Innovation, Engineering and Entrepreneurship

Hacking, data breaches, and information loss are a growing concern for organizations. Aware of the escalation of cyber threats, organizations are looking for ways to detect and mitigate cyberattack scenarios. Cyber intelligence, that is, knowledge produced through data and information on cyber threats and its actors is one of the means explored for this purpose. OSINT (Open Source INTelligence) is one of the areas of data collection for the production of cyber intelligence.In this paper we propose an OSINT tool (TExtractor) to facilitate the process of obtaining information about cyber threats. The TExtractor tool consists of extracting text from video/audio in open sources and searching for keywords linked to the activities of malicious actors. To support the development of TExtractor, we conducted a study to measure the effectiveness of different text extraction tools in audio/video sources. The results are presented in the paper and show that a tool like TExtractor can detect references to cyberattacks on audio/video sources in real time, with an accuracy between 60% and 70%.

Over the past few decades many different Information Technologies (IT) policies have been introduced, including COSO, ITIL, PMBook, CMM, ISO 2700x, Six Sigma, being COBIT IT (Control Objectives for IT) the framework that encompasses all IT and Information Systems (IS) governance activities at the organization’s level. As part of the applicability of quality services certification (ISO 9001) in all IT services of a public institution, it is presented a case study aimed at planning, managing and monitoring technological security infrastructures. It followed the guidelines for the ISO 2700x family, COBIT, ITIL and other standards and conducted a survey to complement the IT process’s objectives. With regard to an action-research methodology for problem-solving (i.e., a kind of attempt to improve or investigate practice) and according to the issue under analyze, the question is put into the terms, viz. “How can the ISO 2700x, COBIT, ITIL and other guidelines help with the planning, management and monitoring of technological security infrastructures and minimize the risk management of IT and IS?”. Indeed, it may be resolved that it is possible to achieve the goals of planning, managing and monitoring a technological security infrastructure. In the future, we will use Artificial Intelligence based approaches to problem solving such as Artificial Neural Networks and Cased Based Reasoning, to evaluate this issue.

The potentialities of using mobile devices such as smartphones for teaching/learning purposes are huge. However, in some teaching areas its use is still residual. The use of mobile applications in the context of teaching PLC programming techniques is addressed in this work. The MIT App-Inventor II is deployed to develop mobile applications for learning purposes. An android based application entitled Time-Counts is proposed here, developed to support the teaching/learning process of timers. Preliminary results regarding its use by students are presented.

This work consists in the development of software with the main objective of increasing the quality of the communication system with Repetition Codes and GFSK modulation. To evaluate the probability of error we used simulation in software Python and implemented with hardware (Raspberry Pi, Arduino and transceiver NRF24L01).

Omnidirectional mobile platforms allow simultaneous translation and rotation, which leads to the optimization of their trajectories, a possible reduction of the distance traveled and, consequently, a reduction of the energetic consumption. This paper presents an omnidirectional mobile robot platform based on four Mecanum wheels, a graphical application which allows remote motion control and monitoring of several parameters of the platform, and an inertial remote control that uses an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) and an AHRS (Attitude and Heading Reference System) to set the movements of the platform.

Human distraction behaviour is a paramount subject to take into account. Several woks in the literature try to tackle this topic mostly in the automotive industry. Following this trend, the present work proposes a system to detect the patterns of distraction/attention during an interaction activity between a human and a robot. The goal is to analyse selected patterns of distraction, such as eye gaze, head pose, blinking rate, among others, and adapting the robot behaviour, consequently promoting a more fluid interaction. A behavioural state machine that takes into account the engagement and the performance of the user in the activity is proposed.

The paper presents development and test procedure of a Virtual Reality application for training of practical skills. The presented case pertains to operation of forklifts. Need for the application is explained, as well as basic ideas, concepts of knowledge forms and organization of the virtual course. The test procedure is presented, along with obtained results. It has been found that the virtual forklift course is more time efficient than the traditional one and it is enthusiastically perceived by users from the target group.

This article analyzes the possibilities of user interaction with typography in the digital environment. These interactions are feasible due to the fact that the mathematical code allows for the predefinition of user response parameters based on their own actions. Thus, approaches with the ephemeral qualities that typography acquires in the digital context are carried out, caused by the polyvalence of the algorithmic code that, from generative programming, allows the user to interact with the typographic object. The codes allows to simulate behaviors and materials, allowing for the typographic character to transit through the screen or deform its characteristics according to the stipulated commands This ephemerality of the digital environment allows for the sensation that it is not composed of matter. A parallel was drawn between the concept of “matter” in the computational scenario, proposed by the philosopher of design Vilém Flusser [1], and the quality of “fluidity” observed in images created by digital generative programs, applying as study cases the Beowolf (1989) Anitype (2013) and Lettree (2004).

The aim of this paper is to introduce hand rehabilitation end-effector-based mechanical design that can be used by the post stroke patients for improving their hand recovery process after the hand injury caused by stroke. The reason behind of creating this mechanical design is to help the therapists in treatment of the hand after the stroke and follow the natural movement of the fingers during the rehabilitation therapy. Stroke victims often lose proper function of at least one hand and fingers, experiencing delays in gripping and releasing ability. This paper is focused on designing the mechanical assemblies of the Continues Passive Motion (CPM) device. The mechanical design has been divided to two assemblies, one discussing the fingers rehabilitation CPM device after the hand injury or stroke, secondly, it presents the mechanism movement and the Degree of Freedom (DOF) of the hand rehabilitation machine. Strict clinical requirements are involved in designing this system like the Mechanical parts must be sterilisable, movable, safe, fingers attachment setting duration, and effective system having low cost profile.

This research paper presents the simulation based study of two commercial solar modules to predict the real-time characteristics, modelled by the single mechanism five parameters (1M5P) solar equivalent circuit. The mathematical equations have been used to calculate the non-linear behavior of the system which is mandatory to characterize the I – V and P – V curves of the panels. The Photovoltaic systems of 300 W; Mono-crystalline and Poly-crystalline solar panels have been used to evaluate the model. Comprehensive simulations have been carried out to effectively asses the solar irradiation and temperature dependence in the performance of output power of the panels.

A significantly important part of model predictive control (MPC) with constraints are algorithms of numerical optimization. Reduction of the computational complexity of the optimization methods has been widely researched. The reason is that in certain cases of predictive control of fast dynamics processes an optimization algorithm may not be feasible within the sampling period time. This situation occurs particularly when requirements on control are more complex, e.g. in the multivariable control. Hildreth’s method based on the dual-problem-optimization-principles has been widely applied and implemented in model predictive control. However, modifications of this method are not widely described in context of model predictive control. This paper proposes a modification of Hildreth’s method, which reduces the computational complexity of the algorithm, and its application in the multivariable predictive control.

Paper deals with an analytic solution of Model Predictive Controller in simple symbolic form. Process is approximated with a first order dynamical model. Special choice of prediction and control horizons is considered, so the symbolic solution is still applicable, and the controller has interesting “predictive” feature in case of known future set-point course. Such a controller can be used in simple devices like PLCs or microcontrollers without need of matrix operations. Its advantage is that the controller reacts to the process model parameters and penalty parameter change so the control can be very fast and efficient even in adaptive manner.

Most industrial robotic manipulators are used for specific type of operation with predefined movements. This is obvious because industrial robots are constructed to perform repetitive tasks with certain precision and cycle time. This paper introduces another way to exploit advantages of robots by changing their movement dynamically with reaction to external forces and environment. This is partially solved by integrated force control sensors for manipulator grippers, but this article deals with the extension to control of the unstable system with fast dynamics. The best representative of such a system is a Ball & Plate model. This paper deals with the overview of the designed structure of the project and testing the feasibility of solutions.

The paper presents process of modelling of the CE108 Coupled Drives Apparatus developed by TecQuipment Ltd. This laboratory plant serves as a laboratory equipment representing a problem of modelling and control of producing continuous lengths materials, which is common in many industrial applications. A mathematical model based on the first principle modelling, which was created by designers of the plant, is used as a starting point. The characteristics of this initial model is compared with real-time measurements and the model is improved. Simulink representation of the model is designed and verified. The Simulink model is suitable for designing and verifying various control strategies not only for the CE108 Coupled Drives Apparatus but in general for similar industrial processes.

The tubular chemical reactor is a industrial equipment widely used in the chemical or biochemical industry for production of various kinds of products. The mathematical model of such system is described by partial differential equations that are solved numerically. This article presents simulation results of the mean reactant’s temperature control inside the plug-flow tubular chemical reactor. The adaptive approach here is based on the recursive identification of the external linear model as a simplified mathematical representation of the originally nonlinear system. The control synthesis is based on the polynomial theory with the Pole-placement method and the spectral factorization. These methods are easily programmable and they also offers tuning of the controller. Used two degrees-of-freedom (2DOF) control structure divides the controller into two parts – the first in the feedback part and the second one in the feedforward part of the control loop.

In the paper model of cogeneration plant with heat storage was developed for investigating the potential of implementing the heat storage. The model is used within the operation optimization to maximize the revenue from power sales. Receding horizon of 7 days is used for operational planning resulting in linear optimization problem. The method is used to evaluate the benefit of different sized storages using the real-life heat demand data for Malenovice district in Czech Republic and day-ahead electricity prices for a one-year horizon. The results show that the revenue from power sales can be significantly improved by shifting operation to the most commercially feasible points in time.

Suboptimal linear quadratic (LQ) control has been popular very much because of its very good results in several tasks of control. It allows us to implement it on many systems even on unstable systems which it stabilizes. Adaptation enlarges the area of the usage especially in the case when standard controllers with fixed parameters gives unsatisfactory results. In this paper, the main attention is dedicated to the usage of the modified instrumental variable technique as the identification part of the self-tuning controllers, and to the implementation in Microsoft Excel. So this approach was verified by simulation in Microsoft Excel Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) on two input two output (TITO) systems.

The main goal of this paper is present a review and discussion about the option of using plant models in formal verification techniques. Relevant works in the field considering different approaches are reviewed and the importance of choosing the level of detail correctly is discussed. Although exists few works about this topic, the studies revealed the necessity and importance to consider the plant model in formal verification.

Mobile robots are being widely used in various security and inspection applications. This contribution describes a mechatronic design of a mobile robot with the function of inspection system in indoor environment. This robot is tele operated and can be remotely controlled by mobile phone or tablet. It is equipped by the so-called internal and external sensors, which are efficiently managed by the designed mechatronic control scheme. The development of a paradigmatic robotic system for inspection and security tasks is the main objective of this paper to demonstrate the feasibility of mechatronic solutions for inspection of indoor sites. The development of such systems will be exploited in the form of a tool-kit to be flexible and installed on a mobile system, in order to be used for inspection and monitoring, introducing high efficiency, quality and repetitiveness in the addressed sector. The interoperability of sensors with wireless communication constitutes a smart sensors tool-kit and a smart sensor network with powerful functions to be used efficiently for inspection purposes.

In this paper the authors presented a methodology to study the viscoelastic behavior of the human finger tissue by using the indentation process with a steel ball and indentation speed between 0.02 mm/s to 4 mm/s. Considering that at very low speeds the viscoelastic effects can be neglected, an effective Young’s modulus of the human finger as function of the indentation force was determinate based on the Hertzian equation and validated with experimental data. The influence of the indentation speed on both, the indentation force and depth, was studied and a mathematical model was proposed. The authors observed that the normal force resulting from the indentation process increase with speed due to an important damping effect in the finger tissue. Also, based on the Hertzian contact model the contact pressure during the indentation process has been calculated.

