Mission and Vision
LIACOM is a new R&D unit focused on Communication Sciences. It seeks to create a research path that combines applied and lab aspects, fostering an experimental, creative, and innovative environment, with strong connections to people, organizations, territories, and communities.
Rooted in polytechnic education, LIACOM‘s vision is founded on the idea that multidisciplinary and inter-professional collaboration can create significant value. By bringing together researchers and specialists/professionals—such as journalists, advertisers, public relations experts, designers, producers, marketers, among others, LIACOM can co-create and drive value-added solutions and transfer knowledge to the media and communication sector. This, in turn, can contribute to the enhancement and progress of the social and economic fabric of regions and the country.
We believe that combining expertise from researchers across various disciplines with professional profiles in the field of communication is crucial. Additionally, establishing a cohesive network of connections and partnerships with associations and companies is essential. LIACOM‘s strong focus on technology and laboratory work further ensures the success of our research center by providing the necessary conditions and critical mass.
↦ Regulation of LIACOM (EN Version).
Objectives
LIACOM is based on the following main objectives:
Applied Research
Conduct applied research in communication and media, grounded in a logic of co-creation and collaboration with the business sector and communities.
Research Aligned with the SDGs
Conduct applied research that contributes to fostering democratic, multicultural, inclusive, and sustainable societies, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Communication as a Strategic Driver of Development
Conceptualize and promote applied communication as a strategic driver for advancing communities, regions, and society.
Share, Stimulate, and Engage
Share, stimulate, and engage researchers, citizens, and the community with knowledge and scientific culture. Presenting itself as an inclusive, collaborative, and transformative approach to science and society.
Themes and Pillars
From an inter- and multidisciplinary perspective, LIACOM brings together researchers with diverse theoretical backgrounds and methodological traditions, organized into two main scientific axes: Media, Culture, and Technology and Communication, Strategies, and Creativity. These axes align with the teaching and research areas that have been developed at ESCS-IPL for over 30 years, laying the scientific foundations and knowledge rooted in communication theory. However, we believe some of these areas are underrepresented, especially in Portugal, within the field of applied communication studies. These areas include, for example, Strategic Communication (Corporate Communication, Public Relations, and Advertising Communication), Marketing Communication, and Audiovisual and Multimedia Communication.
The first, Media, Culture, and Technology, is particularly focused on the following thematic lines:
Climate, Territory, and Sustainability: studying the role of media and their professionals as central elements in mediating the climate and climate change agenda, ensuring the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of territories and their communities.
Democracy, Literacy, and Citizenship: discussing the role of media literacy and active, informed citizenship in creating inclusive, free, and democratic societies.
Technology and Mediation: exploring how technology mediates social relationships, cultural narratives, and the construction of reality, while also questioning its impacts and ethical implications in contemporary society.
The second axis, Communication, Strategies, and Creativity, is mainly focused on the following thematic lines:
Public Interest Communication: envisioning communication with and for communities, playing a crucial role in promoting collective well-being, civic participation, and social progress. This includes issues such as health, gender, discrimination, aging, science, and climate.
Organizational Dynamics and Challenges: addressing new challenges, new forms of governance, and the unstable balance between organizational success and the common good faced by organizations (in a broad sense). Highlighting the strategic role of communication and communication professionals within organizations and their relationship with society, particularly in the business and public sectors.
Strategies, Brands, and Consumption: analyzing consumption, consumers, and consumption practices in their relationship with brands, framed within a unique social, cultural, and strategic communication context.