RESEARCH

Knowledge has become the key factor of value creation in companies and institutions. The objective of this research is the study of processes of creation and transmission of knowledge in organizations. Examples of subjects of study are the development of knowledge mapping methodologies, the determination of the competitive advantages derived from knowledge or the key mechanisms of creation and dissemination of knowledge. From a methodological point of view, quantitative and qualitative techniques are combined. Some projects are based on the development of agent-based simulation models and text mining technologies.

Networked social structures play an essential role in the creation of knowledge and its diffusion, what gives rise to the concept of knowledge networks. This research addresses the way in which networks as social structures and the social capital that derives from them influence all kinds of processes related to information and knowledge. Among other things, we study the influence of the position of various actors in the social network on their ability to generate and obtain knowledge in virtual organizations. We also examine the role of new Web 2.0 platforms and tools based on the use of online social networks as facilitators in the creation and transmission of knowledge and study the information behavior of the participants in these networks. To develop this research we combine social network analysis and big data techniques with more traditional quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

The objective of this research is the study of various processes related to scientific knowledge. It covers topics such as the mechanisms of generation and transmission of knowledge in big international scientific projects (big science), the use of information technology and communication in science (e-research) and processes of communication and dissemination of scientific research, including digital repositories, scientific journals and academic conferences, impact factors and open access. We also study the transfer of scientific knowledge to society and its role in innovation processes. The research is conducted with the help of bibliometric and scientometric techniques and qualitative data analysis.

Competitive intelligence can be defined as the study of the process of gathering, transmission, analysis and diffusion of relevant information obtained from publicly available and ethically and legally obtained, as a means to produce knowledge in action. In this line of research we explore several aspects of the use of competitive intelligence in companies and public institutions. Some of the topics discussed are the relationship between competitive intelligence and social capital, the use of competitive intelligence in higher education, the intelligence function in the field of public and private security and the  implementation of competitive intelligence projects in promoting the development of territories and regions, what is known as territorial intelligence.