In this paper, we focus our interest in the development of low-cost control systems of mechatronic devices for the homecare of the elderly and people with reduced mobility with the goal of assisting people in daily-life activities. The development of such systems will be exploited in the form of a tool kit to be flexible and applied either to assistive systems, in order to aid movements with controlled position, and in future force/torque and acceleration, introducing reliability, repetitiveness at a relatively low-cost in the related sector. In particular, the development of a low-cost control system design allows the applicability and interconnection of devices and solutions for the home-care. Our aim is to test low-cost technologies for the homecare of elderly and people with motor impairments trying to reduce significantly the overall costs to facilitate wider use of assisting and rehabilitation systems for the home-care. In particular, a Sit-To-Stand (STS) assisting device is considered as a paradigmatic example. Numerical simulations and results of an experimental test-bed are discussed in this paper.

Physical inactivity is one of the leading risk factors for global mortality. Older adults, in particular, are more probable to suffer the consequences of physical inactivity, since it is one of the most sedentary age groups. On the other hand, engaging physical activity can have various benefits for the prevention of several diseases and functional loss prevention, therefore, it is critical to encourage its regular practice amongst the elderly. Boccia is a simple precision ball sport that is easily adaptable for individuals with physical limitations, which makes it a perfectly good game for this circumstance. The present paper proposes a ball-detection based system for monitoring the Boccia court, compute the current game score and display it on a user interface. The future goal of such system will be to motivate the elders to participate more frequently in the Boccia game and make the overall game experience more enjoyable. The proposed system was tested with twenty video recordings of different simulated game situations. Overall, the obtained results were encouraging, having only one incorrect game score being computed by the developed algorithm.

The increasing rate of lower limb amputations reinforces the need to develop a new suspension system that provides a better quality of life for the lower limb amputees. This study aimed to present a novel suspension system that improves amputee’s satisfaction in terms of donning and doffing process of the prosthetic lower limb. The design of the proposed suspension system was developed following the design methodology, to establish the amputee’s needs, objectives, functions, requirements and specifications in order to optimize the final solution. The final solution is a combination of a guiding and fixation mechanisms that improve the donning and doffing process by driving the serrated pin to the fixation system. The proposed suspension system is a good alternative to improve the quality of life of amputees with lower activity level on the daily basis.

Technology adoption play significant role for good healthcare services. It is very important to understand and identify the requirements and perceptions of hospital employees for the implementation of technology in their work place. This study determines the impact of performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence on behavioural intention as well as the impact of facilitating conditions on technical/clinical staff’s perspective. The structured questionnaire is administered to 770 clinical staffs on the usage of telemedicine and electronic health records in hospitals. A valid sample of 568 was returned back for further analysis. Regression analysis using AMOS 20 is performed to examine the effect of the constructs. Findings revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence have a significant impact on behavioural intention and facilitating condition also significantly impacts behavioural intention which in turn impacts usage behaviour of electronic health records and telemedicine. The limitations and future research are suggested and delineated.

This paper presents an on-going project that consists of a smartphone-based solution for detecting pedestrians in crosswalks and communicating that information for a driver assistance system. The solution assumes a pedestrian using a smartphone, beacons in traffic lights and a driver with an android app, both apps communicating with a central database. The pedestrian app warns the user of crosswalks nearby and notify drivers if crosswalks are approaching and also if there are people in it. We also present the on-going tests that are being carried out to conclude the usefulness of the system in a real.

In low-GDP countries, such as Brazil, many older people and people with disabilities rely on the public health system for access to assistive devices, which are important to support them to live healthy and dignified lives. However, many problems limit their access to specialized prescriptions and appropriate devices that satisfy their needs and expectations. This paper explores the challenges, contributions and results from an interdisciplinary collaboration between two different yet related areas of knowledge – Product Design and Rehabilitation – in education, research and innovation in assistive technologies. The combination of product design education and rehabilitation services has mutual benefits from the perspective of research and innovation, thus contributing for the community. Here, we report on the process and benefits resulting from four years of interdisciplinary collaboration on assistive products for the aging population and people with disabilities.

In the research work herein described, the body is analyzed from the perspective of the integration of mechanical and electronic resources, both seen as communicative systems. In this sense, the body becomes a project design for both fashion design and engineering, and therefore requires technical specificities of these wearable devices attached to them. Specifically, this paper described the development of the prototype of a glove, produced with 3D printing technology (FDM). The glove is the first step in the development of prostheses that are integrated into garments. In this work, the 3D printing method, its limits and capabilities are evaluated, a draw printing materials are studied concerning print quality and user comfort. As a conclusion, we pointed out the need for a constant search for flexible filaments more appropriate for garments, especially with regard to movements of opening and closing of the hands. We also confirmed the effectiveness of the 3D printing technique as a tool for Designers to quickly and inexpensively visualize the initial shape of their products and thus be able to make changes in a more appropriate way.

This paper reviews in detail the design and development procedures for the construction of medical device for the rehabilitation of the wrist. The construction of the actual prototype was carried out with off-the-shelf components. The objective was to develop a functional and low cost device. The system is divided in two main components, one for the rehabilitation of the wrist and the other one to perform proprioception exercises, providing relaxation of the patient’s pain due to injuries on the wrist. All the hardware is assembled in one portable support, capable to make vertical and horizontal adjustments. Both systems are fully controlled through a software specially developed to be used by physiotherapists and patients, allowing also the registration of the rehabilitation evolution.

The pediatric high blood pressure has severe the risk factors and it’s prevention is mandatory. To evaluate the pediatric arterial hypertension caregivers Knowledge, in [1, 2] was done a preliminary study of an experimental and simple questionnaire with 5 questions previously introduced in [3]. The analysis of an improved questionnaire applied to children caregivers and filled online was completed in [4, 5]. In the present work, we obtain estimates about the childhood hypertension prevalence in several regions of Portugal. As preliminary approach, we perform an analysis of variance. The results evidences significant differences of high blood pressure prevalence between girls and boys; also the children’s age is a significant issue to take into consideration.

The priorities of dressing have broadened and become more complex over the years, creating challenges in developing new products. The technological evolution allied with its democratization has provided new possibilities for experimentation in the area of fashion and clothing in order to meet the current complex expectations. The article presents the experimental development of a transdisciplinary fashion product, which proposes the expansion of the communicability of dance through technological stage design. According to the metalinguistic concept allied to the computational logic pre-established in a project plan, the proposed product has, attached to a ballet costume, sensors to capture movements and transform them into light and colors with different intensities, through direct interaction with the movement direction and intensity. As a result, the LIGHTness project explores the forms, interactivity and light effects of ballet, emphasizing the dichotomy between strength and lightness in this type of dance.

Wrist injuries are very common in most of the population, specially bone fractures, but also other pathologies such as tendinitis and neurological diseases. When the wrist is injured, their flexion-extension and radial-ulnar deviation and pronation-supination movements of the forearm are compromised and interdict most daily activities. Therefore, it is important to recover the normal functionality of the wrist, namely, the range of motion. In this paper, a new vibratory device for wrist rehabilitation is proposed. This device aims to overcome the main problems of the existing technologies, such as their price and complexity. For this purpose, two models were developed. In this work numerical simulations were performed, as well as experimental tests on patients and on the device itself. The devices promoted an increase of range of motion of the wrist and forearm at appropriate frequencies. Thus, they constitute an important complement to the rehabilitation process of patients with wrist injuries.

Given the premise that cycling encourages a healthy lifestyle and promotes wellbeing, this paper describes the design process for the development of a cycling garment, with embedded electrodes for heart rate measurement to further widen the possibilities of health and performance monitoring, in a practical and unobtrusive way. Electrodes were produced and tested, using different textile materials and techniques. Signal measurement is based on the BBB Y8YBH20 heart rate monitor and performance tests were done using the Polar Beat mobile app. Finally, a prototype of the garment is presented.

Creating this product started with the challenge of developing a textile-based product that incorporated design, human interaction and light. Very early on during the design process, a gap in the kid’s segment was identified leading to the investigation into children’s illumination products and the idea to develop a new form of night-lights. Looking at existing technology and products, the idea became clear: to develop an interactive wall panel that reacted according to specific stimuli. By carrying out questionnaires and interacting with children in person the specific stimuli were identified; the panel would react to sound and movement. To build the panel electronic equipment such as LEDs, a microprocessor, sound sensors and movement sensors were used, along with MDF boards for the structure and specific fabrics for appearance. Due to a thorough investigation, specific colours and shapes were identified. Consequently, the outcome was a product we believe provides interaction, well-being and safety to the young target users, along with providing the parents with a calm and peaceful environment for their loved ones to sleep.

Considering the importance of strength training in sports injury prevention and rehabilitation, an e-textile system that assists the athlete’s training and rehabilitation was designed. This paper reports the construction of a prototype of a T-shirt with embedded textile electrodes to monitor cardiac and muscle activity. Signal tests were conducted and are presented. It is the authors’ intention to study and integrate other textile sensors that may provide useful information to the user.

In the last two decades, Taekwondo is a combat sport who has gained popularity, being inducted as an official Olympic Sport since 2000. Lately, more than 4500 federated athletes existing in Portugal have achieved excellent results in national and international competitions recognized by the International Olympic Committee, Portugal Olympic Committee, European Taekwondo Union and World Taekwondo Federation. In this paper, it was performed a study to establish the reliability and accuracy of the Microsoft Kinect 2 in real-time image data collection of the Taekwondo athletes movements. This work will reinforce the research on motion-analysis, targeting the improvement of the athlete’s performance and the establishment of a new level of training and competition, contributing to sport modernization and development.

According to World Health Organization, childhood obesity, classified as the epidemic of the 21st century, is reaching alarming values all over the world. Mobile technologies, especially smartphones and tablets, are an important part of a children’s life. Many studies believe that these technologies can be used in a healthy way, helping children to grow, so caregivers allow its use, on the hope that can help at their kid’s development. With educational games kids learn better and faster, because they feel motivated. To contribute to the fight against this epidemic, a mobile Android application has been developed to educate and motivate children to achieve healthy lifestyles, as well as allowing caregivers to follow and be part of the process, giving them tools to contribute on the improvement on the life quality of the children.

The increase in the elderly population takes along concerns to health professionals. A way of helping health professionals and the elderly may be through the development of systems that allow people to maintain their mobility regardless of age and health problems that may arise, such as: obesity, Parkinson’s, hypertension, arthritis, diabetes and even the passive symptoms of stroke. This article has two main objectives, the first is the study and analysis of the available devices that help people with mobility problems and the second is the proposal of a system that permits the accomplishment of physical activity and rehabilitation in a pleasant way.

The conceiving of the Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) requires models that can sustain the specification, the synthesis, the design, the verification, the implementation and the testing. The newly introduced models consisting of Object Enhanced Time Petri Nets (OETPNs) can be successfully used to meet this requirement. Changing the unique kind of tokens in the classical Petri Nets (PNs) with the software passive or active objects opens the possibility to describe the object dynamic instantiation and distributed concurrent tasks that are moved through a computer net with a dynamical structure. The moving tasks can be loaded with agents missions obtaining thus a so called dynamic multi-agent system. The need to move Java compiled codes to another computer, in the absence of the source classes at the destination, is fulfilled by changing the problem into one with tasks instantiated with different parameters.

This paper describes the design of an exact straight line motion mechanism, commonly known as a Scott-Russell mechanism (SRM), for industrial application. It is applied in an internal materials movement system using autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) for supporting logistics processes along the supply chain, aiming to replace the current manual operations. The proposed mechanism, analyzed regarding its kinetic and kinematic aspects using SolidWorks Motion, allows the system to discard electric current during motion and to be actuated when docked in the reception station using a linear solenoid. Additionally, the proposed mechanism can be attached below each trolley level’s base, occupying minimal space and avoiding interference with larger Returnable Packages handling motions. Furthermore, it can be used in similar applications where a small-occupied volume mechanism is necessary and primarily, where a straight-line motion is required using a passive actuator to perform one of the motions. The mechanical and electrical application requirements are identified along with the modelling phases of the mechanism. The electrical diagram is defined and a compression spring and a linear solenoid were selected using kinematic and kinetic simulation with CAD/CAE software Solidworks.

