Decision-support systems (DSS) require case information to be organised into structured representations before cases can be evaluated. In many legal and administrative settings, this information is embedded in unstructured documents, and transforming it into structured attributes is a manual, time-consuming, and error-prone process. Recent advances in large language models (LLMs) offer new opportunities to support this transformation, yet existing research evaluates extraction approaches primarily in terms of accuracy rather than their suitability for use within decision-support workflows. This thesis evaluates the suitability of an LLM-based extraction approach for transforming information from contractual documents into the structured representations used by decision-support systems. Following a Design Science Research approach, the study analyses an operational contract evaluation workflow at Antea Group Netherlands, identifies requirements for an extraction approach, and designs and implements a modular LLM-based extraction pipeline. Suitability is assessed using five requirement-derived criteria: accuracy, consistency, efficiency, understandability, and traceability. The results show that the approach is partially suitable, with suitability varying systematically across attribute types. Attributes that could be assigned directly from contractual information were extracted reliably, whereas attributes requiring more extensive interpretation, conditional reasoning, or integration of information across provisions remained challenging. The approach automated 10 of the 15 attributes and supported 3 more, producing consistent, understandable, and traceable outputs in approximately 21 seconds per case. Rather than supporting full automation, the findings support selective integration in which LLM-based extraction complements human judgment, and demonstrate how the suitability of such approaches can be assessed prior to organisational deployment. ... Read more

The goal of this study is to obtain the meaning of operational success of AI systems used by the Dutch national police. Because operational success of AI systems in law enforcement cannot solely be determined based on technical performance or first impressions. The research combines a literature review, interviews, Q methodology, and a case study to explore both the innovation process of AI systems within the Dutch national police and the different perspectives on operational success. The innovation process is approximated with a stage-gate process. It was concluded that the operational success of AI systems within the Dutch national police cannot be captured by a single definition. It can instead be described by multiple perspectives that emphasise efficiency, ethically responsible implementation and technical aspects. With adhering to the goals set for the AI system and adding value to the core mission of the police as a base. The Technology-Organisation-Environment-Human (TOEH) framework and Moore’s strategic triangle for public value were used to structure these perspectives. By connecting these perspectives to the innovation process, this research demonstrates that operational success should not only be evaluated after implementation, but continuously throughout the whole process. The proposed evaluation framework for AI systems provides a first step towards a more structured and organisation-wide approach to assessing operational success. This research contributes to an improved understanding of operational success and evaluation of AI systems in practice, supporting more informed and balanced decision-making within the Dutch national police. ... Read more

State-led redress programmes are commonly established by governments to respond to large-scale institutional failures and repair damaged relationships with citizens. However, such programmes frequently struggle to meet the needs and expectations of those they aim to compensate. While these shortcomings are often framed as implementation failures, this thesis argues that difficulties may originate earlier in the policy process, namely in how the concept of “redress” is initially understood and translated into policy design.

This research therefore examines how different actors conceptualise state-led redress during the early phase of a redress process and how these conceptions shape subsequent design choices. The redress operation following the Dutch childcare benefits scandal serves as an in-depth case study. The study adopts a qualitative and interpretative research approach grounded in systems thinking, combining desk research with semi-structured interviews with actors operating at different institutional levels. Two analytical lenses structure the analysis: perceived procedural justice, focusing on citizens’ experiences of fairness, and networked governance, highlighting the institutional complexity of multi-actor governance contexts.

The findings show that redress is not conceptualised as a single, stable policy problem. Instead, actors emphasise different objects of restoration, leading to three main conceptions of redress: financial repair, emotional recognition, and institutional legitimacy. These conceptions are closely related to actors’ institutional positions and influence design choices such as standardisation, flexibility, and accountability mechanisms. Because these perspectives coexist, tensions between financial compensation, relational recognition, and institutional legitimacy become embedded in the design of redress processes.

