The Network Institute

Information, communication, and networking technologies create innovative ways to connect people, communities, organizations, and economies in the Information Society. New local and global opportunities emerge for people to associate and collaborate in a wide diversity of relationships. Networks offer highly fl exible and versatile forms of association and organization across existing boundaries. Driving these networks is a continuous process of creating, exchanging and sharing information and knowledge. These innovations have a fundamental impact on how we work, think, and act.

The Network Institute’s research mission is to come to a better scientific understanding of the emerging networked world in all its technological, economic and social aspects, and to help further its proper development.

To this end, jointly with partners in industry and society, The Network Institute carries out three interdisciplinary research programmes focused on themes of prime societal relevance: The Connected World, Web and e-Science, and Centre for Organization Studies.

• The Network Institute brings together researchers from many different academic disciplines, including information systems, communication science, computer science, business and management research, knowledge management, marketing and strategy, economics, artificial intelligence, mathematics, and organization science.
• The Network Institute is part of the VU University Amsterdam, located in the Southern part of Amsterdam near Schiphol Airport. This is a hotspot area of rapid economic development and innovation especially in professional services, finance, media, ICT, and the place where many international companies have their headquarters.