The present paper describes the state of the art related to IIoT Devices and Cyber-Physical systems and presents a use case related to predictive maintenance. Industry 4.0 is the boost for smart manufacturing and demands flexibility and adaptability of all devices/machines in the shop floor. The machines must become smart and interact with other machines inside and outside the industries/factories. The predictive maintenance is a key topic in this industrial revolution. The reason is based on the idea that smart machines must be capable to automatically identify and predict possible faults and actuate before they occur. Vibrations can be problematic in electrical motors. For this reason, we address an experimental study associated with an automatic classification procedure, that runs in the smart devices to detect anomalies. The results corroborate the applicability and usefulness of this machine learning algorithm to predict vibration faults.

The article is aimed at developing the scientific and methodological approach of using artificial neural networks (ANN) for solving applied problems in the field of mechanical engineering. This approach is based on the comprehensive implementation of ANN with the modern methods of numerical analysis (e.g., the finite element method) and analytical methods of the research with the use of mathematical modeling of the dynamic state for mechanical systems. Conceptual schemes for the implementation of the abovementioned approach are proposed for solving a number of interdisciplinary problems, such as investigation of the dynamics for rotary machines and hydroaeroelastic interaction of gas-liquid mixtures with deformable structural elements, as well as the dynamic analysis of fixtures. The main advantages of the proposed approach in comparison with the traditional regression analysis are the ability to learn and improve the ANN architecture, and to solve nonlinear problems of the parameters’ identification for mathematical models by using data of the results of physical experiments and numerical simulations. This approach allows refining parameters of the linear and nonlinear mathematical models describing the complicated mechanical and hydro-mechanical interactions under the impossibility of determination of an absolutely precise solution of the equations describing the process, as well as the incompleteness of the initial data.

The present paper proposes a new modelling framework well-suited to describe in detail multiple modelling features and interactions among different components of railway transport systems. Timed automata and Uppaal software tool were chosen because allow not only the introduction of additional features but also the construction and the verification of timed models. Another important advantage of the presented formalism is given by the possibility to operate modifications on the simulated maps only by changing the initialization variables and without changing the UPPAAL model. Different templates were defined to represents the complexity of railroad train station, two types of structures being taken into consideration: infrastructure – road, switches, traffic lights, platforms, and moving vehicles – engines, cars. To model and analyze the two types of structures, a two layered model based on Timed Automata was considered; one represents the components of the infrastructure and the relations between them and the second one represents the mobile components of the railroad traffic. The interactions between layers were defined using a set of rules implemented in “C” programming language. A case study was considered for simulation purposes, some possible scenarios being presented. A list of queries was generated in order to verify various properties. The proposed framework proved to be capable to model railway complex structures and to verify their behavior.

Computer simulation is a very important method for studying the behaviour of discrete manufacturing systems. This paper presents the results of simulation research and how buffer capacity, allocated in a manufacturing system, influence the throughput and work-in-progress. The simulation model of the manufacturing system is prepared using Tecnomatix Plant Simulation Software. The impact of individual buffers on the effectiveness of the system is analysed using the artificial neural networks module included in the software package. Simulation experiments were prepared for different capacities of intermediate buffers, located between manufacturing resources as input parameters with the throughput per hour and the average life span of products as the output parameter. A methodology for improving of the effectiveness of the system is proposed.

In this paper, we present an on-going project that aims to promote transport sustainability, urban mobility and citizens accessibility in Viana do Castelo. We contextualize and describe the current transport system and identity the improvements that could be made with an IoT infrastructure on it, namely the services that could be provided to citizens and their benefits. We also present the designed solution and implementation details as well as the tests that are being carried out with the developed prototype.

On the midst of this new Industrial Revolution, a disruptive change of technological, economic and social systems is expected to take place in a near future. In this context, significant changes are forecast to impact the employment landscape over the coming years. New challenges and new opportunities will arise in this digital landscape, demanding from future workforce the ability to adapt and grow in such ground-breaking environments. The objective of this research is to understand the main people-focused factors related to the shaping of the fourth industrial revolution, as well as to assess Portuguese local workforce awareness and realignment towards the Industry 4.0 paradigm.

Production scheduling is a function that can contribute strongly to the competitive capacity of companies producing goods and services. Failure to stagger tasks properly causes enormous waste of time and resources, with a clear decrease in productivity and high monetary losses. The efficient use of internal resources in organizations becomes a competitive advantage and can thus dictate their survival and sustainability. In that sense, it becomes crucial to analyze and develop production scheduling models, which can be simplified as the function of affecting tasks to means of production over time. This report is part of a project to develop a dynamic scheduling tool for decision support in a single machine environment. The system created has the ability, after a first solution has been generated, to trigger a new solution as some tasks leave the system and new ones arrive, allowing the user, at each instant of time, to determine new scheduling solutions, in order to minimize a certain measure of performance. The proposed tool was validated in an in-depth computational study with dynamic task releases and stochastic execution time. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the model.

The paper looks at a concept of an eco-friendly household appliance. Owing to an innovative approach to the design process, the functionality of an existing product has been altered. Inventive creation methods have been applied to involve respondents in the search for innovative solutions. A new approach to designing products, eco-design is based on identifying the environmental impact of a product and incorporating it into early stages of the design process. Eco-innovation consists in creating innovative goods, services, products, processes, systems or procedures at competitive prices, aimed at meeting human needs and ensuring better quality of life with minimum possible consumption of natural resources (materials, energy, space) per manufacturing unit and minimum possible release of toxic substances. Selected inventive creation methods used in the study, such as brainstorming, stimulation, crumbling, play on words, and superposition, are described. The results of the study have been used to design the concept of an eco-innovative product – a small refrigerator for storing medicines and cosmetics. An ecological analysis of the product has been performed and its price estimated and compared to the market price of a similar product.

Process mapping in indirect areas is a powerful tool to increase company awareness of the complete process and it allows to identify problems and improve opportunities leading to the reduction of lead time and waste as well as improving productivity and competitiveness. In this article a team of students carried out a project in a company aiming to reduce the lead time in the prototype development using a process mapping tool called VSDia (Value Stream Design in Indirect Areas). This tool allowed the identification of several improvement opportunities leading to a reduction of the lead time from 27 to 17 days as well as gains in productivity. This activity also created in the personnel a new awareness of the whole process, the particularities of the process steps and the impact of each process step in other steps of the process.

Considering logistics management plays a very important role in costs generating. There are different kinds of costs. One significant kind of costs is connected to fuel consumption. Logistic companies try to implement different solutions in order to decrease this cost. This work presents the implementation of a six sigma project to identify important factors which influence fuel consumption. Based on the performed analysis, we know that one of the most important factors is a human factor. Therefore, in the second part of the paper the authors present an analysis which explains how, with the use of fuzzy logic, a company can identify drivers who should be trained to improve their skills. As a result it allows to minimize fuel consumption.

Contemporary enterprises of sustainable development, try to optimize the use of resources. Medium-term planning is one of the main elements of the MRP II production management systems, in which the key result of planning is the development of a production plan. That plan enables to meet the forecast demand for products and services on the basis of the resources engaged for this purpose in the accepted term. The aim of this article is to indicate the possibility of increasing the accuracy of informal methods in production planning, in particular graphic-table techniques with the use of an IT tool. The work discusses decision-making options and strategies for balancing projected demand with available production capacities.

Timely delivery of products designed to individual requirements of customers is increasingly difficult for manufacturers. It results from difficulties in effective development of production schedules and material flow control. The reason is, among other things, the lack of real data on standard times required to complete individual manufacturing processes. This article presents the assumptions on the method of estimating standard times for highly individualized products. The proposed method has been incorporated into computer software that was verified at an actual production company that manufactures electric heating elements.

This study was carried out in training companies and aims to evaluate customer satisfaction. It focusses at the Organizations’ Quality-of-Management (QoM) that is in itself a major competitive advantage to differentiate them. Indeed, the universe of discourse is set in order to consider not only the complex relationships among the entities that populate it, but also to take into account its inner structure, where incomplete, unknown or even self-contradictory information or knowledge are present. One’s goal is at the development of a comprehensive and integrated computational model to ensure the Organizations’ Performance and its QoM in order to fulfill customer’s requirements. It is based on a Logic Programming approach to Knowledge Representation and Reasoning and grounded on an Artificial Neural Networks approach to computing.

The paper presents possibilities for improving internal transport in a manufacturing company. The authors provide a general analysis of logistic processes as well as questions relating to production logistics, using Lean Management tools like supermarket or electric logistic train. They analyse the current state of internal transport and present changes and possible improvement concepts. Internal transport, which is responsible for the flow of materials, movement of raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products within a company, has a significant impact on production processes. It can be improved thanks to the application of simple Lean Management tools, which will make it possible to eliminate all kinds of waste. Using the solutions presented in the paper, the analysed company may expect to continue to eliminate waste and strengthen its position among the producers of wire bunches and system panels used in household appliances.

The paper presents results of preliminary studies on possibilities of using low – cost devices to train operators of production line on how to perform a simple assembly task in Virtual Reality. Two different approaches to manipulate virtual objects without haptic feedback were compared and tested. The overall time and successful rate was measured for all users in both systems. The results lead to conclusion that smartphone based training applications in VR have a long way to go, but with increasing computing power seems like a promising direction.

Tacit knowledge is that special, expert knowledge which is always referred to within a company; it is also very difficult to identify it, much less describe it. In this paper, the TKnowS approach for the effective identification of Key Tacit Knowledge Resources, in manufacturing companies, is constructed and implemented in the form of a web-application, based on a case study. The TKnowS approach includes: (1) the definition of groups of workers according to processes which have been completed, using the Algorithm - k-means Clustering and Distance Method and the Euclidean Distances Method, (2) determining the competences of each worker, (3) determining the importance of each competence for each group of workers using the FAHP Method.

The article focuses on the issue of production levelling (jap. Heijunka). The article contains an analysis of literature and presents the author’s methodology of production levelling. The methodology consists of 5 steps. The first stage is the selection of products for which the production levelling will be carried out. The article presents the author’s scheme for defining product groups, consisting of two main steps, from which 6 product groups are selected. Criteria that were taken into account in the creation of the scheme are primarily the rotation of products, sales of products (volume and value) and the minimum, economic production batch. The example of the use of product classification in an enterprise from the automotive industry is also presented. Separated product groups accounted for 28% of all manufactured products and approximately 88% of the company’s total turnover.

The use of energy and its various sources is becoming an increasingly important issue in the management of an industrial enterprise. The growing importance of this element is related to its significant share in the costs of running a business, a high impact on the natural environment and the increasing number of laws regulating this subject. Also International Standardization Organization noticed the problem of power consumption in companies and published of the ISO 50001 energy management standard. Presented research shows the state of energy management and awareness in SME enterprises in Poland in the years 2014–2016.

Autonomous production control (APC) aims at improving production systems performance through fast and flexible reaction to changes in dynamic production environments. APC shifts the power of decision from a central planning unit, towards single intelligent and distributed logistic objects that can cope with the rising complexity of today’s manufacturing systems. The purpose of this research is to analyse the current state of art on APC in discrete manufacturing industries, throughout a systematic literature review. The study’s objectives were to: (1) identify specialists in APC; and (2) identify theoretical developments and practical implementations. The reviewed was obtained by searching the Scopus database - a total of 49 papers have been analysed. The findings revealed that there is not much work carried out on APC until now, and that most of the contributions are theoretical. It is hoped that this literature review will contribute to enhance research in this science field.

Adhesive bonding is widespread in several fields, ranging from construction, packaging, automotive industry, aeronautics and medical applications. As a result, it becomes increasingly necessary to reliably estimate their mechanical behaviour. In the context of Cohesive Zone Modelling (CZM), the shear fracture toughness (G_IIC) is one of the most influential parameters for the strength prediction. This work aims to make an evaluation of the End-Notched Flexure (ENF) and Four-Point End-Notched Flexure (4ENF) tests to determine G_IIC of bonded joints. Three adhesives were tested: Araldite® AV138, Araldite® 2015 and SikaForce® 7752. It was concluded that the G_IIC values for each adhesive obtained by the ENF and 4ENF tests are in good agreement.

