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- Sistemas de innovación y resiliencia regional: un análisis de redesPublication . Pinto, Hugo; Nogueira, Carla; Dominguez-Gomez, J. AndresEuropean regions face several social and economic challenges. To overcome these challenges, each region needs to identify priority domains that promote innovation dynamics and represent competitive advantages for development and regional resilience. The innovative dynamics of a region largely depends on existing actors and their connectivity, so that the resilience of a given innovation system can be analyzed through the study of innovation networks. This article studies the case of Algarve, a peripheral region in the south of Portugal, through the use of Social Network Analysis. The results facilitate the identification of thematic groups of priorities for smart specialization and potentialities for the system improvement and suggest that the public policies must make efforts to stimulate the cooperation for the innovation, avoiding an excessive concentration of resources and the prominence of specific actors.
- Especialização inteligente e a descoberta empreendedora em PernambucoPublication . Pinto, Hugo; D'Emery, Raphael; Nogueira, Carla; Laranja, ManuelSmart specialisation strategies (RIS3) have become a new paradigm for regional innovation policies in the European Union. Its differentiating features operate on a dual dialectic between a top-down planned process and the bottom-up deep stakeholder involvement to prioritize investment through entrepreneurial discovery processes. This article is based on the recent experience of adapting RIS3 principles to Brazil in the State of Pernambuco. The analysis is based in two selected sectors - clothing/textiles and activities in the intersection of information technologies with the automotive sector - to test the RIS3 methodology, identify needs and uses of innovation services and generate potential 'transformative activities' for the development of these sectors. The article mobilizes results from a survey and participatory sessions to evidence similarities and differences between both sectors and identify potential clues of ideas-partnerships for the promotion of innovative dynamics in this Brazilian State.
- The social shaping of innovation: networks and expectations as connecting dynamics in regional innovation systemsPublication . Pinto, Hugo; Nogueira, Carla; Cruz, Ana Rita; Uyarra, ElviraThe study of innovation dynamics has expanded widely in recent decades. However, it has failed to include research focusing on the social process and demonstrating the mechanisms of a given system's innovative capacity, thus resulting in the fragmentation of theoretical approaches rather than the construction of a cohesive framework. Based on the assumption that innovation depends not only on the structural conditions of the context in which a system is inserted but also on the relationships established between the key actors in a given system, this article analyses the innovation system in Pernambuco (Brazil) as a strategic research material which highlights agency and the structural aspects of innovation dynamics. It presents a mixed-method approach to understanding the innovation structure, based on social network analysis and the expectations of innovation actors regarding systemic failures and desired change. The results show the interconnections between the two methods and emphasise the need to overcome conceptual and methodological agency-structure dilemmas to ensure that public policy is better informed.
- Social innovation and the role of the state: learning from the Portuguese experience on multi-level interactionsPublication . Pinto, Hugo; Nogueira, Carla; Guerreiro, J. André; Sampaio, FábioThe state is facing turbulent times. Financial and economic turmoil, growing inequalities, disinvestment in public and social services, and political disenchantment are but a few problems that contemporary society is facing, while traditional policies are failing to deliver the desired results. Social innovation is a possible approach to deal with emergent social needs. Research and policy experimentation on social innovation increased in the last decade, but many questions remain open. One key interrogation regards the relation of social innovation with the state. How can the state, considering the multi-level interactions that necessarily exist between different stakeholders, promote these practices? Using the case of Portugal, and the recent implementation of a pioneer public programmed dedicated to social innovation—Portugal Social Innovation—, this article contributes to the understanding of the role the state in the promotion of social innovation and the challenges, tensions, and difficulties experienced by those involved in the sector, whether as practitioners of social innovation or as heads of public institutions responsible for assisting in the development and implementation of social innovations. The article presents data gathered from a focus group involving the representatives from key third sector associations and officials responsible for public institutions that support the implementation of social innovation at the relevant levels of government (national, regional, local). Results show opportunities and tensions between the third sector and the different levels of the state, and a difficulty to adapt the processes and practices of public administration to the dynamic and creative nature of social innovation.
- European knowledge and entrepreneurial ecosystems: Networks within climate change and adaptation researchPublication . Carrozza, Chiara; Cruz, Ana Rita; Nogueira, Carla; Pinto, Hugo; Uyarra, ElviraResearch on a topic as intricate as climate change and adaptation can be seen as a complex ecosystem combining thousands of projects by a large set of actors. This article studies the EU Seventh Framework Program funded projects to understand how research has been funded and managed in Europe to develop a specific knowledge ecosystem around climate change and adaptation. The theoretical background offers an overview of the topics of climate change and knowledge ecosystems. The research projects database was used to construct and make sense of a complex ecosystem. A synthetic description of the technical work conducted and the results obtained are presented. The data is analyzed using social network analysis to provide evidence of structural characteristics of the networks, the relevance of different sub-domains in climate change and adaptation research, and the emergence of entrepreneurial ecosystems through knowledge.
