JO PIERSON : Jo.Pierson@vub.ac.be Free University of Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB) Studies on Media, Information & Telecommunication (SMIT) Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels (Belgium) Tel: +32 - (0)2 - 629 24 12 Fax: +32 - (0)2 - 629 28 61
He holds a master degree in Communication Studies and obtained his doctoral degree in Social Sciences on the issue of ICT use by business owners of small enterprises (2003). His main position is researcher in the centre for Studies on Media, Information & Telecommunication (SMIT) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Belgium (http://smit.vub.ac.be). Jo Pierson is associated with the Interdisciplinary institute for BroadBand Technology (IBBT), which focuses on R&D in the ICT sector and in particular on the development of new broadband applications (http://www.ibbt.be). He is also part-time lecturer at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, teaching courses on socio-economic issues of the information society and on communication research methods.
Recent research His work includes research projects and consultancy assignments for private and public organisations with regards ICT policy and user-oriented innovation studies. His research is situated in the field of innovation strategic research on the use and the meaning of new media in the professional sphere (micro-enterprises and SME) and the residential sphere. This includes the design of technologies and services based on user experiences. Other research areas comprise issues on the development and the policy the information society at European and national level.
Network & Affiliation As researcher in SMIT, Jo Pierson is involved in several networks and initiatives. He is co-vice-section head of the Communication Technology Policy (CTP) Section of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). He has been expert for projects of the Institute for Prospective Technology Studies (EU JRC) and for the Flemish technology assessment institute viWTA. SMIT is also member of ENCIP (European Network on Communication & Information Perspectives) (http://www.encip.org).
Recent Paper Pierson, Jo (2004) ‘Enabling sustainability through small business ICT acceptance in Europe’, in Conference Proceedings of Euro-CPR Conference, organised by ENCIP, Barcelona, Spain, 28-30 March 2004. Pierson, Jo (2000) ‘Community Informatics for electronic democracy: Social shaping of the digital city in Antwerp (DMA)’, in: Michael Gurstein (Ed.) Community Informatics: Enabling Communities with Information and Communications Technologies. Hershey-London: Idea Group Publishing, 251-274. Pierson, Jo (2000) ‘ICT appropriation by small businesses - An interplay between home and work’, in: Andy Sloane & Felix van Rijn (Eds.) Home Informatics and Telematics - Information, Technology and Society. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 109-124.
Interest in Cost269 The value of participating in the COST 269 network lies mainly in the possibility of exchanging expertise and knowledge with regards user research. The latter is still too dispersed among separate institutions and centres in diverse European countries. The meeting of experts from different theoretical backgrounds, as well as the deliberation of academics and technological partners enables a synergy which can lead to new insights and a better European collaboration..