The Dutch government is funding a groundbreaking research infrastructure — the Macroscope — with €16.8 million, aimed at tracking how social change, trust, media and misinformation play out across the entire Netherlands. Coordinated by Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Macroscope is a collaborative initiative by two major Dutch research infrastructures: ODISSEI, focused on social science and economic data, and CLARIAH, which houses cultural and linguistic archives. The project unites 14 Dutch universities with leading institutes, including Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the Netherlands eScience Center, the National Library (KB), the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision (B&G), and the KNAW Humanities Cluster. For the first time at this scale, researchers will be able to link large datasets spanning social, cultural and digital domains — from archives to surveys to media data — in secure vaults, with AI tools and public-access portals designed to enable longitudinal and societal-level investigations.
(Full Press Release Here)
University of Amsterdam’s Role (and my role)
The UvA will not only benefit from the research infrastructure delivered by the Macroscope but will also help building it. I will lead the development of the Macroscope Analytical Toolbox, which will enable Social Science and Humanities researchers to integrate diverse datasets and employ cutting-edge analytical techniques for advanced research and evidence-based policy making. Professor Theo Araujo will lead the development of the Netherlands Media Corpus together with the National Library of the Netherlands (KB). This corpus will integrate the vast and dynamic array of media in all its forms and formats into a collaborative, dynamic ecosystem that is more sustainable, interoperable, and agile. In addition, several UvA researchers from the Social Science and Humanities domain will provide expertise to the project, such as Professor Eelke Heemskerk and his contributions to the analysis of longitudinal, large-scale population networks.
Why It Matters
The Macroscope is designed to enable investigation of questions such as:
- How does misinformation spread through a population and erode trust?
- Which communities remain resilient when confronted with rapid social or media change?
- How do language, identity, culture and institutions evolve over time and interact?
By 2030 the infrastructure is expected to be fully operational, providing researchers with unparalleled access to longitudinal and large-scale data — all while ensuring privacy, security and ethical standards.
What’s Next?
Once fully operational in 2030, the Macroscope will empower researchers to address critical societal challenges—from understanding the spread of misinformation and erosion of social trust, to tracking the evolution of language and media, and analysing the long-term effects of demographic change.
“The Netherlands has built world-leading infrastructures for research,” said Prof. Daniel Oberski, Co-Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of ODISSEI. “The Macroscope connects them—giving us, quite literally, a new lens on society.”
From the perspective of my work, this infrastructure will open up new pathways for research into digital competence, youth media practices, and the societal impacts of media and technology. And, as a member of the ODISSEI management board, I couldn’t be more happy for this impressive and meaningful investment.
Stay tuned for updates from our team as we begin harnessing the Macroscope to drive socially-impactful insights.