UPCOM BVBA

Their core work

UPCOM is a Brussels-based technology SME that builds data platforms and sensor-driven monitoring solutions, originally focused on online privacy and advertising transparency, now applied to environmental health and urban wellbeing. They develop tools for collecting, managing, and analyzing personal and environmental exposure data — from online tracking detection to air quality sensors and human biomonitoring. Their technical contribution to consortia typically involves platform development, data integration, and privacy-aware data handling across complex multi-source datasets.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

UPCOM began in 2015 squarely in the online privacy and digital advertising space, working on tracking detection, data broker analysis, and privacy-by-design tools (TYPES, ReCRED). From 2016 onward, they pivoted decisively toward environmental and health data — air quality monitoring, exposome research, and urban wellbeing platforms (ICARUS, NEUROSOME, URBANOME). The common thread is data management and privacy-aware platform development, but the application domain has shifted entirely from digital privacy to environmental health.

UPCOM is moving deeper into environmental health data integration and citizen-driven urban monitoring, making them a strong partner for future exposome, smart city health, or Green Deal projects.

How they like to work

UPCOM has never coordinated a project — they consistently join as a participant or third party, suggesting they function as a specialist technology provider within larger consortia. With 57 unique partners across 17 countries from just 5 projects, they work in large, diverse consortia and do not appear tied to a fixed set of partners. This makes them an adaptable partner who integrates into different team configurations without friction.

Despite being a small company with only 5 projects, UPCOM has built a remarkably wide network of 57 unique partners across 17 countries, reflecting their participation in large multi-national consortia. Their Brussels base and cross-domain experience give them reach across Western and Southern European research communities.

What sets them apart

UPCOM's unusual trajectory from online privacy technology to environmental health data gives them a rare combination: they understand both digital data protection and real-world sensor/biomonitoring data integration. For consortium builders, this means a single partner who can handle sensitive personal exposure data with genuine privacy engineering experience — not just GDPR compliance on paper. Their SME agility and Brussels location also make them practical for projects needing a technically capable Belgian partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TYPES
  Earliest project revealing UPCOM's original DNA in online advertising transparency, privacy violation detection, and data broker analysis
• ICARUS
  Largest funding (EUR 586,438) and bridging project that marks the transition from digital privacy work to environmental health data platforms
• URBANOME
  Most recent project (2021-2025) combining citizen science, living labs, and exposome research — represents the current direction of the company