Joan Torrent Sellens

  • orcid

Catedràtic Economics and Business Studies Department

Expert in::

  • Digital transformation
  • ELearning
  • Work
  • innovation
  • new technology adoption
  • economic development
  • applied economy
  • digital economy
  • political economy
  • platforms economy
  • collaborative economy
  • entrepreneurship
  • business
  • eHealth
  • new technologies and social change
Research group
I2TIC
Area
Social sciences
Area of specialization
Network society, Internet technologies and artificial intelligence, Digital health, Collaborative economy,
Membership Center
Faculties
Collaborates with
e-Learn Center, e-Health Center

ODS:

  • 3 - Health and well-being
  • 8 - Decent work and economic growth
  • 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure
  • 10 - Reduced inequalities
  • 12 - Responsible production and consumption

Full professor of Economics at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya's (UOC) Faculty of Economics and Business. Holder of a doctoral degree in Economics (UOC doctoral programme in the Information and Knowledge Society). Holder of a degree in Economics and Business Studies, and a master's degree in Applied Economics from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).

His research activity is related with the analysis of the digital transformation's business, economic, labour, well-being and health dimensions. His main research interests include productivity, competitiveness and sustainability; entrepreneurship and innovation; work, training and employability, and well-being at work and e-health.

He is the founder and director of the UOC's Interdisciplinary Research Group on ICTs (i2TIC). This interdisciplinary, inter-university and international research group, recognized by the Catalan University and Research Grant Management Agency (AGAUR) as a consolidated research group in the 2017-2020 call (proc: SGR 2017 147), has thirty researchers from different fields of social sciences. Its main research goal is the interdisciplinary analysis of the rationale and results of the use of digital technologies on enterprise, work and the economy.

The i2TIC has five main research programmes: i) economy, business and digital transformation; ii) e-learning, work and employability; iii) sustainable management; iv) e-health and telemedicine; and v) occupational health and well-being at work. As a result of this research dynamic, he has published 97 articles in international and national scientific journals, including 41 articles in JCR ISI SSCI/SCIE-indexed journals and 18 articles in SJR SCOPUS-indexed journals.

He has authored 41 books and 23 book chapters, published by IGI Global, Verlag, Palgrave MacMillan, IntechOpen, Ariel, Pirámide, ESIC or Mundi Prensa, among others.

He has presented papers at 36 international scientific congresses and 17 national congresses, and has given 115 lectures and talks at various seminars and research transfer activities.

He has led 14 competitive or contract research projects, funded by the European Commission (Directorate-General for the Information Society and Media), the European Social Fund, the European Union's structural funds, the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Fundamental Non-Oriented Research Projects), the Government of Catalonia (Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Catalan Employment Service [SOC] and the Information and Knowledge Society Observatory Foundation), the Catalan Labour, Economic and Social Affairs Council, the Girona Chamber of Commerce and the Barcelona Digital Foundation.

He has supervised eight doctoral theses (plus four currently under supervision). He has supervised – or currently supervises – 57 final university master's degree projects.

He is a reviewer for 30 journals, a member of the academic editorial board of Sustainability and a research project and programme assessor at various agencies (AGAUR, ANEP).

(2021). Recognition for a six-year research period (2015-2020) by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU).

(2021). Accreditation of teaching period (DOCENTIA): 2016-2020.

(2020). Elsevier Best Paper Award at the ACIEK Academy Conference 2020 for the communication entitled "The Impact of Robotics on Manufacturing: a Longitudinal Machine Learning Perspective", published in Technological Forecasting & Social Change.

(2019). 2019 Emerald Literary Award (Outstanding Paper) for the article entitled "Gender inequalities in job quality during the recession", published in the journal Employee Relations: The International Journal.

(2019). Accreditation of innovation period (TRI): 2010/2011-2015/2016 (DOCENTIA).

(2019). Appointed as full professor of Economics (with effect from 1/1/2018) in the UOC's Faculty of Economics and Business.

(2018). Accreditation of teaching period (DOCENTIA): 2010/2011-2014/2015.

(2017). Accreditation of advanced research (full professor) by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU).

(2015). Accreditation of research (associate professor) by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU).

(2015). Recognition for a six-year research period (2009-2014) by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU).

(2015). Prize for the best paper in innovation at the Global Conference on Business and Finance (Costa Rica, 2015) (http://www.theibfr.com/pastconference.htm).

(2012). Accreditation of two teaching periods (DOCENTIA): 1998/1999-2002/2003 and 2003/2004-2009/2010.

(2011). Joan Sardà Dexeus Prize, awarded by the Revista Econòmica de Catalunya journal, for the best economics and business book of 2010: La indústria catalana després de la crisi [Catalan Industry after the Crisis].

(2010). Prize for the best article on ICT and business at the 2010 International Conference on Society and Information Technology (ICSIT) (http://www.iiis2010.org/icsit/).

(2006). Accreditation for private university teaching capacity according to the merits recognized and positively assessed by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (1998-2005). 

(2006). Accreditation for private university research capacity according to the merits recognized and positively assessed by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (1998-2005). 

(2006). Appointed associate professor at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).