The use of injection molds is very common nowadays but the lack of tools or mechanisms to detect any structural changes during its life-time is a problem. Since this is a dynamic system the measurement of the system response could be a tool to create a non-intrusive mechanism to detect any structural problems. In this paper a modal analysis is performed of an injection mold to understand the order of its natural frequencies then an harmonic analysis to check the availability of using accelerometers to detect cracks. By the results obtained by this work the use of accelerometers need to be tested in a live trial to verify if they are susceptive to external factors in order to interfere with the measurements and make impossible to detect the cracks initiations.

To enable the widespread use of adhesive joints in industry application, it is fundamental to be able to predict their strength. Advanced predictive techniques such as cohesive zone models (CZM) require the estimation of both mechanical and fracture properties of adhesives. In this work, the Asymmetric Tapered Double-Cantilever Beam (ATDCB) mixed-mode test is studied to estimate the fracture envelope of three adhesives. The R-curves were calculated and the fracture envelopes of each adhesive were built, which enabled calculating the most suitable propagation criterion in mixed-mode to apply in numerical simulations. With this work, the mixed-mode propagation criterion of three adhesives was proposed for strength prediction of adhesive joints.

Welding processes are extremely used in the metalworking industry all over the world. Sometimes the engineer has difficulties in finding solutions for the analytical calculation welded joints with eccentricity. In addition, calculations and analytical principles generally do not coincide with numerical results. In this work, analytically calculated stresses, are compared with numerical stresses for a double-fillet weld and the reasons for not having a complete agreement of results are clarified. In addition, an analytical method for fillet welds is compared, with numerical results.

The paper presents the external pipe locomotion of a robot for inspection and monitoring of the pipelines for use in oil and gas industry. During regular motion, the robot resembles to a crank-slider mechanism with equal lengths of the crank and rod, while for stepping over flanges it becomes an open chain with double actuated leverage. A bond graph model and simulation results by use of 20-sim environment are also presented.

This research aims to understand the motivations of Portuguese university researchers to patent, as well as main obstacles found in this process of patent protection and commercialization. We interviewed 19 academic researchers from five Portuguese public universities. The researchers interviewed are inventors in university’s patents, currently granted and in force, corresponding to a total of 63 patents in force, being 13 of those commercialized. As main motivations researchers have highlighted curricular valorization, followed by the universities’ incentives to patent and the commercialization potential of technologies. In the case of main obstacles, the inventors have stressed the level of development of the patent technology, the university administrative procedures and the valorization of patents by industry. More specifically, the need for further R&D before technology reach the market, the bureaucracy of internal university processes, inflexibility of university representatives in negotiations with industry, little appreciation of R&D by industry and lack of financial capacity to implement the patent technology are the most frequently cited obstacles.

Electric power market is a contemporary challenge, due to the permanent increase in energy distribution demands, suppliers of power transformers have to constantly improve their engineering solutions for the design of equipment that are able to adapt to this permanent evolution. A fundamental challenge is the research of structural components embedded in power transformers tank that are able to withstand loading due to regular production loading, as vacuum, or during service like short-circuit events. This paper presents the results of experimental testing on different main frame geometries of power transformers shell type to predict structural behavior due to short-circuit electromagnetic force The resulting data allows the determination of novel structural lay-outs that are optimized to lower deformation due to these specific loading regimes, are characterized by a reduced use of material and lowering of the overall structural weight.

Measurement of the bidirectional texture function (BTF) of the surfaces with portable instruments allowing on-site measurement outside the laboratory conditions is a newly emerging technique enabling data acquisition of the real objects without the necessity of their extraction from the environment. A practical issue of the sample measurement is the instrument alignment regarding the measured surface. The aim is to measure a sample surface under any orientation in space and to align the measurement instrument to the surface so to measure surface reflectance of the sample surface. This paper describes the design of two setups allowing adjustment of a portable BTF measurement instrument regarding the sample surface at any position. The final instrument alignment is performed with a help of feedback information provided by a simple laser autocollimator.

Welded joints in components or structures submitted to cyclic loading can fail by crack initiation and progression due to fatigue. Thus, they are critical features in the overall manufacturing of press cutting machines and display an important part of production costs. In this study, the decrease of throat thickness and weld penetration are analyzed in T-filleted joints. Overall, it is determined that throat reduction only represents a real challenge when weld penetration is fairly reduced. In order to obtain infinite fatigue life, a minimum 27 [%] weld penetration must be assured for a 6 [mm] throat, while in 8 [mm] throat designs only 15 [%] is required.

This paper addresses the design of beams with web openings. The Vierendeel bending design procedures are described, and the related numerical equations are given. An automatic calculation model, for sections design is briefly described, and an input and output flowchart is also presented.

In the nowadays-global market, it is necessary to consider the new paradigm of industry 4.0 that presents a lot of features in the development completive solution. Several approaches are being used to considering the problem. In this paper a modular approach for developing a handling system to use in the shop floor production line to move raw materials using autonomous vehicles is presented is present. In addition, the final solution for the module to transfer returnable packages is discussed.

There has been a predominant growth in the application of composite structures in the engineering fields, particularly in automobile and aerospace industries. This paper is concentrated on the finite element analysis of the low-velocity impact on composite laminates of unidirectional Glass/Epoxy and Carbon/Epoxy material with different ply orientations. The modeling, meshing and simulations are performed using the Finite Element Package-Abaqus/Explicit. Parameters like deflection and Contact force are studied under fixed boundary condition by varying the ply orientation in the models and maintained a constant angle between the consecutive plies in the plate. A good agreement is seen between the results of Glass/Epoxy and Carbon/Epoxy laminates and discussed.

Universities are centers of knowledge in our societies and their role when it comes to innovation has become more important over the years. Companies have several reasons to engage in research collaborations with universities, namely to gain access to innovative technologies. University-Industry R&D collaborations are expected to play an important role in regional economies, and to fulfill the industry’s demand for innovative products, technologies and processes. However, the knowledge on what are the potential risks resulting from these collaborations and the risk response strategies to reduce the negative risk impacts and to enhance positive risk impacts is still limited. Thus, this paper aims to fill the gap in literature when it comes to risk identification and risk responses’ planning, by identifying, based on a case study analysis, 19 potential risks and 53 potential risk response strategies.

A pneumatic system represents a safe and “clean” actuation mechanism. The paper presents several innovative solutions for such kind of systems. The aim is to increase the precision of positioning and especially its preservation, as it is known that, in the case of pneumatic positioning systems, these problems have not yet been solved. The proposed units provide an accurate positioning only on certain work areas, set by manual adjustment. At this moment, the presented solutions are in the prototype stage in the tests.

This paper proposes a new systematic strategy for the determination of the kinematic parameters of a planar manipulator arm with two links and two linear actuators. This kind of mechanism is used in various types of equipment, such as cranes, excavators, etc., and usually consists of the second and third links and joints. The proposed strategy aims to calculate the optimum length of the links and the angular limits of the joints that result in an arm with the best possible kinematic performance characteristics within a desired design-defined workspace, while considering the possible costs involved. It is versatile and easily expandable, and can thus be used in diverse cases. To verify the strategy a case study is analyzed, and the result is an arm with ideal parameters.

Plenum boxes are used for supply and exhaust of air through diffusers and grilles from heating and ventilating air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The plenum boxes ensure a continuous flow and moreover, they are usually lined with different materials in order to realize an acoustic insulation. These silencers/attenuators are of great importance in realizing a comfortable acoustical environment. The paper presents a theoretical and experimental investigation on some commercial plenum boxes with various sizes and lined with different sound absorbing materials. The sound transmission loss TL is the performance criterion for the silencers acoustical behaviour. The test procedure agrees the requirements of ISO 7235:2010 and the measurements were made in an anechoic room. Third-octave band analysis of experimental data is compared with theoretical ones. The results evidence the importance of silencer design which must take account of its geometry and the proper sound absorbing material as a function of frequency in order to optimize its acoustic efficiency.

An experimental program describes mechanical properties of hybrid adhesive bonds created with a two-component structural adhesive and a reinforcing glass fibre fabric (GF) tested at 20, 40 and 60 °C. The reinforcing fabric was of a type E glass fibres which was implemented into the adhesive bonds without a treatment and with a plasma treatment with a power of 175 W and 350 W. The adhesive bonds without the reinforcing GF showed at the temperature 20 °C a shear tensile strength 11.51 ± 0.42 MPa. This shear tensile strength was considerably decreased with increasing temperature. The hybrid adhesive bonds with the reinforcing GF of weights in grams 110 and 160 g/m2 showed a significant increase of the shear tensile strength, namely up of ca. 63%. An influence of the plasma treatment was not significant. The significant increase of the shear tensile strength was reached by adding the reinforcing fabric. Higher values of the shear tensile strength were reached at the hybrid adhesive bonds reinforced with the GF of the weight in grams 160 g/m2.

This article is dealing with the formation of nanocomposite coatings. These coatings can be of wide use. His particular research has been carried out to extend the durability of the molds used to vulcanize rubber materials in the automotive industry. A base material in this case is an aluminum alloy, specifically Al-Si. This alloy is coated with a nanocomposite coating. In this case the PTFE coating, which can be used on its own, is enriched with nanoparticles based on titanium dioxide, tungsten carbide and aluminum oxide. This paper is describing the specific technology process, which is the coating, and subsequently the verification of the uniform coating by electron microscopy. The results obtained using electron microscopy is showing the confirmation of the equilibrium distribution and the content of each of the elements. Furthermore, the components of the nanocomposite are listed here. In the future, the application of these nanocomposite coatings can be extended to other industries.

This work is based on dry and lubricated friction properties of Polyoxymethylene (POM) plastics widely used in multimedia and electronic sector of automotive industries. The results show that lubrication does not seem to influence the static coefficient of friction; however, significantly influences the dynamic one and increases it by two-fold.

Developmental trends in composite systems include substitution of synthetic fillers by renewable sources. Prospective renewable sources usable in the field of composite systems can be denoted natural plant fibers. The paper describes a composite system prepared by a vacuum infusion. As a matrix was used an epoxy resin which was filled with arranged and randomly oriented short jute fibers in the form of yarn residues of a length 42.63 ± 16.52 mm. The tensile strength and strain at break of these composites are described experimentally without surface treatment of the fibers. Electron microscopy was used to describe the interfacial interaction. The short fibers, which were oriented in the direction of the load force, increased the tensile strength by 11 MPa versus the non-filled resin, the non-oriented fibers reduced the tensile strength of 7 MPa.

Treatment of metal alloys is one of the ways to affect the quality and properties of the material at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, one part of the research consists of searching for the influence of various modifying and inoculating elements on selected aluminum alloys. One of the alloys undergoing the present research is the hardening aluminum alloy AlSi9CuMnNi. The article describes one from these experiments. AlSi9CuMnNi alloy was modified with various amounts of calcium (0.05, 0.1 and 0.15 wt% Ca) and 0.2 wt% Sb. The alloy without modification and with 0.2 wt% Sb was heat-treated, too. In the experiment were made three castings for each type of alloy. The final structure of each casting was analyzed.

This work is focused on the study of thermomechanical behavior of a Polyoxymethylene-based gear at high temperatures using ANSYS16. The deformation of the gear teeth due to thermal loads was also studied through coupled thermal-structural analyses. The displacement results are obtained by numerical and experimental studies and compared with each other. It was concluded that the experimental and numerical results are in agreement.

