Information School News

Last month (5-10 August) Dr Jorge Martins visited the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, Mozambique, to meet with Professor Solange Macamo at the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology. The research visit, sponsored by the QR Grand Challenges Research Fund , enabled the development of a partnership to scope out a research project focused on the opportunities created through digital technologies for the promotion and presentation of cultural heritage in Mozambique. During the visit, Jorge met with research students working on information and communication technologies and heritage management projects and gave a research seminar on ‘Creative Industries and Digitalisation’ at the Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences.

You are cordially invited to a panel discussion exploring issues around traditional knowledge, identity and sustainability in the context of chinampas agriculture, as practised in Xochimilco, Mexico City. The Information School, Room RC204 – 10th July - 12:00-13.30 “The Heart of the chinampas” – Carlos Sumano Arias , Chinampayolo (https://www.facebook.com/chinampayolo/) “Developing collaboration between the university and cooperatives in Mexico City” - Gibrán Rivera González, Instituto Politécnico Nacional “Reclaiming traditional knowledge for cultural sustainability”- Andrew Cox and Jorge Martins, Information School, University of Sheffield More than a thousand years ago, in the navel of the moon "Mexico", in a paradise of crystal clear waters, full of fish, birds and axolotes, men created the chinampas to live and feed themselves. The navel of the moon has become one of the largest cities in the world where channels, rivers, springs and chinampas are being re...

During a recent field trip to Mexico City, Jorge Martins presented the Regional Technology Foresight project and discussed how the combination of emerging industrial technologies can reinvent products and services, promote innovative business models and accelerate enterprise-wide growth. At the Instituto Politecnico Nacional’s Interdisciplinary Professional Unit of Engineering and Social and Administrative Sciences (UPPICSA), Jorge discussed how firms, especially small and medium-size manufacturing firms, face multiple challenges in the adoption of novel industrial technologies. In order to build and sustain a lead in the race to exploitation of the opportunities, firms need to broaden and deepen their knowledge about digital technologies and then develop tailored digital manufacturing strategies. At the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s Library and Information Research Institute (IIBI), Jorge presented on 'Technology foresight for a future-orien...

Andrew Cox and Jorge Martins were in Mexico City last week, working with Information School alumni, Gibran Rivera (of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional), on an exciting joint project to explore how knowledge can be shared in the context of cultural sustainability. The project investigates the creation of knowledge sharing experiences between eco-friendly social enterprises in Mexico and Sheffield. In one part of the trip Andrew and Jorge participated in a tree planting expedition, organised by Chinamapoylo, a co-op dedicated to sustainable food production in the unique environment of the chinampas, on the edge of Mexico City. The chinampas are a highly productive form of agricultural production based on strips of land reclaimed from the lake in a practice that has survived from pre-hispanic times. They are now under threat from pollution, mass tourism and urban encroachment by the megalopolis of Mexico City. The ahuejote trees (a kind of willow) they were participating in ...

From 14th to 25th January Dr Jorge Martins is visiting the Finland Futures Research Centre at the Turku School of Economics , University of Turku, Finland. Jorge is hosted by Professor Markku Wilenius , who is an Advisor to the ESRC-funded Regional Technology Foresight project. Markku is Professor of Futures Studies and UNESCO Chair in Learning Society and Futures of Education. Turku School of Economics Finland Futures Research Centre Jorge’s visit to the Finland Futures Research Centre will strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange on a number of key areas of research: methodological approaches to foresight studies, organisational futures, industry 4.0 and smart specialisation. During his visit Jorge will give three presentations of his work to academic colleagues and students at the Finland Futures Research Centre and the Turku School of Economics: Regional Technology Foresight: linking foresight to the innovation capability of regions – at the Helsinki and ...

We are currently recruiting for one Research Associate post to support the Economic and Social Research Council-funded project ‘Regional Technology Foresight’ Focusing on the Sheffield City Region as an internationally recognised manufacturing hub, this 24-month project will generate procedural solutions concerning the enhancement of a region’s ability to identify and exploit technological innovations, in order to maximise competitiveness. The closing date for applications is 6 April 2018 and further details on the role can be found here . If you have any questions about the role please contact Dr Jorge Tiago Martins at: jorge.martins@sheffield.ac.uk

Dr Jorge Tiago Martins has been awarded £239,767 by the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) New Investigator scheme for the ‘Regional Technology Foresight’ project. The project will generate new knowledge and procedural solutions concerning the enhancement of regions’ ability to identify and exploit knowledge of technological innovations, in order to maximise competitiveness and sustainability. Focusing on the Sheffield City Region as an internationally recognised manufacturing hub, the project will be led by Dr Jorge Tiago Martins and supported by Prof Tim Vorley at Sheffield University Management School. “I am delighted to have received this ESRC New Investigators Award”, says Jorge. “Linking with industrial strategy, I believe the project will make an important contribution to better understand the processes of identifying, transferring and integrating technological innovations in UK regions”.

Congratulations to Dr Jorge Martins and the Information School's Student Staff Committee, coordinated by Dr Peter Stordy, who have been nominated in the 2015 Student Union Academic Awards. Jorge has been nominated for "The Best Feedback Award" and the School has been nominated for "The Best Student Staff Committee Award". The Academic Awards Ceremony will be held on 21 May 2015 and will be attended by Jorge, Peter and student reps from the Student Staff Committee. Good luck!

Congratulations to Dr Jorge Martins of the Information School on receiving funding for his Early Career Research Grant which was submitted to the Regional Studies Association. His project is entitled 'Drivers of industrial rejuvenation in UK and Portugal old industrial regions'.  It will investigate which manifestations of industry rejuvenation can be observed and conceptualised in firms embedded in South Yorkshire and the North of Portugal, with a particular focus on understanding how organisational capital and regional network capital support firms' trajectories.    Jorge's project is one of only 5 projects to receive funding out of a total of 50 submissions in what was a high-quality field.     

As part of the University of Sheffield’s Festival of the Mind event, Sunday 28 September will see the Mind Investors event take place in Sheffield city centre.  This event will see researchers pitch their ideas to an audience who can quiz the researchers on their proposals, make suggestions and vote for the projects which they think are most interesting, valuable and deserving of investment. Dr Jorge Martins of the Information School will be taking part in this event and will present several projects which he is currently involved in as part of the Sheffield Crucible programme: 'If Sheffield stones could talk’ – The p eople of Sheffield are emotionally connected to the buildings in their city.  While some of them have been transformed or disappeared, their memory remains.  This project is developing a mobile application that allows an augmented reality experience of some the city's disappeared built heritage, enriched with the living memory of its citizens. ‘F...

With three new academic appointments this year, the School now has a larger complement of staff than at any previous point in its history. Dr Jorge Martins originally joined the School as a doctoral researcher in 2008, and now joins us as a member of academic staff. With a background in e-learning research, knowledge and information management and information systems, Jorge will be teaching on a range of courses, including his own Information Architecture module for our new undergraduate Informatics degrees. Dr Stephen Pinfield joins us from his Chief Information Officer post at the University of Nottingham. Stephen has a particular interest in scholarly communication futures and library and information strategy, and research and teaching experience in a wide range of subjects, including digital library development, project management, systems implementations in organisations, scholarly communications, publishing, and research data management. Dr Farida Vis   was previous...