Ilse Mariën is a post-doc researcher at imec-SMIT, a research institution attached to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) where she is leading several policy-oriented projects related to digital inequalities, e-skills and e-inclusion, such as the 4-year federal project – IDEALiC – that aims at setting the future scene of e-inclusion policies in Belgium. In 2016, she successfully defended her Ph.D. that entailed (1) a more contextualized and comprehensive theoretical framework for digital inequalities; and (2) a concise strategic framework for developing sustainable e-inclusion policies. In addition, it examined the informal learning settings, methods and practices that are used by grassroots initiatives to enhance the development of media literacy amongst at-risk groups. At imec-SMIT she has been leading the development of the PAR4P-methodology. PAR4P, or Participatory Action Research for Policy, is a research methodology that focuses on multi-stakeholder consultation for policy and strategy development. Ilse has tested and implemented the PAR4P-method in a number of policy projects commissioned by regional, national and European governmental bodies, such as the PAR4-B project (2018-2022) that consists of developing an e-inclusive smart city policy for Brussels by way of an iterative participatory and action-oriented research process.