The integration of technological elements into textile products and fashion accessories is clearly not a new phenomena. But after more than two decades since its boom, it is important to look at the progress made, the applicability, the market availability of the technologies, their consequent acceptance or refusal by consumers and the future prospects for these products. The present study presents a review on the subject, focusing on the relationship between science and design, in particular the fusion between technology and fashion.The findings of the study indicate that the future market is amenable to this type of products. However, there is a need to focus on the creation of a new profile of fashion designer, with the skills to support innovative decision making in sourcing and selection of suitable materials, technologies and construction methods for the development of functional garments, which also meet the end user’s demand, needs and cultural contexts. In this sense, the use of alternative design methodologies, in particular fiction design and working with transdisciplinary design teams can enhance the success in the creation of innovative fashion products.

The research developed a novel approach to dyeing and finishing a contemporary silk and wool textile length collection. The colorant is extracted from an invasive weed, clematis vitalba, a forest destroying invasive pest in New Zealand. Originally released as an ornamental garden plant, clematis vitalba escaped into the sub-alpine environment, preventing forest regeneration. Reducing the impact of dyeing and finishing is a key aim in this eco dye research. Kate Fletcher states the textile and the garment manufacturing sector is the largest user of water and scores worse than any other on the UK Environment Agency’s pollution risk report [1]. Safe colour modifying mordants and sustainable degumming techniques enhanced the results and design aesthetic. The clematis vitalba dyed silk and wool fabric shows a high degree of light fastness. The design concept explored both a sense of place and a sense of time, referencing visual rhythms and forms of local landscapes.

This work presents an investigation on Wire Electric Discharge Machining (WEDM) of Pure Titanium (Grade-2). Pure Titanium and its alloys are the most suitable metallic materials for biomedical applications. In health care, they are used for implant devices like knee and hip implants, fixing materials for bones like nails and screws, and in the oral and maxillofacial surgery. Properties like good biocompatibility, high corrosion resistance, and high fracture strength make titanium parts the perfect solution for bio-implants. The more frequent use of the titanium necessitates an economical machining process. Conventional processes like milling, grinding or drilling have their limits because of the material’s mechanical properties which cause high tool wear. WEDM proves to be an alternative especially for manufacturing complex parts as there is no actual contact with tool and the work piece. Within this study, the capabilities of Wire-EDM for the manufacturing of clean surfaces with distinct Surface Roughness (SR) and Machining Speed (MS) are conducted through optimization of process parameters. Taguchi technique is used for optimization and the experiments are conducted according to Taguchi Design of Experiments (DOE). Different wire electrode materials have been used considering a possible copper and zinc contamination on the work piece surface.

Gasification of wastes is considered a promising alternative for energy generation due to its lower environmental impacts when compared with conventional landfilling and incineration. Valorisation of such wastes improves sustainability of resource management and of energy production. However, an appropriate characterisation of wastes in terms of physical and chemical properties is essential for the prediction of their behaviour during gasification, allowing to identify possible problems for the environment and installed equipment and also to define which materials present a greater energy potential. This study aimed to characterise 10 different fractions from municipal, construction and demolition wastes received in different fluxes by a Portuguese waste management company. These fractions included wood (44.83 wt%), plastic (22.15 wt%), paper/card (0.04 wt%), mixtures of paper and plastic (14.67 wt%) and sewage sludge (18.31 wt%). For this purpose, determination of density, proximate and ultimate analysis, higher heating value (HHV), thermogravimetric profiles and inorganic composition of ashes were performed for each fraction. Analysis revealed that plastics and their mixtures with paper/card possess the highest HHV’s (25–45 MJ/kg db), thus exhibiting a greater capacity for energy production. High levels of ashes found in dried sewage sludge (50 wt% db) indicate that a lot of by-product will be generated after gasification, possibly increasing the treatment costs. A gasification unit operating at 50 kg/h and admitting a mixture of all these wastes would generate 109.7 kW of total power, having capacity to receive more waste fluxes along the year.

Intensification, concentration and specialization of dairy cow farms originate many activity by-products, such as wastewater and slurry which implies treatment costs, reduce environmental quality and promote social conflicts between the urban and rural population. These (by)products present a high potential for energy recovery from biogas produced in anaerobic digestion processes, thus contributing to sustainable development. This study is focused on the development of a GIS-based spatial support decision system that supports Multicriteria Analysis and Weighted Hierarchical Analysis (AHP) models aiming to identify site locations with appropriate conditions for the implementation of biogas production units, using waste and wastewater produced by the dairy cow farms in Barcelos municipality (NW Portugal). This spatially explicit model considers environmental, social and economic factors, as well as, legal location constraints tested with a consistent sensitivity analysis of the modelling processes and results. The results indicate sites with appropriate conditions for the location of biogas production units, considering the minimal distance to the dairy cow farms, electric and road networks, in higher areas with forest land cover and maximizing the distance from the urban spaces, as well as, from the river/ground water surfaces and agricultural/ecological reserves. In the next studies it´s relevant to explore biogas units dimensioning concerns, explore other complementary biomass sources in anaerobic (co)digestion solutions and expand collected spatial data to spatial decision support system during future biogas units operation phase.

Refuse derived fuel (RDF) represents a very robust and endogenous resource that has the potential to minimize landfilling of solid waste, reduce greenhouse gas emissions through its biogenic component and contribute to national energy provision whilst diversifying solid fuel supplies. This waste derived fuel can be produced from different waste streams after significant mechanical and biological processing. In spite of their processing, these waste derived fuels still have a high degree of heterogeneity, presenting variable fuel properties and some negative characteristics such as high moisture, ash and chlorine contents. Although RDF is used for energy generation in some high energy demanding industrial applications or dedicated energy recovery facilities, its physical-chemical characteristics can result in significant technical and environmental problems that may benefit from an upgrading treatment. Torrefaction and carbonization are thermal treatments that have the potential to upgrade RDF, producing a waste derived char with reduced moisture and chlorine contents, more homogeneous and friable, which are characteristics of great importance for feeding systems in gasification and combustion facilities. Using waste derived chars could result in major environmental and waste management advantages, with potential to help with the waste management crisis, reducing waste volume and corresponding to the present European guidelines for energy recovery from wastes, fitting perfectly in the concept of circular economy.

Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) is a solid fuel made after basic processing steps or techniques that increase the calorific value of municipal solid waste (MSW), commercial or industrial waste materials. Therefore, energy production from RDF can provide economic and environmental benefits as it reduces the amount of wastes sent to landfill and allows the energy recovery from a renewable source.In this work, it was studied the application of waste-to-energy technologies to RDF valorisation, namely pyrolysis and gasification. This study intended to evaluate the effect of temperature and different technologies (gasification and pyrolysis) in gas production, gas composition and mass conversion of RDF. Experiments of RDF gasification and pyrolysis were performed in a laboratory scale fixed bed gasifier, under different conditions.The effect of reaction temperature was studied at 450, 600 and 750 °C in pyrolysis experiments and at 750 °C and 850 °C in gasification. Results showed that, for the same operational conditions, pyrolysis was more efficient at 750 °C. At this temperature, it was obtained a syngas of 11.2 MJ/m3 and a specific gas production of 0.43 m3 syngas/kg RDF. Results also proved that, for the same operational conditions, the rise of temperature improved gas production ratio (Nm3/kg RDF), gas low heating value (LHV) and mass conversion. Regarding to gas production ratio the utilization of air at equivalence ratio (ER) of 0.6 induced the formation of 1.5 m3 gas/kg RDF. Differently, steam gasification only allowed the production of 0.5 m3 gas/kg RDF. Mass conversion and carbon conversion achieved almost 100% in air gasification at highest molar ratio.

In this work, the gasification of pellets produced from residual pine biomass and their mixtures with cork wastes, polymeric wastes and polymer derived char pellets was studied. The gasification tests were performed in a fixed bed downdraft gasifier at the temperatures of 700 °C and 800 °C. The influence of pellet combinations and gasification temperature in the composition and high heating value of the product gas was evaluated. The results were compared with commercially available pine pellets. At 800 °C, all the tested pellet mixtures exhibited higher CO and H₂ concentrations than the commercial pellets, with 9.3% mol CO and 6.2% mol H₂ for the mixture with cork wastes pellets, for example. The high heating value of the product gas for the different pellet mixtures presented values between 1.04 and 3.84 MJ/m3, for different gasification conditions. Residual lignocellulosic biomass and mixed wastes have the potential to be used as sustainable raw materials for energy production by gasification. Gasification operational parameters, such as temperature and equivalence ratio are decisive factors in product gas output, that need to be optimized in order to efficiently take advantage of the energy potential from these raw materials. Furthermore, this approach can contribute to the coupling of waste management and energy production through endogenous resources, reducing the deposition of these waste materials in landfills.

Low quality waste oils and fats, with elevated levels of acidity, water and other contaminants are not appropriate for biodiesel production or other material recycling processes. Nevertheless, they can be converted to energy-dense bio-oils by pyrolysis, in an oxygen deficient atmosphere. These bio-oils may be used in combustion or upgraded to yield liquid biofuels for internal combustion engines although their chemical stability still creates some limitations during storage. This work aimed at the evaluation of biochar production by pyrolysis of mixtures of lipid wastes and pine sawdust. For this purpose, thermal conversion was performed with initial vacuum, at temperatures between 573.15 and 673.15 K and a reaction time of 60 min. Biomass incorporation varied between 0 and 38% (w/w). Biochar formation was favored by biomass incorporation and by the increase in temperature. The biochar yield varied from 1–28% and its high calorific value ranged between 24.3 to 36.6 MJ/kg. For incorporations of pine sawdust higher than 23% the carbon content and the calorific value of the biochar decreased due to a higher oxygen content in the raw materials. Highly calorific bio-oils were also produced in these conditions with yields from 24 to 83% (w/w), and high calorific values from 37.8 to 43.4 MJ/kg. These bio-oils have a carbon content higher than 75% and contain high molecular weight components. As such, they could be used in direct combustion in boilers, or as pellet additives. This approach contributes to the implementation of the renewed hierarchy for wastes as defined in the Directive 2008/98/EC namely by identifying alternatives to the deposition of the used cooking oils in landfills.

A two dimensional CFD model for MSW gasification has been used to predict and analyze the viability of the hydrogen generation from MSW gasification. The model is based in an Eulerian-Eulerian approach to describe the transport of mass, momentum and energy for the solid and gas phases. The model is applied to a fluidized bed gasifier to full predict and analyze the viability of the hydrogen generation from MSW gasification taking into account the equivalence ratio and steam-to-waste ratio. Conclusion could be drawn that the increase of equivalence ratio has a negative effect on hydrogen production because the oxidation reactions are favored. The introduction of steam to MSW gasification is favorable for improving hydrogen yield, because it increases the partial pressure of steam inside the reactor which favors the gas-phase reactions.

Domestic and industrial heating are amongst the most attractive applications for biomass as it combines high efficiency and ease-of-use. Boilers and furnaces in this range are usually of simple design and control algorithm while expected to operate over a wide range of thermal loads, typically from up 30% of the nominal load. Such constrainments often limit the overall efficiency of biomass use. In addition, from the manufacturing point of view, a product with flexibility of operation would provide a quasi-universal solution for a wide range of applications.The present paper investigates the influence of the fuel grate dimensions and the heat exchanger design on the thermal efficiency of a 25 kW pellet boiler. The prototype has a controllable independent supply of primary and secondary air and the temperature is monitored at critical locations. The continuous analysis of the flue gases for CO₂, NOx, O₂ and CO enabled the definition of an operation envelope that resulted in CO emissions as low as 10 ppm, using standard A1 grade pellets as fuel.

