Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (Crises)

The Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (Center for research on social innovations - CRISES) is an interuniversity and multidisciplinary research centre. It brings together about sixty researchers, each of whose primary affiliation is with one of the following eight institutions: Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke, Concordia University, HEC Montréal), Université de Montréal and Université du Québec à Chicoutimi.

CRISES was formed in 1986 by Benoît Lévesque and Paul R. Bélanger. Since 2001, CRISES has been a regroupement stratégique (strategic alliance) funded by the Fonds québécois de recherche sur la société et la culture (FQRSC). The Center has been under the direction of Denis Harrisson from 2003 to 2009 and is, since june 2009, directed by Juan-Luis Klein.

CRISES members come from a variety of disciplines: anthropology, geography, history, mathematics, philosophy, industrial relations, management sciences, economics, political science, sociology and social work. They study and analyze innovation and social change in three complementary areas: territory, quality of life and work and employment.

CRISES conducts some of its research in partnership with social and economic actors. Its members play a central role in networking with civil society and in the transfer of knowledge to the community.

One case study

4 Analyses/working papers/articles

One public contribution