Technological innovations can significantly change the social and economic circumstances. We are currently experiencing advancing digitalization in many areas of social, cultural and economic life.

Digitalization has created very large and complex amounts of data (big data). Applications that are based on these data volumes and that process the data automatically on the basis of artificial intelligence and machine learning are already widespread in society and the economy. In the future, these data-based applications will increasingly influence people's actions in an economic, cultural and social context.

In March 2019, the decision was made to establish the Business Analytics and Data Science Center (BANDAS Center) in order to bundle the expertise and research in the field of big data and data science at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics. By expanding the relevant methodological expertise, new research directions can now also be set.