Ricard
Espelt Rodrigo

Ricard Espelt is associated professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business and researcher at the Urban Transformation and Global Change Laboratory (TURBA Lab), part of the Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Social and Cultural Transformations at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). He holds a BA in Fine Arts (UB) and a PhD in the Information and Knowledge Society (UOC), with an Industrial Doctorate in Social Sciences and Humanities. His interdisciplinary research focuses on the social and solidarity economy (SSE), digitalisation, and socio-economic and cultural transformation processes. His academic contributions lie at the intersection of social innovation, public policies, and cultural and community practices, with particular attention to how digital technologies can strengthen sustainable and democratic economic models. Methodologically, he has developed research based on participatory methods, collaborative action, and visual ethnography, building bridges between academic research and civic practice. He is an academic editor at Internet Policy Review, hosted by the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), where he was a visiting researcher (2023/2024). He is also a member of the EMES research network on social enterprise and the social and solidarity economy. His profile is defined by a strong commitment to social transfer, linking scientific production with political impact and community engagement, and by the aim of building bridges between academia, social movements, and public institutions.