Brussels Privacy Hub

Name

Brussels Privacy Hub

Legal name

Brussels Privacy Hub

Website

https://brusselsprivacyhub.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Privacy and Data Protection Research Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Privacy & Data Protection (e.g., GDPR/CCPA) (EDABADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Privacy Governance & Consent Management (HDADAIAI)

Keywords

• Privacy law research
• Data protection training
• GDPR professional education
• Academic research centre
• DPO certification programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Institutional Funding: As an academic research centre of Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Hub operates with institutional research funding, co-funding from FWO and FNR for joint projects such as MATIS, and EU programme funding (e.g., Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme for STAR project). No commercial revenue model is indicated.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Brussels Privacy Hub is an academic privacy research centre at Vrije Universiteit Brussel that delivers fee-based professional training (Four-Day DPO Training, European Data Protection Law Summer School) and graduate education (LLM Data Law Option, Doctoral Seminars), convenes conferences and webinars (Brussels Privacy Symposium, Tech Talks, Enforcing Europe Series, Meet the Author Series), and publishes academic outputs including working papers, reports, and the ICRC co-edited Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action. Its programmes target privacy professionals, DPOs, academics, EU policymakers, and humanitarian organisations engaged with EU and global data protection law.

Product overview

Brussels Privacy Hub is an academic privacy research center at Vrije Universiteit Brussel offering education, events, publications, and training on privacy and data protection law. The portfolio consists of educational programs (LLM Data Law Option, Doctoral Seminars, European Data Protection Law Summer School), event series (Brussels Privacy Symposium, Enforcing Europe, Tech Talks, Meet the Author Series), academic publications (Working Papers, Reports, Workshop Summaries), and the Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action produced with ICRC. The organization focuses on bridging law, technology, and policy through interdisciplinary discussions and research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• European Data Protection Law Summer School Annual intensive training programme held in Brussels providing in-depth knowledge of GDPR and other EU data protection instruments, with networking opportunities with EU data protection institutions and academics. IAPP-accredited with up to 12 CPE credits per attendee.
• Four-Day DPO Training

