UNIDCOM/IADE, established in 2000, was accredited by the FCT in 2003 in the area of Arts and Humanities. It is a research unit based at IADE – Universidade Europeia and managed by the non-profit association EUROPEIA ID.
In the last evaluation of R&D Units by FCT (2019), UNIDCOM was evaluated with 12 in 15 possible points and received a "Very Good" review among the 14 R&D units evaluated in the panel of ARTS AND HUMANITIES – Arts and Design, Artistic and Musical Development. These 14 research units will have a total funding of 10 000 K€ for operating expenses and strategic activities. UNIDCOM has a proposal for Base Funding for 2020-2023 of 492 K€, 4 PhD Fellowships and Programmatic Funding of 309 K€, including for 1 (Junior) New PhD Researcher Contract, totalising 801 K€.
The UNIDCOM team currently comprises 113 researchers, 45 integrated members and 68 collaborative members, 37 (33%) of whom are enrolled in PhD programmes. The researchers are from a variety of scientific areas (i.e., Design, Architecture, Engineering, Marketing, Communication Sciences, History of Art, Philosophy, Psychology, etc., reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the UNIDCOM project.
UNIDCOM is a research unit committed to promoting and developing Design Research in a multi, inter, and transdisciplinary manner, ranging from fundamental theoretical issues to their practical application, diverse in their concerns and impact. Scientific independence, Equity, Diversity, Relevance and Recognition are the keywords driving UNIDCOM activities.
UNIDCOM is run by a Scientific Board, chaired by its Scientific Coordinator; an Executive Board; an External Advisory Committee and a Quality & Innovation Division.
After 2013, UNIDCOM was organised in groups (Mapping Design; ID.Co.Lab; Ideas(R)evolution and UX.Project[ON]), but is now divided into clusters, or research bodies, where its members, together with other national/international partners (e.g., companies, non-profit organisations, municipalities, other labs/centres), operate in strategic research areas of interest. The researchers produce projects in the clusters occupying areas in quadrants defined by four development vectors: Design; Technology; Arts; Marketing & Communication.