Effluent streams originating from swine production can be a major cause of point-source pollution and very dangerous for the surrounding environment. In this work, biogas and biomethane potential of swine-derived effluents were assessed under mesophilic conditions (37 °C) among different production stages (Farrowing, Gestation, Weaners, and Fattening) in order to investigate the suitability of anaerobic digestion as a treatment technology and energy recovery tool. Anaerobic biodegradability of the different wastewaters were also evaluated in order to better understand the degradation patterns of each waste stream. The specific methane yields for each substrate wastewater were successfully determined gravimetrically and ranged from 293.9 ± 31.6 mL CH4.gVS added−1 for Gestation, 248.0 ± 246.6 mLCH4.gVS added−1 for Fattening, and 172.4 ± 1.62 mLCH4.gVS added−1 for Weaners. Farrowing wastewater presented no detectable biomethane production in the studied conditions probably due to very low organics content. Anaerobic biodegradability results showed that wastewaters from Gestation (60.28%) had a higher biodegradability index when compared with Fattening (37.96%) and Weaners (45.97%) stages. The results obtained in this work should be encouraging for on-farm energy recovery and anaerobic digestion technology viewed as an important contributor to alleviate the increasing energy demand within the swine industry. However, as indicated by biodegradability data, biological treatment does not comprise a complete solution and should be complemented with other treatment methods.

In the contemporary moment, the textile and clothing industries are practicing and passing through a transition period into their management systems (specially on waste) due to consumer change in social behavior, which can, potentially, ensure the sustenance and well-being for the generations to come. Into this context, the present research aims to analyze sustainable strategies that are being implemented by the textile and clothing industry, searching for solutions for the management of clean solid waste, concerns with processed and non-processed textile fibers waste. In addition, it is mapped and pointed some gaps for the development of further and future researches. In order to achieve the proposed goal, it was searched a rigorous selection of projects and studies that expressed innovative solutions, concerning practices and theories application about the possibilities in the management of the clean textile waste. The results are optimistic, as they already point to some real action in terms of companies aware of the need for sustainable practices in their production.

The need to save natural resources has paradigmatic attitude changes, such as the need to value waste materials in order to reduce landfill and minimize the use of raw materials. The objective of this work is to show the contribution of existing literature about the incorporation of industrial wastes in asphalt pavements. Thus, some of the main industrial wastes that can be incorporated in asphalt mixtures as aggregate substitute are steel slag, foundry sand and fly ash. This wastes are produced on a large scale on the planet, and the literature shows that, when treated for use in road pavements, their mechanical properties are similar or superior to conventional aggregates. Thus, according to the studies presented here, the incorporation rates vary from 5 to 15% for foundry sand, 70% for steel slag and 30% for fly ash. When incorporated in asphalt pavements, the dangerous elements may be encapsulated in the mixture, reducing their environmental toxicity.

The present work studies the possibility of energy recovery by thermal conversion of waste tires, a potential feedstock for combustion and gasification processes. Considering the difficulties of using these residues in isolation, cocombustion and co-gasification tests with acacia and miscanthus biomass were carried out in order to assess the characteristics of these residues as a fuel for thermochemical processes. Co-gasification tests were run in a fixed bed reactor at temperatures of about 800 °C. The results obtained demonstrate the viability of the technology, with the ideal conditions for the production of syngas with higher LHV (3.64 MJ/Nm3) occurring in mixtures with 20% of waste tires. As for co-combustion, tests were performed in a pyro-tubular multi-fuel boiler with temperatures ranging from 400 °C to 500 °C. With respect to gaseous emissions (NO_x, NO, and SO₂), it was verified that increasing the percentage of tires in the mixture resulted in increased emissions of pollutant gases. These results present a problem since the obtained values are higher than those allowed by the Portuguese law. It was also concluded that gasification is a perfectly adjusted technology for the valorization of waste tires, being able to transform them into a fuel for energy recovery derived from residues with no other use.

A new process for the torrefaction of mixtures of biomass and oily sludges is proposed. A fossil fuel (gasoline or diesel) was added to mixtures of biomass and hydrocarbon-rich sludge (10:1), and this mixture was subject to distillation until all liquids are recovered. The fossil fuel partially dissolved the sludge components and promoted their evenly distribution over the biomass particles. During distillation, the fossil fuel and all the distillable components present in the biomass and sludge were collected and the mixture was subject to temperatures at which a considerable transformation of the non-distillable fraction occurred. The biomass lost water and suffered partial decomposition and rearrangement to yield biochars with HHV of 23.6 and 33.2 MJ/kg. The original biomass had a HHV of 17.9 MJ/kg, but the hydrothermal torrefaction process as well as the fortification with heavy hydrocarbons from the oily sludge significantly increased its calorific value. The distillable liquids were recovered in the form of two immiscible liquid phases: (a) an organic phase mainly composed by the added fossil fuel but also containing the nonpolar volatile components present in the sludge and the biomass, and (b) an aqueous phase that contained the free and emulsified water present in the biomass and in the sludge, but also the water and polar organic components released from the mixture during this thermal treatment. This process takes place at atmospheric pressure and temperatures lower than 300 °C and can be applied to different sludges with high carbon content to promote their energetic valorization.

There is a growing interest in the use of biodegradable polymers that can help minimize the environmental impact of plastics. Biopolymers have been considered the most promising materials for this purpose. However, they generally have poorer mechanical properties. Starch is a low-cost polysaccharide derived from agricultural plants. To improve starch processing, the molecular order within the granules must be destroyed. This is generally achieved by heating the granular starch mixed with plasticizers. With this process, a conversion of the biopolymer’s molecular structure into thermoplastic starch is obtained. In this way, much of the starch changes from a crystalline structure to an amorphous structure. Of the various plasticizers used, the most common are polyols, in which glycerol is included, allowing a good structuring, although it induces the phenomenon of recrystallization. Four bioplastics were developed, based on corn flour, which differed in thickness (0.25 mm and 0.45 mm, on average), with and without a natural pine resin. Regarding the tests carried out in bioplastics, it was concluded that the bioplastic with 0.25 mm and with resin is the one that presents a greater transparency and a greater tensile strength. In turn, the bioplastic with the highest elongation was the one presenting 0.45 with resin. It was also concluded that up to a certain thickness of bioplastic (0.34 mm), the resin adds a certain resistance, from which it withdraws. Through the FTIR analysis, it was confirmed that the resin provides transparency to the bioplastic and that it causes interference in the bonds between the starch and the glycerol.

The search for renewable alternatives to petroleum products for industrial applications is increasing. Each year, many tons of inedible plant material is produced, much of which is landfilled. Cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer in nature, present in lignocellulosic biomass wastes can be extracted and converted to nanometric scale. Nanocellulose (NC) has unique characteristics for the development of new materials: abundance, renewability and biodegradability, mechanical properties and its nanometric dimensions open a wide range of possible properties and applications to be discovered. One of the most promising uses of NC is as reinforcement of mechanical properties in polymeric bionanocomposites. This review aims to give a recent view on this emerging nanomaterial, focusing on lignocellulosic biomass wastes extraction procedures, and its application in new technological developments. The challenges and future opportunities of bionanocomposites reinforced with NC will be discussed, as well as the remaining obstacles to its valorization and use.

Irrigation is an ancient technique in order to guarantee the humidity required for a particular crop. Irrigation brings several benefits and some disadvantages if due care is not taken. It is of fundamental importance to choose the appropriate method of irrigation for each location and situation. Among the four major methods of irrigation - surface, sprinkler, localized and underground - the latter has promising characteristics for use in the semi-arid, such as reducing water consumption. On the other hand, the indiscriminate disposal of PET bottles and textile waste in the environment is a major problem in Brazil. This paper presents preliminary results of a low cost system based on reuse of textile waste and PET bottles for capillarity underground irrigation for family agriculture in the semiarid region, which offers the opportunity to better productive conditions to different regions in need, to contribute to the reuse of waste from the fast-fashion culture that dominates the fashion market today, as well as contribute to the empowerment of families who depend on family farming to survive. A pilot system was constructed at an experimental site in São Raimundo Nonato (PI), coordinates 8 ° 50’13.6 “S 42 ° 46’26.1” W, and has obtained very satisfactory qualitative results in the cultivation of manioc. The Capillary Underwater Irrigation System for Family Agriculture - SISCAFI, as the device was called, has the potential to impact the performance of perennial crops in the semiarid, since it combines complex concepts currently used only in expensive and sophisticated irrigation systems (capillarity, underground irrigation) with ease of construction, operation and maintenance, even in small semi-arid communities. In addition, its construction process is handcrafted, accessible to the population with low education. It reuses waste materials such as textile waste and PET bottles, contributing to the preservation of the environment and the generation of employment and income in the rural environment.

In this work we present a hybrid numerical scheme for the solution of systems of fractional differential equations arising in several fields of engineering. The numerical scheme can deal with both smooth and non-smooth solutions, and, the idea behind the hybrid method is that of approximating the solution as a linear combination of non-polynomial functions in a region near the singularity, and by polynomials in the remaining domain. The numerical method is then used to study fractional RC electrical circuits.

Industries only survive in the modern business world if they are prepared to improve processes whenever it is necessary. Therefore, companies need to adapt and/or modify processes to improve the level of service and reduce needless costs. In this article the logistics problem of planning a ship load operation of a Portuguese cement company is addressed. The objective is to determine the best way to transport the bagged cement from the warehouse to a ship reducing costs and optimizing forklifts operations. A mathematical programming model is proposed showing this methodology as a powerful tool to provide effective support to a more intelligent decision process.

The topic of performance is a recurrent theme in most branches of management, especially regarding concepts and levels of analysis. Nonetheless, only a small part of literature explicitly devotes attention to the causality effects between organizational behavior, business strategies or economic environment and (ex post) firm performance, such as firm size, firm age, social responsibility, ownership structure, market diversification, innovation policies, industry concentration or macroeconomic conditions. Overcoming this empirical gap, this study addresses the performance of SMEs operating in the wholesale of electrical household appliances sector. We also provide first-hand results regarding the relation between innovation, internationalization and Portuguese SME´s business performance. Our results show that family firms have a positive impact on the performance and total debt and crisis have a negative impact on the performance of companies operating in this sector.

Vibrational energy harvesters for powering wearable electronics and other electrical energy demanding devices are among the most used approaches. Devices that use magnetic forces to maintain the central mass in magnetic levitation, aligned with several coils as the emf generating transducer mechanism, are becoming a suitable choice since they do not need the usual spring that typically degrades over time. Modeling such energy harvesters poses different challenges due to the difficulty of getting the nonlinear closed-form expression that would describe the resulting magnetic force of the entire system. In this paper, modeling of the magnetic forces resulting from the system magnets interaction is presented. Results give valuable data about how the best energy harvester should be designed taking into account resonance frequency related to system’s mass and dimensions.

This paper seeks to analyse the impact of barrel oil price variation on the electricity prices. In particular, we analyse the impact of daily variation of barrel oil price on the short-term evolution of the Iberian Electricity Market (MIBEL) hourly prices, for biding optimization purpose, and also for scenario analysis in terms of pricing and strategy. The pursuit for accurate models to predict price movements can help to develop profit-maximizing trading strategies and optimal bidding techniques. In fact, important activities such as bidding strategies rely, nowadays, on price forecast information to improve decision making. For this purpose we make use of a mixed-effects longitudinal model to describe the variability of hourly prices from January 2015 to June 2016, in a total of 13 032 observations. We consider the value of barrel oil price, on the same day and on the previous day, as fixed effects, hour group as random effect and an autoregressive component of order 7 describing the within hour dependence. This analysis is an extension of [1], where the need of exogenous variables incorporation arose when analysing the longitudinal variation of electricity prices, with the purpose of enhance the longitudinal model performance. This study offers evidence that barrel oil price variation must be taken into account for electricity price forecasting, since it affects its variability.

Protecting the environment is at the moment essential for ensuring sustainability for future generations. Climate change and carbon dioxide ($$CO_2$$) emissions are primarily responsible for the process and delivery of the Global Warming. This paper aims to study how the various policies and economies in the world influence $$CO_2$$ emissions. For this purpose, a research was done about which variables were considered in literature. It was concluded that there are references to various aspects such as: use of fossil fuels as a source of energy, renewable energies, energy efficiency, international technological cooperation, population information and several economic factors or development of the country. We use data for the year 2014 available from the World Bank on the various issues under consideration and over 64 countries. A multivariate linear regression was used to study the statistical significance of the variables considered in the $$CO_2$$ emissions of these countries.