The thesis develops a reflective framework to support dialogue about these tensions during the design of future redress programmes. By making underlying assumptions and trade-offs explicit, the framework aims to support the development of redress processes that are both experienced as fair by affected citizens and workable within complex governance systems.
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How can a data-driven risk-based inspection approach be designed and implemented at the ANVS to improve efficiency and accuracy under uncertainty?

Abstract (Platte tekst, max. 500 woorden)
- In nuclear safety and radiation protection, inspection capacity is limited while the consequences of misprioritisation are high. The ANVS applies a risk-based inspection (RBI) approach, but current risk profiles rely partly on unstructured information and a limited set of measurable indicators. This may lead to blind spots, particularly under changing external conditions.

This study examines how a data-driven RBI approach can be designed for the ANVS to improve efficiency and accuracy under uncertainty. Inspectors’ tacit knowledge is translated into a structured set of risk factors combining measurable characteristics, behavioural dynamics, and external developments. A simulation model is used to analyse how risk evolves over time and how uncertainty in risk prediction affects inspection prioritisation and outcomes.

Results show that uncertainty mainly leads to temporary shifts in prioritisation rather than structural failures. Its impact is limited under stable conditions but increases during unfavourable external developments, when overall risk levels rise and missed high-risk inspections become more likely. Improving data quality has the strongest long-term effect on inspection performance, while increasing capacity primarily yields short-term improvements.

The study concludes that a data-driven RBI approach can strengthen inspection planning when uncertainty is explicitly considered and professional judgement remains integrated in final decisions. ... Read more

AI will significantly influence the operations of public organizations. This involves much more than just executing existing tasks of these organizations more efficiently or effectively. AI adoption1 will lead to new possibilities for public organizations that are difficult to predict at present. Consequently, AI will also have important organizational implications. The role of professionals changes, organizational structures may require adjustment, and internal and external dependencies between various actors shift.

With the rising AI adoption by public organizations, scientific interest in the organizational implications of AI adoption has also grown. Although existing literature increasingly recognizes that algorithms and organizations are intertwined, the concept ‘organization’ is often minimally defined, and there is still little attention given to the components that make up an organization. Additionally, the interrelationship between organization and technology has only been empirically investigated to a limited extent.... ... Read more

The COVID-19 pandemic since 2020 has pressed the pause button for the whole world for almost a full year. Starting from 2021, many countries have gradually resumed their economic activities and recovered from the pandemic. China, however, despite its economy showing signs of recovery, a slowdown in economic growth is also obvious and continuous. Before the pandemic, China’s economy maintained on average an annual GDP growth rate of 9%, with the lowest still exceeding 6%. But this growth rate dropped to an average of 4.9% since 2020, with only the year 2021 exceeding 6%. The slowdown in economic growth makes people wonder what has happened to China’s economy. Meanwhile, the concurrent China also shares some similarities with Japan in the 1990s. At their respective times, both economies were the countries with the second-largest GDP in the world after the United States, had bubbles in real estate, shared export-oriented models, faced challenges posed by ageing populations, and were subject to external pressures from the United States in trade and technology. Since 1990, Japan has entered a prolonged recession which was explained as being the balance sheet recession by an economist Richard C. Koo. The similarities and comparisons have raised the question of whether China, too, might enter a similar phase of balance sheet recession. However, some China-specific features have distinguished China from Japan and other Western countries where the balance sheet recession theory can explain their recessions well. For example, China is a socialist country, it has its socialist market economy. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) have dominated critical sectors and the state can have many interventions into the market through SOEs. The differences could obscure the typical symptoms of a balance sheet recession. The research gap remains in the applicability of the balance sheet recession theory in the context of China-specific features. Therefore, this research tries to study the applicability of the balance sheet recession theory to China’s current economic performance, and give policy recommendations to reverse its economic slowdown trend accordingly. To address the research gap, several steps are taken. First is to study the balance sheet recession theory, and try to summarise the typical patterns of a balance sheet recession. The patterns are summarised as having a deflationary spiral, decoupling between monetary base, money supply, and private credit, and liquidity trap. Then, the China-specific features that are most relevant to the balance sheet recession theory are studied. Through investigation, China has specific features of high saving rates and low consumption, large occurrences of SOEs compared to private firms, and a bank-based financial system. These features are likely to influence the typical patterns of a balance sheet recession… ... Read more

