Director Digital Society Technologies

Director of Digital Society Technologies (DST) Department at i2CAT

The i2CAT Foundation is looking for a Director to lead the Digital Society Technologies (DST) departament. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to shaping the future of research and innovation in the digital age, with a strong focus on inclusivity, equity, and societal impact.

The successful candidate is expected to:

Strategic Leadership

• Align the DST department with i2CAT’s overarching strategic objectives, focusing on scientific and innovation excellence while maximizing societal, technological, and economic impact.
• Define, update, and maintain the department’s research and innovation roadmap in coordination with i2CAT’s Director of Research and Development.

Team Management and Development

• Lead, coordinate, and mentor the DST team to foster a high-performing, collaborative culture.
• Support team members in their professional development and career growth.

Research and Innovation

• Advance the field of Digital Society Technologies, addressing critical challenges such as digital inclusion, innovation ecosystems, and digital rights.
• Foster cross-departmental collaboration within i2CAT and establish impactful international partnerships (e.g., European Network of Living Labs).
• Lead initiatives to secure funding through programs like Horizon Europe.

Collaboration and Policy Influence

• Partner with Catalan public administrations, companies, research institutions, and civil society to co-create public policies for the digital era.
• Build and maintain a robust network of stakeholders to drive innovation and societal impact.

Education and Outreach

• Promote education and training initiatives in digital social innovation, ensuring widespread competence in this field.
• Contribute to i2CAT’s communication and outreach activities by guiding content creation and audience engagement.

Operational Management

• Plan and manage resources across R&D projects to ensure effective delivery of departmental goals.
• Encourage team-driven research and innovation ideas aligned with emerging funding opportunities.

About the Digital Society Technologies Area:

The DST department at i2CAT is at the forefront of integrating advanced technologies into society, emphasizing equity, inclusivity, and resilience. In the face of rapid technological advancements, DST focuses on reshaping societal structures to bridge digital gaps and address challenges such as gender imbalance, educational inequities, and rural-urban divides.The main activity of the DST program aims at solving the following challenges:

Key challenges tackled by the DST department include:

1. Digital Inclusion: Closing gender, education, healthcare, and rural connectivity gaps.
2. Innovation Ecosystems: Promoting open, distributed, and citizen-driven innovation using the 4-helix model (citizens, public sector, private entities, and researchers).
3. Digital Rights: Ensuring ethical development and usage of technology, safeguarding societal values.

Actual key initiatives of the area include:

• Living Labs and Collaboratories: These innovative spaces provide environments for open collaboration across diverse fields such as health and wellbeing, education, and mobility. Examples include Col·laboratori Catalunya, a regional initiative fostering community-driven innovation.
• Living Labs in Africa: Expanding the Living Lab model to address unique challenges in underserved regions.
• STEM Diversity Programs: Encouraging gender inclusivity (e.g., DonaTIC).
• Universal Innovation Ecosystems: DST works to consolidate inclusive innovation ecosystems, inspired by the 4-helix model, where citizens, the public sector, private entities, and researchers collaborate seamlessly. Efforts include partnerships with global networks such as the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) and the European School of Social Innovation (ESSI).
• Training for Social Innovation: By leveraging programs like the ENoLL Learning Lab and other training initiatives, DST focuses on equipping digital social innovators with the skills to drive meaningful change.
• Advancing Digital Rights and Responsibilities: Through platforms like the 4D.cat Conference, DST fosters discussions on ensuring ethical, inclusive, and rights-based technological development.