AGAUR recognizes the UPF-BSM ISDaLab as an Emerging Research Group

The Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) of the Generalitat de Catalunya has recognized the 14 researchers of the UPF Barcelona School of Management that form the ISDaLab (Innovation and Sustainability Data Lab) as an Emerging Research Group.

In the words of the Vice-Dean for Research of the School, Dr Jordi Perramon, “the ISDaLab group carries out a large volume of scientific activity, and its diversity and multidisciplinarity suggest that it has great potential in the future.” In fact, from now on, the ISDaLab will bring together a very important part of the School's research projects.

The group's lead investigator, Dr Ana Freire, also head of the School's Operations, Technology and Science department, said: “This recognition puts UPF-BSM in an increasingly advantageous position in its transition to a world-leading business school. Excellence in research, in addition to excellence in teaching, will position the School as an international benchmark.”

What is the Innovation and Sustainability Data Lab (ISDaLab)?

ISDaLab is a research group belonging to the UPF Barcelona School of Management whose main objectives are to become a young, dynamic and competitive research laboratory, to make a positive impact on people and organizations, and to use their work to contribute to making the world a better place.

With this clearly sustainability-oriented approach, and through different innovative data analysis methodologies, the group's work is divided into three main lines of research, based on major global challenges, and aligned with three of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) announced by the United Nations.

• Health and Well-Being, supervised by lead researcher Dr Ana Freire (aligned with SDG 3)
• Decent Work and Economic Growth, supervised by Dr Ramón Bastida (aligned with SDG 8)
• Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, supervised by Dr Josep Llach (aligned with SDG 9)

One of the most important projects of the group is Planetary Well-Being, which has also been one of the main strategic lines of the university over the last few years, fully aligned with the mission of the institution.

ISDaLab has 14 members, 11 of them with the title of doctor (one part-time), six women including the coordinator (which represents a quota of 42.9%), and three members of non-Spanish nationality.

Since 2017, the group has managed to publish more than 50 articles in Q1 journals, has received more than 1,000 citations and has managed to attract more than one million euros in competitive R&D projects.

Membership of the TECSAM network

AGAUR's recognition is doubly good news for UPF-BSM, because it has allowed ISDaLab to be incorporated into the TECSAM Network, an important Catalan network for innovation in mental health. Its main objective is that all people with mental health problems receive adequate, timely and high-quality treatment. More specifically, its mission is to accelerate the valuation and transfer of research results concerning mental health and technology from its different members.

In the new stage that begins in January 2023, the network will incorporate, in addition to ISDaLab, 19 other research groups that join as full members, meaning that TECSAM will incorporate five new institutions. The network now has a total of 49 member groups belonging to 23 Catalan reference institutions.

Ana Freire said: “Membership of this network is very important for our research group, because it is a cluster of very powerful institutions that innovate for mental health. This will undoubtedly foster collaboration between the different members, and will give a great boost to mental health research in Catalonia. In addition, the objective of this network is to provide support to member nodes for transferring their research results, something that is of utmost importance in academic fields such as ours.”

Learn more about the TECSAM Network and its members