The main purpose of the present study is an empirical analysis of the factors influencing debt maturity in the different sectors of activity, using 16 494 non-financial Portuguese and Spanish companies, both listed and unlisted, over a time horizon from 2010 to 2015. Using the fixed effects model, we analyzed the influence of the companies characteristics’ explanatory variables, as well as the influence of the variables of country characteristics. The results show that the companies characteristics are the major drivers in the choice of debt maturity, given the empirical evidence found in all sectors analyzed. Despite this disclosure, only the high rating variable shows a consistent and significant negative influence in all sectors of activity. In the other hand, the characteristic of corporate indebtedness shows a positive and significant influence on debt maturity in most sectors of activity, failing only in the transport sector. Regarding to the countries characteristics, the results point to a weak evidence of the influence on debt maturity, not being possible to find a characteristic that influences equally all the sectors of activity.

The current competitive environment requires greater customer orientation and better business performance to match the clients’ expectations with varied products and profitable sales prices. This has led to Supply Chain Management (SCM) as a source of competitive advantage. However, given the complexity of Supply Chain (SC) planning, optimization based quantitative models emerged as a support for decision-making. This article presents an empirical study with real data of a Portuguese company of the retail sector. In order to contribute with “tailor-for” quantitative models for improving decision-making in the company’s purchasing management, in this paper the industrial challenge and the company are introduced, followed by a preliminary data analysis. This analysis has require for deciding the real instances that will be used on the validation of the quantitative model that will be developed in future.

The topic Cutting & Packing (C & P) has been published in many papers, and its importance within many industrial sectors is undeniable. For these reasons, several studies have been carried out on the optimization of the cutting process in order to improve the utilization of the useful area or the useful length of the raw material. Thus, this work aims to develop a computational tool that resolves the problem of minimizing losses in one-dimensional cuts. This problem is often encountered in industrial processes, where the beginning of the transformation and production of the raw material corresponds to the cutting process. To do so, the cutting problem will be formulated, and the Open Solver supplement will be used to obtain the solution.

Let G be a strongly regular graph with three distinct eigenvalues and A his matrix of adjacency. In this work we associate a three dimensional real Euclidean Jordan algebra V with rank three to A and next we consider a Jordan frame B of idempotents of V. Next we analyse the spectra of a particular convergent Hadamard series of $$A^{2}$$ and establish asymptotic inequalities over the spectra and the parameters of G.

In this paper we consider the power-normal (PN) family of distributions. This family is generated by inverting the Box-Cox [1] power transformation. If Y is a left truncated normal (TN) random variable then the variable $$X=(\lambda Y+1)^{1/\lambda }$$ has a PN distribution with parameters $$\mu $$ and $$\sigma $$. We study the case where $$0<\lambda <1$$. We obtain a formula for the rth ordinary moment of the power normal distribution. We examine the bivariate power normal distribution and we calculate the marginal and conditional distributions. We give a formula for the correlation curve and we provide a numerical illustration.

Globalization is revolutionizing our way of living and the way business companies work. Technology is the reason for it, because it provides solutions that help the workers perform more effectively and efficiently and that allow for better execution. The development of relationships with the customer gives companies a better knowledge and understanding of their needs and leads to new strategies that aim at better results for the customer. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools are taken as important tools for this, since they help analyzing the companies’ Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). In this article we use the case of a shipping company in order to understand how such systems can contribute to such improvement. By analyzing the company’s CRM we suggest an adjustment to the business in order to get a better performance from it.

In many companies in the automotive industry there are challenges in some key processes in their logistic departments, mainly in internal logistics. These challenges happen due to poorly defined rules for the transportation of goods, resulting in a great cost associated with the time lost in the process. Also, the optimization of these processes, incrementing the efficiency of internal logistics can bring competitive advantages to the companies. For that matter, this study was developed at a major tire manufacturing company and proposes a model for the optimization of in-bound logistics, viewed as an online vehicle routing problem with soft deadlines (OVRPSD), using multiple depots. The main goal of this study is the increase of efficiency in logistic, optimizing the number of vehicles to supply the machines in order to reduce the stopping time of machines due to the lack of tires to consume.

The electric sector is still largely dependent on non-renewable energy sources. The importance of using renewable energies is increasingly recognized all across the world yet they are not fully ready to compete with the mature and ancient technologies that use non-renewable energies. The economic characteristics of different energy technologies can be compared by using the method of levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). LCOE represents the total cost of a power plant including investment and operation and maintenance costs over the assumed life-cycle and discounted to account for the time-value of money. In this paper, an analysis of the levelized costs is proposed for two renewable technologies in Portugal: wind power and solar photovoltaic. Firstly, a deterministic value of LCOE was computed for both technologies. Secondly, recognizing the uncertainty associated with all the assumed parameters, a probabilistic risk analysis was conducted with Monte Carlo simulation to complement the analysis. The results show the high variability of the obtained LCOE values, largely influenced by the investment values and load factors.

The processing of baselines with considerable length may not be successful due several problems, for example, the ionospheric and tropospheric delays estimates are not adequate. To reduce this problem, there exists some models to minimize the biases. The first-order ionospheric biases can be reduced by $$98\%$$ taking the combination of $$L_1$$ and $$L_2$$ carrier-phase. The equipment under evaluation uses this solution to the most baselines considered in our work. Still is necessary to reduce the tropospheric bias. An improved and advanced tropospheric bias mitigation strategy is used as alternative to a simpler one. The reduction of bias is verified and quantified using the rate of successful baselines processed by the GPS equipment which uses an improved strategy with a zenith tropospheric scale factor per station. We have built some models by general linear models to evaluate the performance of the equipment. We are aware that 1D and 2D present different behaviors, we analyzed both cases individually with each strategy. In this article, we present partially such analysis for 2D case.

Scheduling has been extensively studied since its correct application and development is a decisive factor in an organization’s success. Its application can be found in several areas of industry. In this work a real case of an automobile sector firm, more specifically the repair shop, is presented. First, a brief literature review is presented in order to gain some sensitivity on the scheduling thematic. Following with a description of the firm, detailing its repair shop, and the statistical analysis of the database provided by the firm. This analysis is intended to understand the firm’s current situation, in particular, the characterization of repairs carried out during the period under analysis. This exploratory analysis serves as the basis for a mathematical model, that will be developed in a future work, in order to support the vehicles repairment scheduling decision.

This paper seeks to demonstrate how engineering can benefit from science and technology studies. It focuses on four key issues: responsibility, sustainability, diversity, and public participation. Science and technology studies encompass a plethora of research concerning the various ways that science and technology relate to society. The main area for discussion is the idea that policy makers and practitioners in general must consider the social and the cultural context, alongside specific science, and technology issues. In other words, society, and culture - which constitute the framework for producing, using and engaging with knowledge - are embedded within the fields of science and technology, in multiple manners. It is therefore fundamental to develop innovation in a sustainable and coherent manner.

This work analyzed the determinants for the success of crowdfunding projects in the Brazilian platform Kickante, using the model proposed by Mourão and Costa (2015). We found that the total raised value per project increases with the number of investors (‘kickantes’) and with the minimum value ensuring the maximum prize in each project. In relation to the percentage of achieved target, it increases with the number of investors; but it reduces in case of projects supported by an informal group, or for projects regarding books, musical editions or music concerts. The value per investor raises with the minimum value invested for the maximum prize and with certain types of promoters (favoring informal groups or firms/companies).

Nowadays, innovation, technology and entrepreneurship have been increasingly valued as generators of wealth, competitiveness and development of contemporary societies, thus composing the political agenda of developed and emerging countries. The objective that guided the development of this work is to analyze the practices of Intellectual Property (IP) management, technology transfer (TT) and entrepreneurship in teaching and research institutions in Brazil and Chile. For that, the Federal University of ABC, located in Brazil, and the University of Chile, in Chile, were selected. In July 2017, interviews were conducted with professionals from the areas of TT, IP, and entrepreneurship in both universities. The results showed that the two institutions face, in a period of maturity and consolidation, some challenges related to the extension of IP management mechanisms, consolidation of partnership practices with business actors, structuring of performance indicators that reflect the intensity of the efforts, results and performance of the actions in technology management and innovation in both universities.

This article presents the results of a study held in a network of firms from the Tourism industry in the cities of Quatro Barras, and Campina Grande do Sul, located in State of Paraná, Brazil. The purpose of the research to identify the best practices of corporate governance that are emergent in this network. The method of investigation was participant observation and document analysis from secondary sources. The analysis technique was the content analysis of field notes from the participant observations and from the collected documents. The level of analysis was sectoral, and the unities of analysis were the managers from the tourism firms. The data analysis provided evidence for the identification of the basic principles of governance applied by the network according to the concepts of disclosure, fairness, accountability, and compliance. It was also noticed that the best practices of corporate governance might be applied to the model of network governance.

Business fairs are strategic tools for companies. However, when studying the Brazilian trade-fair literature, we observed a gap related to the discussion of inter-organizational relationships. This study investigated how business fairs promote the development of relationships and joint actions among exhibitors. Using an exploratory and qualitative approach, this paper focused on Brazilian metal-working companies from two Brazilian states (Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul), which have been exhibitors at trade fairs. The study enabled the identification of a complexity of joint activities and different levels of integration resulting from companies’ participation in these fairs.

The objective of this study is to show aspects related to the entrepreneurship of cultures of Portuguese speaking countries, when compared to cultures of Spanish speaking countries. We investigate the literature on national culture and entrepreneurship and survey the theoretical connections between the national culture and opportunity perception, previous competencies, risk tolerance, society’s perceptions, entrepreneurial intent and job satisfaction. The database on entrepreneurship is based on the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Based on regression analysis, results showed differences between residents in culture of Portuguese and Spanish speaking countries for all variables measured. There is evidence of distinct perceptions between cultures of Portuguese and Spanish speaking countries, which may affect how to manage entrepreneurship in such countries. Finding differences in perceptions among distinct cultures can facilitate the development of assertive public policies for the promotion of entrepreneurship.

With the rise of flexible manufacturing and discussions about economic development models with the recognition that they depend on innovation capacity, this paper assesses the specific relationship between universities and enterprises in the innovation system of the industrial region of Greater ABC, Brazil. What is observed is that, despite the region’s prominence in the country’s industrialization process, relations between universities and companies focused on the transformation of knowledge into technology and innovation have not reached the desired maturity.

Coworking spaces have been growing in Brazil, due to the search for cost reduction, collaborative work, job and income generation. The common space utilizes by companies allow the shared use of resources, ideas and services. The aim of this research was to identify the elements for a Coworking space to create an innovative and entrepreneurial environment conducive to the generation of jobs and income. The research was qualitative phenomenological, with the proposal to describe the experience lived by coworkers in what concerns the identification of the fundamental elements in a space of services that allow innovation and business development. Interviews were conducted with representatives of five coworking spaces and the analyses of research data identified that the spaces of coworking provide the innovation when they offer spaces that allow the collaborative work, thus contributing to the generation of employment and income. The incentive to the coworkers to participate of the events that happen in the coworking space deepens the relationship between them and bring possibilities of solutions to their business.

Micro and small companies are essential for the economy, as they generate employment and income. The cosmetics industry in Brazil has been emphasizing international trade and micro and small companies are looking for other markets to conquer new clients and new partners, but the process for internationalization finds barriers. The focus of this paper is to identify and verify if the barriers are similar for both micro and small entrepreneurial companies. To meet the objective, a research was carried out with 41 micro and 115 small cosmetics companies. The data collection was carried out through a questionnaire, whose results are shown to be the same for micro and small enterprises, as they are: the difficulty to make changes in the products destined to external customers’ demands, exchange rate fluctuations, delay in receiving the payments from commercialization and difficulties in obtaining capital.

