2. News
  3. Fti and madison.partners collaborate

FTI & Madison.Partners collaborate: data sharing as a catalyst for achieving strategic goals 

Flanders Technology & Innovation (FTI) is excited to introduce its new partnership with Madison.Partners – a strategic consulting firm dedicated to enabling organizations to become data-driven and AI-first.

CEO Blog banner (17)

Combining expertise in business strategy, data transformations, and AI, Madison.Partners defines actionable roadmaps built upon impactful use cases and robust foundations to unlock true value.  

"FTI's mission to connect organizations around data and innovation perfectly aligns with our vision of empowering clients across various industries to achieve strategic goals through data-driven decision-making," says Navaron Walraeve, partner at Madison.Partners. "We strongly believe that data sharing is an enabler for achieving strategic initiatives." 

 

Reducing reluctance 

Although organizations often have vast amounts of data, Madison.Partners observes that this data remains underutilized. "We see companies being hesitant to share data, even though it holds so much potential," explains Navaron. "Many organizations fear risks related to data security and governance. By offering safe, clear, and practical frameworks, we aim to help them take the leap." 

 

  • Photo Navaron_Madison.Partners

    Navaron Walraeve – Partner at Madison.Partners

 

FTI plays a critical role in this as a facilitator, providing data producers and data consumers with a platform and guidance to enable safe and efficient data sharing. For Navaron, this partnership is a natural fit. "FTI’s platform for data sharing can serve as a foundation in the roadmaps we create for our clients to become more data-driven. And, at the same time, we can offer companies within FTI's network tailored advice on potential data-driven use cases they should implement to achieve their business objectives." 

 

Putting data sharing higher on the agenda 

Navaron emphasizes that data sharing should be a higher priority today. "Last week, I was in Saudi Arabia. There, the government is making tremendous strides to make data accessible. The Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA), for instance, has developed a National Strategy for Data and AI to position the country as a global leader in artificial intelligence by 2030." 

 

"We need to create more awareness in our region and put data sharing on the agenda of both the government and organizations," Navaron continues. "In other countries, this is often driven by the ambition to grow and create value. In Belgium, and Europe as a whole, data sharing is still too often viewed through a regulatory lens, focusing on data protection rather than on the value it can create for individuals, organizations, and the economy and society as a whole." 

 

Shared mindset and commitment 

"We share the belief that successful data sharing is not only a technological challenge but also a cultural and strategic one. Together, we aim to raise awareness about the potential of data sharing and work on concrete use cases to inspire others," says Frank Hamerlinck, CEO at Flanders Technology & Innovation, and he adds, “We’re confident that Madison.Partners’s expertise will bring valuable contributions to the members of the FTI Alliance, our community of forward thinkers.” 

 

Navaron concludes: "We are convinced that every company can benefit from data sharing—whether it's about gaining strategic insights or monetizing their data. Together with FTI, we aim to build a movement that drives innovation and collaboration."