Can technology enable a more inclusive, transparent, truthful, and deliberative democracy? Could algorithms provide a solution for augmenting participation and co-creation of policies at all scales? This is the ambitious objective of ORBIS, a Horizon Europe Project led by Politecnico di Milano with the participation of leading organizations from across Europe.
FREE ONLINE TRAINING WORKSHOP
A hands-on online workshop tool place on Thursday, 22 January 2026, where DCF - along with partners of the consortium - demonstrated how new technological tools (ORBIS toolkit) work for online deliberations.
Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, the ORBIS toolkit makes complex debates more accessible, understandable and impactful.
By employing data analysis techniques such as natural language processing, ORBIS transforms extensive public input into meaningful insights that foster better discussions.
Integrated into platforms like BCause, PolisOrbis and Democratic Reflection, these tools promote inclusive, reflective and data-driven dialogue.
OUR USE CASES
ORBIS: Building a More Inclusive and Trustful Democracy in Europe
ORBIS addresses the growing gap between citizens and policy-making institutions by developing practical, socio-technical solutions that foster inclusion, transparency and trust in European democracy.
The project delivers an innovative methodology for large-scale deliberative participation and co-creation, along with AI-powered tools and guidelines to apply these processes across different contexts. ORBIS solutions will be tested through six pilots tackling key societal challenges at local, national and global levels.
Bringing together experts in technology and social sciences, ORBIS ensures a multidisciplinary and human-centered approach. The consortium includes leading researchers and organizations behind successful initiatives such as the Bcause deliberation platform (The Open University), the argument-mining tool DISPUtool (CNRS), the Community Engagement Against Radicalization project (CSI) and Re-Imagine Europa’s Citizen Engagement in Science, which involved over 50,000 Europeans.
Current democratic innovation tools struggle with large-scale participation. ORBIS will change that — by developing an advanced tool using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning, to synthesize public input into evidence-based policies. Its mechanisms will enhance trust, accountability and legitimacy, helping policymakers better understand people’s values and priorities.
Our shared goal: to create a digital ecosystem where everyone feels a true sense of belonging, participation, inclusion and recognition.
The consortium
- Politecnico di Milano - Unisystems
- Athenian Agora for Democracy and Culture (DCF) - Université Côte d’Azur
- Center for European Political Studies (CEPS) - Universitá della Svizzera Italiana
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - Center for Social Innovation (CSI)
- Associazione Copernicani - Re-Imagine Europa (RIE)
- Novelcore - Fondazione Feltrinelli
- The Open University - Rob de Matt
- Prefecture of Western Greece
This project has received funding under Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme / Action n. 101094765
