Vision
RESEARCH / FOCAL AREAS
Science, Technology and Human Capital
Technological progress and globalization are continuously reshaping the world of work, creating both significant opportunities and complex challenges for employment, working conditions, skill acquisition, and distributive socio-economic outcomes. This Focal Area (FA) leverages a powerful mix of qualitative and quantitative expertise to analyze the drivers and consequences of shifting skill demand and supply in fast-evolving societies. By focusing on the intersection of education, employment, and social equity, we strive to translate scholarly excellence into actionable insights. As an international and multidisciplinary platform, FA4 is dedicated to advancing the global scientific agenda while mentoring the next generation of scholars.
Objectives
Our research agenda focuses on two interrelated themes. First, we investigate the barriers and drivers of human capital supply, specifically analyzing how local institutional quality and economic structures facilitate the adaptation of critical competencies in fast-changing environments. We critically evaluate the modernization of education to identify effective strategies and explore how lagging regions can strategically invest in human capital to enhance their participation in high-complexity global value chains.
Second, we address vulnerability and inclusivity in human capital demand in the context of major socio-technical transitions by focusing on changes in employment opportunities, skill demand, and working conditions. Central to our work is the identification of distributional effects—identifying the winners and losers of these transitions—while uncovering the causes of socio-economic exclusion across territories and demographics to determine if these forces are self-reinforcing.
ASSOCIATED STAFF
Davide Consoli | DIRECTOR
Adela García Aracil
Richard Woolley
Alejandra Osoro Fernández
