PPG PCT: Research Areas

It focuses on the study of S&T activities understood as forms of social action, especially with regard to understanding the role of scientific and technical knowledge in society. The patterns of formal and informal organization that characterize these activities have played an important role in shaping the specificities of these activities. Recent research in this area includes the study of international scientific cooperation; socio-technical controversies and S&T governance; the relationship between science and politics; the role of international and national private science funding foundations; bibliometrics, scientometrics and altmetrics; the sociology and anthropology of S&T; and the social studies of S&T&I.

It focuses predominantly on theoretical and instrumental approaches designed to study the economic and productive organization of technology and innovation. It focuses on the private sector, the public sector and the third sector, studies on the processes of production and diffusion of innovation in its various aspects (product, process, services, organizational), as well as the Formation and Evolution of the CT&I System in Brazil and other countries; Indicators of Technological Innovation; Innovation Networks and Ecosystems; Analysis of Training in Companies in the Industrial and Services Sector in Brazil; PCT and Local and Regional Development; Agricultural Development, New Technologies and New Institutions; Geography of Innovation.

Its objective is to analyze the strategies and forms of action of the different social actors in the field of S&T, as well as the relationships between them and the conditioning factors of these relationships. From an approach based on Policy Analysis, it seeks to critically evaluate the cognitive models, the conceptions of Technoscience and Solidarity Economy, the decision-making process and the power-building strategies of the actors - state, research community, universities, companies, unions, social movements - involved in S&T policies. It also focuses on studies on Social Technology; Higher Education and the S&T&I system, the University-Society relationship and S&T&I Policies.

It seeks to explore the relationship between technological change and socio-environmental change. The social implications of current trends in technical progress are examined, with an emphasis on issues relating to employment, the organization of work, the impacts of new technologies, with an emphasis on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) on education and the qualification of human resources, the Organization of Work and Employment; Social Movements. Another strand focuses on Analysis of reconfigurations in the Bioeconomy; Climate Change - impacts, challenges and new horizons; Environmental justice and ecological transition; Transition to sustainability; Green technologies in industry; Electric mobility and Smart Cities, among others.

This line seeks to build up a knowledge base on innovation management, whether in private organizations, public or semi-public institutions. This knowledge supports the consolidation of management tools for processes involving innovation. The work has focused on mapping competencies and developing tools for evaluating results and impacts, whether of technological programs or research organizations, as well as technological prospecting and evaluation (Technological Foresight and Institutional Foresight). Other important topics are technology-based entrepreneurship; the digital transition process and its consequences; the Just Energy Transition; renewable energy sources and sustainability (economic, social and environmental).