A creeping crisis adds a new phase to the hot and cold phases of a ‘regular’ crisis: the creeping phase. Detection of the tipping point at the end of this creeping phase is important for a timely response from the Dutch safety regions. Such a detection approach cannot be found in literature. This research tries to answer the question ‘What detection approach could help the Dutch safety regions in detecting the tipping point of a creeping crisis when the creeping phase becomes the hot phase?’ It is found that the creeping crisis is surrounded by uncertainty as this uncertainty can be found around the nature of the threat, the build-up of the threat and the tipping point itself. The research tries to find an approach that is able to deal with this uncertainty. It is found that an approach that makes use of thresholds might be suitable for the detection of a tipping point. However, further research is needed to make this method applicable in practice. ... Read more

The urgency of addressing climate change has resulted in the implementation of proactive climate policies across multiple sectors. Including the business sector, where regulations aim on the energy efficiency and sustainability within companies’ facilities. In the Netherlands, recent regulations have imposed significant energy efficiency requirements on office-based companies, particularly concerning the energy efficiency and sustainability of office buildings. This research investigates the impact of Dutch climate policies on companies within the business sector, focusing on how these companies adapt their office buildings and sustainability strategies to comply with the new energy efficiency regulations. Through a combination of semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, this research explores the practical measures companies are taking to meet energy efficiency standards, the challenges they face in implementing these measures, and the role of internal corporate motivation in driving sustainability initiatives.

Three main regulations are included and investigated in this study: the minimum energy label C for office buildings, the energy savings obligation (including the recognised measures list), and the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) audit obligation. The study provides detailed insights into how involved companies navigate the technical and organisational complexities of complying with these policies, including negotiating with landlords for rented office spaces and balancing compliance costs with financial viability. Additionally, this research highlights the extent to which companies’ sustainability practices are driven by regulatory compliance or by a deeper commitment to social corporate responsibility in sustainability. Long term strategies and culture will be included in this research to create a more complete view of companies’ stance and strategies.
By presenting a nuanced analysis of the effects of Dutch climate policy on the business sector, this research contributes to the broader understanding of how companies are responding to the evolving sustainability landscape and energy efficiency goals in the business sector. The findings inform both policymakers and companies on effective strategies for enhancing energy efficiency in office buildings while addressing the practical and organisational barriers to implementation.


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Audit analytics (AA) enables the improvement of the effectiveness and efficiency of the internal audit function (IAF). In this research, we follow Lambrecht et al.’s (2011, p.3) and define AA as “the process of identifying, gathering, validating, analyzing, and interpreting data using information and communication technology to further the purpose and mission of internal auditing”. AA is an umbrella term encompassing various forms of technology-based audit approaches, from continuous auditing to advanced machine learning. Due to the increased effectiveness and efficiency, AA enables the IAF to provide proactive and ongoing assurance services instead of periodic assessment, expand the (internal) audit service areas with the same resources, enable larger samples or even the whole population for analysis, and can provide insight and foresight for its stakeholders, in addition to the hindsight of the (possibly) already occurred risks... ... Read more

Traffic congestion and accidents present increasing challenges in the Netherlands, particularly due to high population density and complex urban conditions. This research explores the potential of drones as a solution for improving road traffic management by Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), focusing on policy and technological aspects. Utilising Kingdon’s Multiple Streams framework, adapted to include problem, technology, and regulatory and policy flows, the study provides a holistic view of the innovation process within RWS.

