Ricard
Espelt Rodrigo

Ricard Espelt is a professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), where he directs the Master's Degree in Sustainability and Social Responsibility Management. He is also a researcher in the Urban Transformation and Global Change Laboratory research group at the Interdisciplinary Research Center on Social and Cultural Transformations of the same university. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts (UB) and a PhD in the Information and Knowledge Society (UOC), having completed an Industrial Doctorate in Social Sciences and Humanities. His interdisciplinary research focuses on the social and solidarity economy, the impact of digitalization, and socioeconomic transformation processes. His academic contributions lie at the intersection of social innovation, public policy, and cultural and community practices, with a special focus on how digital technologies can strengthen sustainable and democratic economic models. Methodologically, he has conducted research based on participatory methods, collaborative action, and visual ethnography, building bridges between academic research and civic practice. Along these lines, he is currently the co-Principal Investigator for WP7 of the European project HARVEST (Harnessing Agricultural Renewal via Voice, Economics and Social Transformation, 2026-2030). This work package, led by the UOC, focuses on the collection, mapping, and scaling of good practices to improve the attractiveness of the agricultural sector through ethnographic methods and community co-creation tools. He is an academic editor for the Internet Policy Review journal published by the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, where he was a visiting researcher (2023/2024). He is also a member of the EMES social economy research network and the European Sociology Association's rurality group.