Key research themes
1. How does Internet access evolve into an essential social good and human right in contemporary societies?
This theme investigates the recognition of Internet access not merely as a technological convenience but as a fundamental necessity underpinning the exercise of various human rights and socio-economic participation. It explores how the Internet has become critical for political engagement, education, healthcare, social connectivity, and democratic participation, especially highlighted by crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this recognition calls for new legal and policy frameworks securing universal high-quality Internet access.
2. What are the key technological and infrastructural challenges and solutions for effective Internet of Things (IoT) communication and management?
This theme focuses on the technical and protocol-level challenges in IoT environments, including congestion management, secure device integration, and semantic data representation. It highlights how limited resources, multi-channel communications, and heterogeneous devices require novel congestion control mechanisms, security frameworks, and data compression techniques for sustainable and scalable IoT systems.
3. How has the evolution of Internet distribution and digital communication infrastructure reshaped institutional media structures and social dynamics?
This theme examines the structural and institutional transformations in communication media driven by the shift from traditional networks to Internet-based Over-the-Top (OTT) distribution services. It explores the impact on welfare state principles, the decline of traditional gatekeepers like press and telecom, and the reorganization of synchronous and asynchronous communication channels, particularly in Nordic and national contexts.