The investigation addresses key sub-questions: the challenges RWS has faced in road traffic management, opportunities and challenges of drone technology, regulatory and policy issues, and the convergence of these factors to create innovation opportunities. Through a qualitative approach, including literature reviews, actor analysis, and semi-structured interviews, the study examines the dynamics of drone implementation.

Findings reveal complex challenges such as efficient incident management and infrastructure monitoring, compounded by budgetary constraints and the need for new technologies. Drones offer significant opportunities but face obstacles like manual control limitations and regulations for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.

The research highlights the importance of internal and external changes for successful drone integration, recommending strategic resource allocation, increased internal awareness, and collaboration with regulatory bodies to create a supportive framework. This study aims to guide RWS in effectively adopting drone technology for road traffic management, balancing internal innovation readiness with external legislative developments. ... Read more

Generative AI is expected to have a significant impact on how business is done, especially for knowledge-intensive domains. Professional usage amongst knowledge workers is already widespread and many of them believe that LLM use for work will make them more efficient, help them generate ideas, and improve the quality of their work. Yet, the technology comes with numerous potential risks, including job displacement, threats to data privacy, unreliability, cybersecurity risks, and non-compliance with new AI regulation. The decision to adopt LLMs for knowledge work is thus a significant one as organisations must carefully weigh up the benefits and drawbacks that these models present.

Using a qualitative research approach, this study was aimed at exploring employee and organisational perceptions on the benefits and risks of LLM adoption within the Dutch financial sector. This study was conducted in partnership with a global Professional Services Firm and used their existing network of people and clients to conduct interviews with experts who act as advisors to top management in the decision-making process of new technology adoption such as LLMs. 18 semi-structured interviews were done to collect qualitative data. The research question to be answered is:

- How do employees’ and organisations’ perceived benefits and risks of Large Language Models (LLMs) influence financial organisations’ LLM adoption plans?

Exactly half of participants (9/18) said that they use LLMs in their own work while the other half stated that they do not due to a lack of perceived benefits. Microsoft was found to be a significant player in the current adoption of LLMs at Dutch financial institutions with 57% of all LLMs used by participants being owned by the software vendor. The most common LLM use cases were literary and creative in nature and included preparing presentation slides (16%), text generation (12%), email composition (12%), and structuring documents (12%).

The targeted capabilities that organisations would like to achieve with their future adoption plans include helping programmers write better code, analysing help desk conversations, assisting employees via LLM chatbots, and analysing emails to predict customer questions. Employees were most excited about the potential efficiency and productivity gains that LLMs offer for their work (19%), how LLM usage could free up more time for focused, interesting, and fun work (11%), repetitive tasks becoming automated by LLM (8%), the new opportunities that LLMs present (8%) such as new business models, and improvements to customer service (5%). General overlap can be seen between the targeted capabilities of future LLMs to be adopted and employee expectations.

Instead of restricting LLM usage, it is recommended that organisations find ways to incorporate them into their employee workflows by providing clear policies and guidelines. It was found that this approach will be most beneficial to creative and literary workflows like improving writing/grammar/translation, information search, structuring documents, and text generation. To achieve this integration, organisations should write and implement clear usage policies. This will ensure that the benefits of allowing LLM usage at work are enjoyed while mitigating the most important risks. ... Read more

Historically, Central Asia and agriculture have had a tempestuous relationship. The collapse of the USSR in 1999 put agriculture fully in crisis. Greenhouses, a flourishing sector in the latter days of the USSR, almost fully disappeared. In attempt to gain self-sufficiency in fruit and vegetable production, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan reconsider greenhouses to stabilize horticulture in the region’s desertifying climate. Current water governance, formed by USSR political and technological path dependencies, has not been able to bolster this transnational infrastructure transition, in which water and energy systems are interrelated and shared across borders. That bears the question: how does path dependency influence infrastructure transitions in centralist and authoritarian regimes? A multiple-case study design gathered data about water governance in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan through a literature review and semi-structured interviews. Planned transitions in those regimes did not evolve as intended due to pushback from actors and USSR induced institutions, not being ready for change. An institutional structure to support transitions in those regimes is lacking due to institutional reproduction of USSR conception, reflecting little pluralism of actors, restricted actor interaction, and top-down governance. High sunk costs make it expensive and physically challenging to change or abandon existing (water) infrastructure, particularly without clear ownership and roles. Accordingly, the USSR conception of governance and past technological decisions lead to path dependencies and impede change in this transnational infrastructure. ... Read more

