A platform for meeting on, reflecting on, and developing new studies about the economy/society of knowledge.

RICEC analyzes the new prospects for the public policies, programs and public/private projects that link universities, research centres, manufacturing sectors and governments in the field of the economy/society of knowledge. We aim to improve cooperative relationships and to stimulate synergies between scientific actors and those of governmental and production sectors, in order to facilitate the inclusion of social and environmental questions in the reflections and stakes involved in the economy/society of knowledge, that are otherwise considered only in their economic dimension.

RICEC brings together researchers and university students of various countries of Americas (Argentina, Canada, Colombia, the United States, Mexico and Brazil), from diverse institutions, with varying disciplinary backgrounds, and bringing together different theoretical approaches.

We seek to widen the breadth of knowledge and to integrate new actors according to four (nonexclusive) themes:

• design and evaluation of public policies and of collaboration between research/formation, public policy and business sectors;
• quality job creation and its link with training policies and strategies;
• production of new ideas at the sectorial, territorial, societal or environmental level;
• elaboration of programs and instruments which support science-industry collaboration.

Mission

RICEC offers an international space for exchanging analyses, experiments and assessments between researchers, students, managers, company executives, policymakers and non-governmental organizations, in the conceptual fields of the knowledge economy/society, and of the national systems of innovation. It seeks to promote an active participation from various actors of the Americas in the definition of these issues and in the use of knowledge.

It aims to contribute to the development of common and innovative roadmaps, theoretical and practical alike, built on the analytical perspectives constituted by the work of its members, to develop an expertise as regards policies supporting the emphasising of university research within public policies as well as within production activities, to announce and diffuse the “best practices” present in every experience and to develop an original approach to the study of the economy/society of knowledge with regard to social and environmental components.