Privacy Policy

The Global AI Capability & Transformation Initiative ("the Initiative", "we", "us") is an international research initiative operating the website aicapabilityindex.ai. The data controller responsible for personal data processed through this site and the associated research is:

• Start North ry
• Otakaari 5 A, 02150 Espoo, Finland
• Business ID / registration number: 2799788-3
• Website: startnorth.com
• Contact: lauri@laituri.ai
• Data Protection Officer / contact: lauri@laituri.ai

Where research is carried out jointly with partner institutions, those institutions may act as joint or independent controllers for their part of the processing. Details of joint-controller arrangements are available on request.

This policy explains what personal data we collect through this website and our research activities, why we collect it, the legal bases we rely on, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and the rights you have. It covers visitors to the site, individuals who contact us or register interest, and individuals who take part in our research (for example through the Laituri.ai assessment platform).

Depending on how you interact with us, we may process:

• Contact and identity data — name, email address, organisation, job role — when you register interest, contact us, or sign up to take part.
• Organisational data — the organisation you represent and related professional details, for founding-partner and research participation.
• Research and assessment data — responses, results, and capability measures generated when you or your organisation take part in research, including through the Laituri.ai platform. Wherever possible this data is pseudonymised or aggregated for research use.
• Technical and usage data — IP address, device and browser type, and interactions with the site, collected via server logs and (if enabled) analytics and cookies. See our Cookie information in Section 12.

We do not intend to collect special categories of personal data (e.g. health, ethnicity, political opinions). Please do not submit such data to us.

We collect data directly from you (forms, email, participation), automatically as you use the site (logs, cookies), and — in a research context — through the measurement instruments and the Laituri.ai platform used by the Initiative.

We rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — for optional communications, certain cookies, and voluntary participation in research. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Performance of a contract / steps at your request (Art. 6(1)(b)) — to respond to your enquiry, administer partner participation, or provide access you have requested.
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) — to operate and secure the website, understand how it is used, and carry out and communicate about our research, provided your rights do not override those interests.
• Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) — where we must process data to comply with the law.

Research: where personal data is processed for scientific research purposes, we apply appropriate safeguards in line with GDPR Article 89 — including data minimisation, pseudonymisation or anonymisation wherever possible, and access controls — and, where required, we rely on your consent to participate.

We use personal data to: respond to enquiries and manage participation; conduct, analyse, and publish research (in aggregated or anonymised form); operate, secure, and improve the website; and send information you have asked for. We do not sell personal data, and we do not use it for third-party advertising.

We share personal data only as necessary, with:

• Research partners — collaborating universities and research institutions, for the purposes of the joint research, under appropriate agreements.
• Service providers / processors acting on our instructions, including:
  • Laituri.ai — technology partner providing the assessment and measurement platform (data processor).
  • Start North — research coordination.
  • Hosting, email, and analytics providers used to run the site.
• Authorities, where required by law.

All processors are bound by contracts that require them to protect personal data and process it only on our instructions.

Our partners and providers may be located outside your country, including outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Where personal data is transferred internationally, we put in place appropriate safeguards — such as an adequacy decision or the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses — to protect it.

We keep personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described here: enquiry and contact data for 24 months after last contact; participation and research data for the duration of the relevant research and any required archival period, after which it is deleted or fully anonymised; technical logs for 12 months.

We apply appropriate technical and organisational measures — including access controls, encryption in transit, pseudonymisation of research data, and staff confidentiality obligations — to protect personal data against loss, misuse, and unauthorised access.

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to: access your personal data; have inaccurate data corrected; request erasure; restrict or object to processing; data portability; and, where processing is based on consent, to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting prior processing. To exercise any right, contact lauri@laituri.ai. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority — see the GDPR page for details.

The site uses cookies and similar technologies that are strictly necessary to operate it. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

The site and our research are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.

We may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices or the law. Material changes will be indicated by updating the "Last updated" date and, where appropriate, by additional notice.

Questions or requests: lauri@laituri.ai
Data Protection contact: lauri@laituri.ai
Start North ry, Otakaari 5 A, 02150 Espoo, Finland · 2799788-3