This thesis explores the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), specifically the Environmental Sustainability Reporting Standard (ESRS) E1, within the logistics sector. As a major contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the logistics sector faces both challenges and opportunities in aligning with the CSRD’s objectives to promote transparency and sustainability. Through a qualitative case-study approach, the research investigates how logistics companies navigate GHG reporting under CSRD ESRS E1 and identifies key factors influencing their alignment with sustainability goals. The findings highlight three forms of decoupling between policy and practice, including loose coupling between compliance and internal operations, and the gap between sustainability policies and operational realities. Additionally, the study reveals several internal and external factors contributing to these misalignments, such as resource limitations and the complexity of supply chains. The thesis concludes with actionable recommendations for businesses and policymakers to enhance the effectiveness of CSRD implementation and reduce policy-practice decoupling, contributing to meaningful progress in GHG emissions reduction. ... Read more

In my thesis I was studying the interrelation between network topology and dynamics and the emergence and evolution of institutions for the governance of CPR. This research was intended to shed some light on what is the role of networks in formation of endogenous institutions and the possible insights for policy makers and users of CPR. To answer my research question, I utilized the agent-based institutional model and enhanced it by adding three dimensions of social networks and connecting them through various mechanisms to other parts of the model trying to capture the complexity of SESs. Therefore, through the combination of ABM and approaches from SNA I conducted a series of simulations that were imitating co-evolution of endogenous institutions and network topology. Through variation of input and output parameters the patterns were derived from the model and thoroughly analyzed. Notably, they suggest a positive relationship between the degree of network fragmentation and the stability of institutional structures within these communities. This implies that more fragmented social networks tend to exhibit greater stability in their institutional arrangements. Furthermore, the research reveals the presence of negative feedback mechanisms influencing network-dependent rewiring probabilities and positive feedback mechanisms governing homophily-based rewiring probabilities. These findings underscore the complexity of CPR governance, where network structures, institutional dynamics, and personal strategies interact in intricate ways. The results of this analysis were utilized to provide policy recommendations for regulation of CPRs. Mainly these recommendations evolve around: (i) identification and connection of fragments within social networks; (ii) analysis of the details of agents resource consumption, (iiI) identification of potential strategy options and (iv) enhancement of the processes that drive creation of gear- (or other attribute-) based connections. Overall, the research has the potential to inform the development of more effective and sustainable approaches to the governance of CPRs. ... Read more

