Social Science Research at EURECOM And The Usage Lab on Information and Communication Technologies

EURECOM is hosting an interdisciplinary research team in social and cognitive science from the Economic, Management and Social Science department at Telecom ParisTech. Researchers are currently developing innovative research on user behaviour and the social, cultural, and organizational transformations induces by Information and Communication Technology. 

The team will be part of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Usage Lab. The ICT Usage Lab is a Scientific Interest Group created by the French National Research Center, INRIA, the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis and the Group of Telecommunications Schools in July 2002 to foster knowledge about diffusion and appropriation of ICT-based products and services across society. Since its creation, six industrial R&D units have joined the Scientific Interest Group as associate members: Alcatel Space, Amadeus, Bouygues Telecom, the SFR Cegetel Business Foundation, France Telecom R&D and SAP Labs.

2005 is a key step in the short history of the ICT Usage Lab. It is currently being evolved into a highly effective interdisciplinary research force, through the recruitment of researchers in several institutions and the redefinition of its research program. This transition is managed under the shared leadership of the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis (UNSA) and the Institut TELECOM (GET). Ned Lorenz and Richard Arena (UNSA/CREDEG) and Christian Licoppe (ENST/EGSH) will jointly act as coordinators for the ICT Usage Lab in this transition period. The research program will be reviewed by the ICT Usage Lab Scientific Board at the beginning of next year for approval by the Scientific Interest Group Board to be included among the Collaboratory's activities.


The ICT Usage Lab both involves research teams dedicated to the uses of ICT, such as the E.N.S.T. group and a network structure. It coordinates today about forty researchers - knowledge engineers, economists, computer scientists, psychologists, and sociologists, aiming to develop into a large scale “Collaboratory” . With the support of the Computer Science and Audio Video Service Unit of EURECOM, a collaborative environment will be created, aiming at supporting common research activities. Regular "physical" meetings with the researchers of the ITC Usage Lab complement the remote interactions. These meetings take place at the members' teams premises to enhance shared understanding of the specific cultures, approaches and methodologies. A more traditional monthly research seminar will contribute to fostering the collaboration.