LENTIC is a multidisciplinary research centre of the Faculty of Economy, Management and Social Sciences of the State University of Liège in Belgium.  It was created in 1985 and involves 15 researchers. It is focused on the organisational, economic, social and strategic aspects of innovation, paying specific attention to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications, projects, programmes and policies.  LENTIC is organised in three Departments: Organisation and Human Resources, Communication and Media, Technology Assessment.

Role in the network   Top

LENTIC will take responsibility for WP6 ICT and the Less Abled in Everyday Life and co-ordinate the production of the final deliverable, Methods and methodologies. This provides continuity with LENTIC's participation in the first EMTEL network under the HCM.  LENTIC will host and train a post-doctoral researcher during a period of 24 months and integrate this researcher in its on-going research projects which amount to about 45 per year.  The post-doctoral researcher will be able to follow a postgraduate course on Impact assessment, and participate in a number of academic activities in innovation and strategic management. LENTIC will pursue methodological advances in the field, while developing and validating new predictive modelling of ICT social impacts on exclusion.

Recent and relevant research   Top

LENTIC has developed an important activity related to ICTs in everyday life assessment, such as its long term surveys on media and ICT household penetration rates, home internet users profiles, socio-economic indicators etc.

LENTIC offers research resources and consultancy to national and international public authorities on ICT related matters: i.e. impact assessment of convergence on public policies (1997-2002), assessing the effects of the Internet on existing regulatory frameworks (1998), accompanying and assessing ICT implementation in public administrations (1999-), advising regional authorities about convergence issues and policies (1996-99).

LENTIC offers also research resources and consultancy to national and international industrial actors on ICT related matters: i.e. networking effects of Internet use on corporate R&D activities (1995-98), organisational aspects of teleworking in flexible organisations (1996-97), accompanying and assessing ICT implementation in SMEs (1999-). 

Structure and infrastructure  Top

LENTIC has developed links with other Centres in this network, and several other European networks such as ENCIP, ECPR, ETAN, ESIS, COST, etc.

LENTIC publishes the Technologies de l'Information et Société Journal and participates in the scientific committee of the Evaluation Journal (Tavistock Institute)

LENTIC will build its research on its existing relevant research programmes, and its training resources on post-doc supervision and direct involvement in several academic national and international initiatives on Multimedia and on the Information Society. 

Principal Researchers   Top

Prof. François Pichault
Mrs Dorothee Durieux