Food safety inspections play an important role in the safety of consumers of food products. Even though food safety regulations have disciplinary power over food-related businesses, inspections are needed to ensure that regulations are followed for the well-being of consumers. Traditionally inspections did not have a goal of targeting higher risks. However, since 2004 EU regulations require all EU Member State inspectorates to follow a risk-based approach within their inspection plan. This is an effective way of inspecting and gives high results in catching violations. However, to be able to know what is happening in the overall industry representative results are needed, and performing inspections based on risks does not provide representativeness. Random inspections if performed in a representative way can provide this. Inspectorates are looking for ways to combine random and
risk-based inspections to get representativeness from risk-based approaches. To do this the inspection strategy might need to consist of a combination of random and risk-based approaches. The reason for this is to avoid bias that may result from performing risk-based inspections.
The main research question of this thesis therefore is: How can inspectorates adapt their inspection strategies to mitigate bias that results from risk-based inspections?
The exploration of how risk-based and representative inspections can be combined is aimed to
be supported with an investigation of methods that support this decision. This research aims to develop an assessment framework for evaluating such methods. In order to evaluate these methods, assessment criteria are needed that measure the methods appropriately. Since the reason to combine random and risk-based approaches is to reduce the assumed bias of risk-based inspections, there is a need to understand what bias is in risk-based inspections. Furthermore, to understand this, what risk means needs to be investigated. Therefore, the goal of the research is to find out how risk and bias affect the choice of inspection strategies, by investigating random and risk-based inspections and how these can be combined in order to leverage their advantages.
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This thesis addresses the issue of teacher shortages in Dutch primary education. The first section of the study encompasses a multi-actor analysis of the Primary Education sector and provides a comprehensive overview of the recent efforts to reduce the teacher shortage.
Next, utilising Q-methodology, profiles of three types of teachers are drawn based on teachers' job preferences. The first is the Service-Focused teacher, who exhibits a strong commitment to assisting underprivileged children and values ethical leadership and community engagement. The second is the Classroom-Focused teacher, who prioritises pedagogical autonomy, trustworthy leadership, and stress mitigation. Lastly, the Career-Focused teacher emphasises personal growth, leadership opportunities, and career progression.
The final section of this study assesses the recent policies targeting the teacher shortage, as analysed in the first section, taking into consideration the Q-methodology outcomes. The conclusion recommends further research focusing on school leaders and teachers at schools in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. ... Read more

In the contemporary era, governments and their executive organizations are confronted with quick and abrupt changes. Such changes may include technological advancements, emerging crisis situations, and alterations in legislation. These changes can be disruptive if not adequately addressed. To effectively cope with abrupt changes, governmental executive agencies must be adaptable. They must possess the capacity to prepare, adjust, and respond to challenges and changing circumstances in the political, administrative, operational, and societal context. Whilst governmental organizations strive to enhance their adaptability, several challenges arise. This contribution focuses on identifying challenges associated with adaptability within governmental executive agencies and proposes coping mechanisms to address those challenges.

The main research questions are: (1) What are the main challenges associated with adaptability within governmental executive agencies? and (2) What strategy can be employed by governmental executive agencies to cope with those challenges?

To answer these questions, two research methods were utilized. First, a review of existing literature was conducted to gain knowledge about adaptability within organizations in general. Subsequently, a case study was performed at the Dutch Tax Administration, chosen because of its complex organizational structure, its processing of significant tax revenue, and its stated ambition to become a more adaptable organization.

The literature study focused on three themes: definitions, conditions, and challenges of adaptability. This resulted in the construction of a typology of adaptability consisting of three aspects. The organizational aspect concerns organizational structure and the degree of centralization, formalization, and standardization. The market aspect concerns which clients are served and how they are served. The technological aspect concerns technological resources, skills, and competencies.

The case study consisted of interviews with six key players at the Dutch Tax Administration holding directorial-level positions, followed by a Q-methodology study involving 24 employees. The interviews focused on perceptions of adaptability, organizational levels of adaptability, and challenges and trade-offs associated with adaptability. The Q-study revealed three distinct profiles. The first profile, “Adaptability by Command”, emphasizes an internal focus, strategy, formalization, centralization, and politics as the primary client. The second profile, “Embracing the Status Quo”, questions whether adaptability is the right solution for the Tax Administration. The third profile, “Balancing Society’s Expectations”, emphasizes an external focus, decentralization, citizens and companies as the primary clients, and responsiveness to societal needs.

The findings indicate that recommendations differ depending on the perspective adopted. Organizations with an internal focus should prioritize the organizational aspect of adaptability by determining appropriate levels of centralization, formalization, and standardization and by adapting internal processes to changing circumstances. Organizations with an external focus should prioritize the market aspect by identifying their primary clients, aligning outputs with client preferences, and adjusting outputs when client demands change. For organizations that do not embrace adaptability, further research is needed to understand the underlying reasons and to explore alternative approaches.

