The VUB Data Analytics Laboratory develops and adapts data-analytical tools and algorithms from fields such as machine learning and artificial intelligence which fully account for the operational setting in which the resulting analytical model or decision support system will be deployed and operated. For instance, domain expertise and business requirements with respect to the application at hand need to be acknowledged, so as to optimally align and optimize performance, e.g., by including impact on revenues, adherence to user requirements, interpretability and interaction with other systems. Depending on the perspective and the field of application, data analytics as well is referred to as business analytics, data science, data mining and business intelligence. Related fields of study are Operations Research, Machine Learning, Business Informatics, Management Science, Decision and Information Sciences.

Example application domains include credit risk management, mobility and supply chain management, exploratory data analysis, constraint-based clustering, fraud detection, human resources management and customer relationship management.