About
The research group on Public Policies, Institutions and Innovation (PI2) mobilizes knowledge in political, social and administration sciences, demography, sociology, spatial planning and public administration, so as to fulfil GOVCOPP’s objective of studying public policies and governance practices, focused on new forms of organising and managing public services – known in European Union jargon as services of general interest (SGI). This research group focuses on the analysis of the role of the public sector in the provision and regulation of SGI, as well as on governance mechanisms and practices, with scientific production aiming to analyse its political, social and territorial drivers and constraints, thus generating relevant evidence for decision-making. By carrying out research activities through interdisciplinary studies, PI2 aims to host high quality research studying how policies are designed, adopted and implemented. Particular interest is given to the analysis of public and social policies (e.g. health, education, social security, culture, and environment); regional innovation systems (economic efficiency, environmental sustainability, social cohesion); spatial planning; new forms of organisation and management of SGI; the promotion of citizens’ participation in decision making processes; and, finally, the assessment of relevant institutions in the public policy process, as well as the evaluation of different institutional contexts on collective choice processes.