The study identifies two categories of challenges associated with adaptability: trade-offs and risks. Important trade-offs include adaptiveness versus stability, efficiency versus innovation, and exploitation versus exploration. Key risks concern efficiency, internal and external control, predictability of outcomes, transparency of working methods, and collaboration between departments. The importance of these trade-offs and risks varies across organizations.

The study concludes that there is no single strategy that adequately addresses adaptability challenges for all governmental executive agencies. The appropriate strategy depends on organizational context and on how adaptability is defined within the organization. Agencies should first determine whether they prioritize an internal, formalistic, centralized, and political focus or an external, decentralized, and societal focus. Based on this choice, they can emphasize the organizational, market, or technological aspect of adaptability.

Several limitations should be acknowledged. The Q-study would have benefited from a larger sample, and the use of both face-to-face and online interviews may have affected consistency. Furthermore, the identified factors explained only part of the total variance. Future research could investigate the discrepancy between the Tax Administration’s stated ambition to become adaptable and the absence of such a desire among the identified employee profiles, as well as the effects of adaptability strategies on citizens, companies, and compliance. ... Read more

Since Bitcoin’s genesis block validated the concept of blockchain technology, the domain has experienced rapid growth and innovation. While mass adoption remains a challenge, numerous applications have demonstrated substantial potential, establishing blockchain as a leading frontier of technological advancement. Originally emphasizing decentralization and individual freedom without external interference, the space is gradually shifting due to mainstream institutional adoption and increasing retail and institutional investments. Consequently, the debate around regulation has intensified, raising the central question: “For what reasons, and to what extent, should one regulate the blockchain domain?”

This research addresses this question within the context of the emerging quantum threat to blockchain. Quantum computing capabilities are progressing exponentially, surpassing Moore’s Law in computational growth, and are expected to reach the level of Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQCs) within the coming decade(s). At this stage, quantum algorithms such as Shor’s and Grover’s will threaten existing public-key cryptography, including blockchain security. Failure to transition to quantum-safe protocols risks undermining trust, destabilizing infrastructure, and compromising user funds. Therefore, preparing for a quantum-secure blockchain environment is critical.

The objective of this research is to provide an overview of recommendations that support blockchain’s timely transition to quantum safety. Recommendations encompass regulatory and policy guidance, technical strategies, and community engagement approaches. The methodology combines literature review, secondary data analysis, market analysis, case studies, and expert interviews. The technical chapter explores post-quantum cryptography options, evaluating trade-offs and considerations for integration into existing blockchain architectures, culminating in a technical framework for practitioners.

The organizational perspective analyzes blockchain governance, including decentralized change mechanisms and stakeholder influence. A market analysis of the top 100 cryptocurrency projects assessed their quantum-awareness, research activities, and adoption of mitigation strategies, forming the basis of the N.A.R.A.Q. framework. Additionally, 30 interviews with blockchain founders, project leads, CEOs, CTOs, cybersecurity experts, and post-quantum cryptosystem designers provided insights into the perceived threats, regulatory perspectives, barriers, and enablers for transitioning to quantum safety.

The study integrates these findings into actionable recommendations, proposing the Quantum-Secure Stamp of Approval (QSSA) and an enhanced N.A.R.A.Q. framework. The implications for Non-Quantum-Secure Blockchain Technologies (NQSBTs) are addressed, alongside policy recommendations targeting regulators, stakeholders, and the broader blockchain community. The research emphasizes collaborative efforts and external institutional support while analyzing key obstacles and barriers to adoption.

