GRONINGEN
The Municipality of Groningen is taking the next step in its digital future by adopting the official ‘Vision Document Artificial Intelligence (AI)’. With this document, the municipality establishes how it will deploy Artificial Intelligence to address societal challenges. DataNorth, a Groningen-based AI consultancy firm that led the intensive process of aligning all municipal directorates, has now been appointed to manage the practical rollout.
With the publication on December 3, 2025, Groningen is among the frontrunners of Dutch municipalities in establishing concrete frameworks for AI. The vision is supported by specific guidelines, detailed in the appendices ‘Vision AI Municipality of Groningen’ and ‘Additional frameworks and AI guidelines’. This policy aims to ensure that technology remains at the service of residents while prioritizing privacy and ethics.
From fragmentation to an unified vision
The collaboration was prompted by the rapid rise of AI initiatives and the pace of AI developments, which previously lacked overarching regulations. The municipality struggled with questions such as: “Where do we start?” and “What are the rules?”.
DataNorth was commissioned to answer these questions and define a broadly supported vision. This was a complex trajectory involving input from no fewer than 15 different directorates within the municipality.
Balancing efficiency and privacy
During various workshops, DataNorth brought together diverse perspectives. While some departments saw opportunities to save public funds by increasing efficiency through AI, others focused more on privacy and the protection of citizens.
“The challenge was to find consensus between these extremes,” says Nick Moesker, co-founder and AI Lead at DataNorth. By collectively defining what AI means for Groningen and which applications are desirable, a vision has emerged that is not just imposed from the top down, but is supported by the entire organization.
From paper to practice
Now that the frameworks have been established, the implementation phase begins. DataNorth has been selected by the municipality to facilitate this transition. The new phase of the collaboration focuses on three pillars:
- Implementation of the vision: Translating theoretical frameworks into actionable processes on the work floor.
- Knowledge development: Enabling the municipality to evaluate and initiate new AI initiatives independently.
- Launching pilots: Setting up concrete experiments to improve service delivery.
The Municipality’s Vision
In the vision document, the executive board emphasizes the importance of this step: “Innovation must go hand in hand with reliability, inclusivity, and a human-centric approach.”
The choice for DataNorth highlights the importance of local collaboration within the Groningen ecosystem. The firm specializes in making AI challenges applicable and understands the balance between technological innovation and administrative diligence.
Available Documents
The full vision document, including the appendices ‘Vision AI Municipality of Groningen’ and ‘Additional AI frameworks and guidelines’, is public and can be consulted via municipal channels.
