LINES OF ACTION
The UICC develops qualitative and quantitative research on four thematic areas: public understanding and participation, social communication, innovation and social progress, and the application of ethics and values to the relationships among energy, environment and sustainability.
The activity developed in relation to the first area involves the use and design of studies on public understanding of science, technology, innovation and environment. It also implies designing and applying social participation methodologies.
Research on social communication area is devoted to the analysis of informative content characteristics, values, weaknesses and strenghts. The aim is to determine the way the informative content influences public discourse, political decision-making and collective and individual actions.
The third thematic area affords the study of the role of innovation as a catalyst for the economic activity of companies and the economic progress of countries. It also has to do with the assessment of new approaches for designing indicators of wealth in order to include parameters such as pollution reduction or biodiversity preservation.
Finally, the fourth thematic area has two fundamental aims: to study human values in terms of science, philosophy and society, and to assess global commons and their link with science and technology in relation to environment, energy and sustainability.