Nicola Francesco Dotti is researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) on Dynamics of Innovation, Research and Higher Education and on Institutional Research and Strategic Analysis for data-driven university governance. He is a member of the Regional Studies Association (RSA) and RSA Ambassador for Belgium, vice coordinator of the research network on Cohesion policy. His research areas are Geography of Research and Public Policy Innovations, Data-driven University Governance, Regional Impacts of R&I Policy, Informal Economy, Policy Evaluation and Territorial Impact Assessment, EU Policies in European Regions (Structural Funds and Framework Programmes), Integrated Territorial Perspectives of Economics and Politics in Europe.