and the broader economy, and (3) the use of AI to advance business economics research itself. Our cluster brings together all disciplinary groups within the faculty, enabling more integrated and holistic insights than any single discipline can provide.
- Internationally visible, practically relevant output: We disseminate our work on AI in venues where it can inform both scholarship and practice – presenting at leading international conferences and engaging with organizations through corporate and public-facing events. Our outputs are deliberately dual-impact: we publish our insights in globally leading practitioner outlets (e.g., Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review) while also advancing theory and evidence in top-tier academic journals.
- Civic mission: In line with Hasselt University’s civic mission, AI4B also hosts an applied research unit (BIARU). BIARU works hands-on with regional companies to accelerate their “zero-to-one” journey in AI adoption and to deepen and professionalize AI use where initiatives are already underway.
What's in it for you?
AI4B serves as a bridge between cutting-edge academic inquiry and real-world business challenges. Whether you are looking to advance the frontiers of science or seeking to future-proof your organization, we provide the expertise, network, and collaborative spirit to make it happen. Explore how we create value for our key stakeholders:
For academics & researchers
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A platform for intellectual exchange: AI4B offers an interdisciplinary business economics forum to enrich academic debate on AI with new ideas, empirical insights, and constructive critique.
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A trusted research partner: We collaborate with external partners on fundamental and applied research projects at regional, national, and European levels – connecting complementary expertise across business economics disciplines to build strong consortia and deliver rigorous, publishable outcomes.
For companies & organizations
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From “zero to one” in AI adoption – and beyond: For organizations seeking concrete support to start with AI or to scale adoption across processes and business lines, AI4B hosts an applied research unit, BIARU. Through BIARU, the AI4B cluster is able to design and execute applied research to accelerate AI adoption. For example, insurance provider Ethias has signed a framework agreement with AI4B that has already resulted in multiple AI process explorations with demonstrable business impact.
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Evidence-based guidance and collaboration: We contribute as a sounding board, keynote speaker, and sparring partner on AI developments from a business economics perspective. For example, AI4B has been invited as a keynote speaker by Cegeka to bring new perspectives on Data & AI. Where relevant, we also develop joint research projects with firms and other societal actors to generate robust, actionable evidence on AI’s opportunities and risks.
In the spotlight
Partnership with Ethias
As part of the strategic partnership between insurance provider Ethias and our Faculty of Business Economics, an Ethias delegation recently visited UHasselt. Els De keyser, Sandra Claes and Werner De Geyter joined our AI4Business team to dig into process analyses within the health claims division - exploring how smart automation can create real impact. We, on our end, shared key findings and actionable opportunities to support automated decision-making. And we’re not stopping there: the collaboration continues into 2026, working toward an even stronger, win-win Ethias–UHasselt partnership.
Contact
Prof. dr. Lotte Verdonck
Research Manager
Contact for academics & researchers
PJ De Queker
Business Developer
Contact for companies & organizations
Prof. dr. Yannick Bammens
Cluster lead
Prof. dr. Benoît Depaire
Cluster lead