ITAG Research Institute

Information Technology Alignment and Governance (ITAG)

Context

In the present dynamic knowledge based economy, information technology (IT) is playing an increasingly important role in the management of transactions, information and knowledge. In many companies IT is an integral part of the business and fundamental to the support, durability and development of economic and social activity. Many companies and government departments recognise this situation and are starting projects with the following core objectives:

• Enterprise Governance of IT: governance of IT, as a component of corporate governance, under the responsibility of the board, executive management and IT management, in order to arrive at a fusion between business and IT.
• Strategic Alignment: harmonisation of company strategy and IT strategy, allowing the IT department to provide optimal support to the organisation.
• Value Creation: achieving business value out of IT enabled business investments

The ‘Information Technology Alignment and Governance (ITAG) Research Institute’ was established within the above context. This research centre will:

• carry out research into mechanisms, structures and processes for enterprise governane of IT, strategic alignment and value creation;
• make this knowledge available and share it by means of publications, courses and conferences;
• be an international reference point for research into IT governance and strategic alignment and best practices, both for practitioners and academics;
• act as an advisory body for organisations that are confronted with issues in the domain of enterprise governance of IT, strategic alignment and value creation.

Instigators and organisation of the research centre

The research centre is an initiative of Prof. Dr. Wim Van Grembergen and Steven De Haes. Both have research and practical course experience in the IT Governance and Strategic Alignment domains. Their specific responsibility in the research centre is as follows:

• Prof. dr. Wim van Grembergen: Academic Director
• Prof. dr. Steven De Haes: Managing Director and Senior Researcher
• Kim Maes reinforces the group as junior researcher working actively together on the building of expertise as well as the research centre itself.