- Civil economy as a path towards sustainability: An empirical investigationPublication . Nogueira, Carla; Marques, João Filipe; Pinto, HugoContemporary societies face a myriad of challenges that require the modification of patterns, ways of living, being and producing. Although climate change is one of the most glaring problems, it cannot be understood merely by environmental aspects. Many of these challenges are interrelated and have their roots in a set of crystallized structures that are obsolete, namely the economic ones. Contemporary capitalism has been proving its limitations and contribution to less fair, harmonious and sustainable societies. Evidence of this is the policy efforts that many organizations, such as the European Commission, are making to promote environmental transitions, the circular economy, and green innovations. This article argues that the concept of civil economy may be complementary to this green policy agenda for reflecting on current social challenges and emphasize the importance of cultural, environmental, spiritual and economic resources operating together. It pays attention to gift-giving as a form of civil economy, defining a framework inspired by positive sociology. The article uses the case study of "Los Portales", an intentional sustainable community located in Spain, with around 40 inhabitants and more than 40 years of existence. The study is of ethnographic character and based on in-depth interviews with experts on the economic governance of this community. The results show that the principles of the gift economy were crucial to the success and longevity of the community. They also suggest an agency-centred approach in which individuals should engage activities that promote personal happiness, collective happiness and prosperity.
- As comunidades sustentáveis intencionais como laboratórios de inovação social: análise de experiências europeias para uma transição sustentávelPublication . Nogueira, Carla; Marques, João Filipe; Pinto, HugoO debate em torno das transições para a sustentabilidade consolidou a ideia de que as sociedades enfrentam desafios estruturais, transversais, complexos e multidimensionais, que exigem respostas articuladas em múltiplas escalas. As estruturas sociais tradicionais não se mostraram eficazes na resposta a esses desafios, como é o caso das alterações climáticas, e é, portanto, importante refletir sobre propostas que enfatizem essa ligação entre diferentes escalas e atores. O objetivo da investigação que deu origem a esta tese, foi perceber se as Comunidades Sustentáveis Intencionais (CSIs), consideradas atores de base micro (ou nichos), podem contribuir para o processo de uma transição para modelos de desenvolvimento mais sustentáveis. Para isso, analisam-se as práticas de inovação social que se desenvolvem no nível micro e de que forma é que essas práticas, e o conhecimento que lhes está associado, podem ser disseminadas para contextos meso e macro. Do ponto de vista teórico, as transições para a sustentabilidade são um processo que articula diferentes atores e diferentes níveis. Partindo deste princípio, o desenho metodológico é inspirado pela perspetiva multinível para permitir a análise entre os diferentes níveis. Foram utilizados métodos qualitativos e quantitativos, com recurso a duas técnicas de recolha de dados (inquérito por questionário e entrevistas semiestruturadas) e várias técnicas de análise (análise descritiva e multivariada, análise fatorial de componentes principais, análise de clusters, análise estrutural de redes sociais e análise de conteúdo). No questionário às CSIs da Europa foram validadas 108 repostas e as entrevistas semiestruturadas foram feitas a membros de 4 CSIs selecionadas como estudos de caso (22 entrevistas). Os resultados revelam que estas CSIs desenvolvem práticas de inovação social de forma recorrente e que integram, embora de forma diferenciada, diferentes práticas de sustentabilidade no seu quotidiano. Apesar de disporem de mecanismos de reciprocidade para a transferência do conhecimento, a rede de CSIs na Europa tem uma densidade interna limitada e é excessivamente dependente de um número limitado de atores centrais. Os dados qualitativos evidenciaram a emergência de um conjunto de discursos que criticam o desenvolvimento sustentável e a sustentabilidade e que enfatizam a necessidade de refletir sobre novas propostas teóricas. Todos os entrevistados são unânimes em relação ao papel que estas CSIs podem desempenhar no processo de transição – enquanto laboratórios para o desenvolvimento de inovação e enquanto locais de demonstração e aprendizagem de boas práticas de sustentabilidade.
- Perceptions and behaviors concerning tourism degrowth and sustainable tourism: latent dimensions and types of touristsPublication . Pinto, Hugo; Barboza, Miriam; Nogueira, CarlaThe current economic model centered on perpetual growth is unsustainable. Without a shift away from this growth-centric approach and rampant consumerism, the environmental and social crises will persist. This article explores tourists' relationship with degrowth and sustainability. Through an empirical investigation, the study explores the relatively uncharted territory of how tourists engage with degrowth. Employing an online survey with a sample of 261 respondents obtained through convenience sampling via online distribution, the research seeks to unearth key facets of tourist behavior and categorize tourists based on their attitudes toward sustainability and degrowth. The findings indicate that degrowth remains a largely unfamiliar concept among tourists. Interestingly, those exhibiting more sustainable travel practices also display a greater alignment with degrowth principles. Conversely, younger tourists appear less inclined towards sustainable behaviors and more resistant to embracing degrowth ideologies. These findings underscore the potential of degrowth in addressing sustainability challenges within the tourism industry while emphasizing the need of including tourists and local communities in fostering a shift toward more sustainable tourism practices.