Ultimately, the study highlights the delicate balance between regulation and innovation. While regulatory frameworks can protect users and investors, overregulation or lack of technological understanding may hinder innovation. The findings aim to guide policymakers and blockchain stakeholders in facilitating a smooth transition to a quantum-safe environment, ensuring security, trust, and continued technological progress. By providing a foundation for discussion, this research contributes to strategic planning for the future of blockchain in a post-quantum era. ... Read more

The concept of deterrence, using fear of punishment to encourage compliant behavior, is widely discussed. However, deterrence often places an emphasis on the economic side of compliance while neglecting other possibly crucial factors, as is argued by the literature. Psychological factors, notably the personal norm and the social norm, often appear to play important roles in the decision to comply or not. The personal norm describes an individual’s attitude and moral stance toward specific behaviors, such as compliance. On the other hand, the social norm revolves around perceptions of others’
behavior and opinions within one’s social network. Hence, the influence of these factors is researched within different populations, and different environments, some enabling and some impeding compliance. A new framework to encompass all these elements is explored with Agent-Based Modeling and applied to a case study in collaboration with the ILT (Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport). Findings included the lack of a social influence on compliance, whenever the personal norm was high and the necessity to be able to comply in order for deterrence to show an effect. For future research, suggestions are done to improve the framework and to explore additional aspects. ... Read more

The Nederlandse- Voedsel en Warenautoriteit (NVWA) asked the at-first-sight simple question of how to combine risk-based and random methods for inspection. Risk-based and random inspection methods have contrasting incentives. Risk-based inspection increases efficiency and allocates resources efficiently but fails to regulate low and emergent risks. Random inspection tackles unforeseen and emerging risks, ensures representativeness and prevents bias but fails to detect food hazards and non-compliance with food safety laws efficiently. A void in the literature exists on how to address the question of the NVWA. The supposedly simple question thus appeared to be a rather complex one. The research develops guidance for food safety authorities in combining risk-based and random methods through a design science approach combined with a systems view to retrieve a complete understanding while allowing it to narrow down to practical guidance.

The first step to address the literature void is the development of the construct of inspection strategy based on design science cycles fueled by literature and interviews with regulatory authorities. The following definition of the construct is retrieved: an inspection strategy entails selecting and combining methods based on inherent considerations and operationalization on contextual considerations. The construct of inspection strategy is placed between inspection method selection and food safety regulation. The construct serves as a common language and shared understanding for food safety authorities.

The systems view is introduced to understand why inspection strategy design is complex for food safety authorities because of its context. Literature shows there is value in taking a systems view to regulation. In fact, the complex systems view applied to food safety regulation brought forward systems characteristics to consider in inspection strategy design, including adaptive, emergence, unpredictable and goal-seeking. The systems view showed that an inspection strategy is to be designed within the context of food safety regulation that is continuously changing in an unpredictable manner because of emerging food safety risks. Consequently, the complex systems view provided direction on how guidance for food safety authorities designing an inspection strategy within food safety regulation is to be developed.

Following the definition of inspection strategy and the exploration of the system complexities of the food safety regulation context, the requirements for an inspection strategy are identified. The requirements originated from the systems map, interviews and literature. Fourteen requirements are defined with corresponding categories and priorities. Based on the requirements, a visual framework is constructed, providing an overview of the considerations for food safety authorities designing an inspection strategy. The framework, when applied to strategies, exposes potential trade-offs. The framework respects the complexities of the previously uncovered complex system characteristics by providing insight without imposing rigid standards.

Guidance for food safety authorities is developed based on the previous findings. The guidance is twofold. First, a scale of encountered inspection strategies from random to risk-based is evaluated based on the requirements framework, guiding food safety authorities by providing insight into the associated trade-offs and helping them select a strategy. Second, questions are developed to guide food safety authorities before, during and after the design of an inspection strategy. Food safety authorities have to implement the guidance themselves.

Ultimately, the research holds potential for food safety authorities to improve their inspection strategies combining risk-based and random methods when implementing the guidance. Consequently, improving the state of food safety in an accountable, applicable, feasible and adaptive manner. Through validation is confirmed that the guidance is helpful for the NVWA. Furthermore, the research produces academic value by creating a common language in the academic field through the construct of an inspection strategy and by demonstrating the utility of systems thinking for regulation. The recommendation stands to implement the guidance, include participatory methods, validate with various food safety authorities and continue applying systems thinking in food safety regulation for future research.
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