On 3 and 4 April 2025, the closing conference and workshop of the Smart Survey Implementation (SSI) project took place in Heerlen, The Netherlands. The event was attended by 45 participants from various countries. The conference brought together national statistical institutes (NSIs), universities, and a commercial partner to share the progress made and lessons learned during the SSI project in integrating smart technologies into official statistics. With a strong focus on user-centric design, privacy, and collaboration, the event highlighted innovations in smart surveys, like geo-tracking, receipt scanning, and energy monitoring.
Discussions covered methodology, machine learning applications, user experience, and the legal complexities of data collection, such as Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs). Pilot tests across Europe demonstrated varied respondent engagement, shaped largely by trust, ease of use, and perceived value. A maturity model and multiple governance scenarios were introduced to support NSIs in scaling up smart solutions sustainably.
Main takeaways:
Smart surveys are promising but must prioritize privacy, simplicity, and communication with respondents. They must be transparent, secure, and easy to use to gain public trust.
Legal and ethical preparedness - especially around DPIAs - is essential and still developing.
Microservices like geo-tracking and receipt scanning must be intuitive and well-integrated. They should be reusable and platform-agnostic to support scalability.
Effective recruitment, clear communication and onboarding strategies, including incentives and interviewer involvement, significantly affect participation.
Ongoing collaboration, especially through Eurostat leadership, is vital for shared development, knowledge exchange and sustainability.
NSIs must balance innovation with organizational maturity to avoid implementation pitfalls.
The conference concluded with a call to embrace change, foster community, and ensure that smart survey solutions remain respondent-friendly and methodologically robust.
On this page you can find the agenda and the minutes of the conference, the ten presentations including demo's, and the final deliverables, which are reviewed and approved by Eurostat.
