Erisa Zykai

Erisa Zykaj is responsible for open science and data policies at DG RTD, European Commission. She joined the European Commission in 1999 as a Visiting Scientist at the Joint Research Centre (the Institute of Prospective Technological Studies – IPTS), where she became Head of the Information Society Unit in 2005. In January 2008, she moved to the Bureau of European Policy Advisers (attached to the president of the EC) as an adviser for innovation policy. Since October 1, 2008, she has been part of DG RTD, first as an advisor and then as Head of Unit in charge of top-level advisory boards such as the European Research and Innovation Area Board, the Innovation for Growth Group, and the European Forum for Forward Looking Activities.

Until 2000, she was a full professor of communication technology policy at the Free University of Brussels, as well as director of SMIT, and was involved in science and technology assessment. She has been a visiting professor at the University of Antwerp, the European College of Bruges, and the University of South Africa, and has contributed to several academic journals. She chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Innovation and was a member of its Science Advisory Committee.