Quantifiable outcome

• The Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action (1st ed. 2017) quickly established itself as a reference resource for the humanitarian sector
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• PANELFITminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019PANELFIT (a research project on privacy and data protection) co-organised the CPDP 2019 Panel on Health data and AI in clinics and research with the Hub. Prof. Gianclaudio Malgieri served as moderator.
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014The Hub partnered with ICRC to produce the Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action. The first edition was published in 2017 and the second edition in June 2020. This partnership brought together humanitarian organisations, DPAs, academics, and NGOs in a multi-stakeholder working series. The co-editors are Christopher Kuner (Hub) and Massimo Marelli (ICRC).
• Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) — Law, Science, Technology & Society (LSTS) Research GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Brussels Privacy Hub is an academic research centre established within the LSTS Research Group of Vrije Universiteit Brussel. VUB provides institutional hosting, infrastructure (premises at Pleinlaan 2, Brussels), and academic governance. The Hub operates under VUB's umbrella while maintaining its own brand and programming.
• University of LuxembourgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organiser of the Enforcing Europe Webinar Series (Series 1 and 2) and joint research project MATIS (co-funded by FWO and FNR). The series is hosted by Juraj Sajfert of VUB/University of Luxembourg, examining EU enforcement challenges in the digital era.
• Privacy Laws & BusinessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTech Talks series and Enforcing Europe Webinar Series are in media partnership with Privacy Laws & Business, a UK-based privacy publication and events company. The partnership provides media visibility and audience reach for the Hub's event series.
• European Digital Rights (EDRi)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEDRi is in media partnership with the Enforcing Europe Series 2, amplifying reach to the European digital rights civil society community.
• Future of Privacy Forum (FPF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFPF co-presented the first annual Brussels Privacy Symposium in 2016 and the Digital Data Flows Master Class series with the Hub. This partnership positions the Hub within a leading US-based privacy think tank network and enhances transatlantic engagement.
• VUB Confucius InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported the November 2018 workshop on Big Data and Cybersecurity in China and the EU under its 2018 research activities call, facilitating EU-China expert dialogue.
• IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe European Data Protection Law Summer School is IAPP-accredited, offering up to 12 CPE (Continuing Privacy Education) credits to certified attendees. The Hub acknowledges IAPP collaboration in organising the Summer School.
• PRINTEGER (Promoting Integrity as an Integral Dimension of Excellence in Research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organised the August 2018 lunch event on Data Protection for Scientific Research with PRINTEGER, examining GDPR implications for scientific research data processing.
• European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDPS participates as a regular co-organiser, speaker contributor, and collaborating institution in Hub events (e.g., February 2018 lunch event co-organised with EDPS, Enforcing Europe Series 1 & 2, Summer School teaching faculty). EDPS also contributes to the Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action.
• Privacy SalonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organised the CPDP 2018 Launch Event on Cross-border Data Transfers with Privacy Salon in January 2018.
• CANVAS ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with the CANVAS Project on the June 2018 event 'Encrypted data: Challenges and Opportunities', bringing together law enforcement and industry perspectives on encryption.
• Cyber and Data Security Lab (CDSL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDSL (VUB research centre) co-organised the October 2019 EU Cybersecurity Law workshop with the Hub during European CyberSecurity Month 2019.
• Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (Signal Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 2nd working series of the Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action. Contributed expertise on ethics and community impacts through the Signal Program on Human Security and Technology at Harvard.
• Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EUminorOthersHost venue for several Hub events including the 2018 Summer School opening keynote by Paul Nemitz and the June 2019 roundtable on The (In)Alienable Data Subject.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Privacy International: London-based NGO producing research and advocacy on privacy, surveillance and data protection. Comparable in publishing privacy policy outputs and convening stakeholders; an existing partner of the Hub.
• European Digital Rights (EDRi): European coalition of civil society organisations working on digital rights and privacy. Comparable as a Brussels-based privacy/digital rights convenor and an existing media partner of the Hub (Enforcing Europe Series 2).
• Future of Privacy Forum: US-based privacy think tank focused on data protection policy, AI ethics and youth/data protection. Comparable in mission (privacy research and convening) and an active partner of the Hub, having co-presented the Brussels Privacy Symposium and Digital Data Flows Masterclass.
• Centre for Information Policy Leadership (CIPL): Privacy and data policy think tank operating within Hunton Andrews Kurth, focused on global privacy frameworks and responsible AI. Comparable as a privacy policy research and convening institution engaging regulators and industry.
• Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT): US non-profit working at the intersection of privacy, civil liberties and emerging technology policy. Comparable in producing applied privacy policy research and engaging with regulators and lawmakers.
• Stanford Center for Internet and Society: Stanford-affiliated academic centre focused on internet law, privacy and emerging technologies. Comparable as a university-hosted academic privacy research centre with visiting scholars and policy convening.
• Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society (TILT): Dutch academic research institute studying law, technology and society including privacy and data protection. Comparable in producing working papers, hosting researchers, and convening on privacy and tech regulation.
• Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society: Harvard-based academic research centre focused on internet law, privacy and technology governance. Comparable as a university-hosted academic privacy research venue with a global visiting scholars programme and convening function.

Broad incumbents

• International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP): World's largest privacy professional association, providing DPO/privacy certifications and training. Comparable in targeting the same DPO/privacy professional segment as the Hub's Summer School and DPO Training, but at much larger commercial scale.

Emerging players

• Stanford Program in Law, Science & Technology: Academic programme at Stanford Law studying the intersection of law, science and technology including privacy. Comparable in providing academic privacy education and convening; serves a more US-centric audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BPrivacyHub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brussels Privacy Hub