In this short reflection are discussed some of the potential effects of destaylorization in the organization and production of social services, taking advantage of the knowledge produced about this process in certain high-end sectors of industrial production. This reflection will be made by analyzing the probable benefits of the adoption in these organizations of non-taylorist logics of conception and organization of work that can substantially improve the quality of the services provided, materializing the conditions of solidarity that enable the effective autonomization of individuals who they turn to. This presupposes a rupture with the logics of organizational functioning that, instead of contradicting the inversion of the trajectories of social marginalization and self-destruction that mark so many times the lives of social service users, reinforce their processes of social segregation. What modalities of conception and work organization can be mobilized by organizations that provide social services that allow the experimentation and validation of socio-therapeutic intervention models capable of preventing and/or counteracting states of poverty, disqualification, and social desfiliation?

Software development represents a growing activity in several emergent or developed economy countries. This study presents the economic trajectory of software development companies and the changes in the geographical distribution of these companies, which occurred in the period from 2007 to 2016 in Brazil. With a documentary research that compared information obtained from governmental and non-governmental organizations, it was possible to accomplish a sectorial analysis of the Brazilian software industry within the period. Starting from the development of this industry in the 1990s, it was observed the continuous growth until 2014, followed by a decline in the growth rate between 2015 and 2016. It is observed a concentration of activity mainly in the Southeast region states, the industry growth in all regions of Brazil, and the increase of the economic share of the South and Northeast regions.

The objective of this work is to explore convergence and divergence between business models of circular and collaborative economies in fashion industry and the benefits to sustainable development. The methodological approach is exploratory through bibliographic review and case study of two business models. The first, Rent the Runway, makes use of the Services and Products System (PSS), being a circular model using eco-efficient services with the potential to replicate and to compete with the ‘fast-fashion’ industry. The case study was done using data from Rent the Runway website. The second, Wardrobe, a P2P platform whose study was conducted with personal information with the company co-founder Germanno Teles. Wardrobe business models have a high potential for scalability, as they can be replicated anywhere, have no physical inventory, as users own their clothes. Thus, circular economy is considered to be holistic and adaptive, representing an evolution of the linear economy through the perception and need of a new sustainable strategy in response to the environmental degradation caused by the traditional linear economy. Collaborative economy can be considered an environmentally sustainable socio-economic system, built through the use of digital networks to connect and share goods and products, as well as human, financial and physical capital.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is recognized by many economic actors, and particularly by the State as a relevant factor of economic growth. One aspect that supports this statement is that, for these investments, there is a technology transfer between countries that promotes increased productivity at the microeconomic level and generates a “competitiveness shock” for local businesses. From the internationalization process of capitalist economies since the 80s and 90s, new opportunities for exchange (and markets for achievements) of the operations of Transnational Corporations (TNC) through FDI have been intensified. The technological transfers were carried out by horizontal and vertical FDI, with both positive and negative aspects in this process. The major problem in this research will be the identification of these significant positive and negative aspects of FDI under the flows operated by TNC. To this end, the literature points to the transfer of technology to the recipient economies and to the role of government policy. It is done through a literature review and descriptive research.

Everything that is produced through the natural and social resources of a given region or place comes to represent its material culture and population behaviours. The present work intends to highlight the importance of a regional sustainable development based on local natural resources and skills, exposing, in a bibliographical research, the point of view of several authors on regional innovation or entrepreneurship initiatives, with applicability in regions of low growth, highlighting the important role of cooperativism and inclusion or even a time that shows culture. At the end of it, it is intended to understand if social design and its benefits can be synonymous of innovation and regional value, greater visibility, identity, economic growth and a way to create new products with a view to the global market.

The purpose of this research consists of exploring the extent to which the behavior of promoters or fundraisers - explaining the success of offline fundraising campaigns for charitable causes - may influence as well the success of donation-based crowdfunding (DCF) campaigns promoted through digital platforms. First, the literature on the influence of the promoter behavior on the success of offline fundraising campaigns for charitable causes is reviewed. Second, hypotheses are proposed linking the determinants identified in the literature to DCF campaigns. Thirdly, their explanatory capacity is measured through quantitative analysis based upon a database of 360 campaigns fostered by nonprofits via Microdonaciones, a donation-based crowdfunding digital platform, for the period 2012–2017. Logistic regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses proposed. Results confirm in the light of the promoters behavior, that fundraising campaigns fostered by nonprofits organizations for charitable causes behave similarly offline and online.

This paper explores the role of Circular Economy (CE) in the hospitality industry, namely in hotels and restaurants. Today’s hospitality consumers have become more ecologically conscious than ever before, and the demand for eco-friendly products and services has grown. This has imposed many hospitality companies into the adoption of Green Practices (GP) and Circular Economy (CE) principles. In particular, CE has been gaining popularity among governments and academia. However, current research shows that CE principles are being mainly discussed and applied in production and manufacturing. The application of CE principles into services, particularly in the hospitality industry, seem to receive little attention. The paper presents the CE concept and discusses it from the perspectives of both companies and consumers and debates the adoption of green practices by the hospitality industry. Our findings indicated that the consumer awareness of sustainable issues has a direct impact on companies’ adoption of CE and GP practices. The paper also identifies that green practices are gaining increased attention in the hospitality industry, and that a wide variety of green practices are already being adopted. However, the role of CE in hospitality industry appears to be uncovered by current research and obscured in green practices. The paper, therefore, identifies a research gap and calls for further investigation in the application of CE in the hospitality industry.

The main goal of this study is to analyse the influence of intangible resources and absorptive capabilities on export performance, considering the mediating effect of innovation. Based on survey data from 247 Portuguese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) findings suggest that: (1) Intangible resources has a positive influence on absorptive capabilities, innovation and on export performance; (2) Absorptive capabilities has a positive influence on innovation and on export performance; (3) Innovation has a positive influence on export performance; and (4) Innovation has a mediating effect on the relationship between intangible resources and export performance, the same does happens on the relationship between absorptive capabilities and export performance. This study provides novel insights into strategic management literature by trying to understand the SMEs business growth. Moreover, this paper presents further evidences of the strategies that small firm managers should pursue and policy makers should promote.

The paper analyzes the innovative strategies on the graphic design developed for external media in São Paulo city which promote dialogues between architecture, graphic design and the installation language, a concept proper to the visual arts field. For the analysis, two examples of installation in public spaces are shown: the artistic installation “Chromatic Program” developed by the artist Amelia Toledo for the passageway of Arcoverde Underground Station at Rio de Janeiro in 1998, and an external media installation designed for the Secretariat of Tourism, Sports and Entertainment of Pernambuco to improve this northeast province tourism, that was located at the Angelica Avenue Underground Station passageway in December 2017. Using a comparison methodology based on artistic installation concepts, we verify a close relationship between the artistic and the external media installation strategies which enhance the understanding of contemporary graphic design acting in urban landscapes.

Tourism is one of the activities of great relevance on a global scale; with an increasing and fierce competition, needing to attract national and international tourists to maintain its distinctive position. Being considered as the Portuguese economy’s booster, and as a strong strategic activity for the future development of the country it is required to verify if: the agglomeration of tourism companies, the continuous investment on the qualification of human resources and the inherited and complementary resources influence the decision of the internationalization of the Portuguese hotels. The multivariate linear regression (MLR) analysis carried out for the Portuguese context, using a database of 2015, concludes that the agglomeration is statistically significant, whereas only some endogenous and knowledge resources are statistically significant for the internationalization of the sector.

This paper approaches the permanent struggle that less favoured regions must deal with regarding economic opportunities, job creation, income and regional production increase. Since an increased demand for nature and protected areas is taking place in a more and more urban society, some innovation potential is emerging. The study we have developed is focused on sustainable tourism practices in a specific natural area (Malcata Mountain Reserve), using electric mobility, which is known for its zero emission, no polluting and noise-free travelling. The broader study is carried out under the Interreg Funding Program in the Moveletur Project. Our aims are to promote a model of sustainable and clean tourism for visitors of natural areas, to create a network of green tourism itineraries connecting sites of natural and/or cultural value using electric vehicles and to empower tourism sector entrepreneurs with a new added-value service for their activity. Joint work with other natural areas is required to increase results. After the project is finished (by the end of 2018) there will be an improved knowledge about natural and cultural values that natural areas hold and that can be used for visitors’ enjoyment. There will be a more respectful way of ‘doing tourism’ in natural areas and hopefully it will address employment creation and improved territorial competitiveness. Finally, tourism experiences will have more quality and the project will promote smart villages’ further development by using technological components.

With the increase of global competitiveness, the countries that reach a better economic situation tends to attract a network of international cooperation resulting from foreign direct investment. In this regard, China has achieved high level of attractiveness. As a partner of Brazil in a strategic sector such as energy, China has been acting in a way that has a relevant flow of exchange among countries. Energy is an important productive input and an item of great importance in household consumption. To guarantee adequate amount of energy for consumption requires strategic partnerships to ensure the energy security. Through a bibliographic analysis and based on secondary data, one can infer the range of opportunities offered by this partnership, from the process of merger and acquisition of companies to the perspective of job and income generation.

This article aimed to compare the micro and small companies in the agricultural equipment sector with regard to the factors that impact on the decision making of the internationalization of the companies in the segment. The objective was to identify the different reasons that led companies to undertake the process of internationalization of the agricultural machinery and equipment sector. A non-probabilistic descriptive and quantitative survey was used. The work was based on the Uppsala model, the reasons and the critical factors that lead to the decision to export from the authors Moreira [1] and Lirani [2]. From a questionnaire applied to 159 companies in the industry sector, it was possible to identify the reasons that most impact the decision-making process of internationalization. For micro-enterprises, the reasons were knowledge of the market, the need for business expansion, conditions for internationalization and support for internationalization. Already for the small companies the reasons that led to the internationalization were different: company strategies, support for the internationalization process and conditions of the internal market.

This study aims to explore how can a Smart Specialisation Strategy contribute to the local economic growth. Through 10 case studies: the Atlantic UNESCO Global Geoparks, with primary and secondary data collected from this Geoparks, it is possible to suggest the existence of positive impacts caused by the smart specialisation on this concept and approach, suggesting the interest in their promotion. The results of geotourism activities impact at different levels, but they increase, in particular, the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the emerging concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems, reviewing definitions of ecosystems found within the academic literature. In addition, the concept of technological incubators is also examined. Finally, the paper shows the case of IT (Technological Incubator) UFABC (Federal University of ABC), an initiative developed at Federal University of ABC in Brazil and concludes discussing the challenges and perspective for the region of ABC, an important industrial neighborhood, which is part of the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo, the main city of the country.

This article focuses on the study of micro and small cosmetic companies in the state of São Paulo, due to the representativeness that these companies have in the exports of their products. The objective is to identify the elements that stand out in the decision-making process for the internationalization of its business from the export of its products. Behavioral Theory was used as the internationalization model of McDougall [1]. Based on the research, it was identified that the elements that stand out most in decision making for micro companies are the need for business expansion due to the saturation of the domestic market and the competition, whereas for small companies the highlight is in strategic factors for business maintenance and suggestions from suppliers, customers and consultants.

Currently, the pressure to internationalize is big. Selling outside the domestic market is a relevant goal for many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Being the decision makers’ attitudes and preferences the center of the internationalization activities of SMEs, understanding how the management team’s cognitive system and organizational ambidexterity determine the speed of internationalization, is particularly important. We propose, therefore, to contribute to a better understanding of the factors that influence the speed of internationalization of SMEs.

Business incubators present themselves as an alternative to small and medium-sized enterprises, as they provide basic support for the assistance of these enterprises during their initial period of activities. This study has as its main objective to analyze the role of a technological incubator in the formation process of incubated companies. In order to do that, an exploratory case study of qualitative approach was carried out through semi-structured interviews with four incubated companies formed with the coordination of the analyzed incubator. The results show that the incubator has a central role in the development of enterprises and small businesses in their initial phase, besides it contributing to the regional development.

Venture capital is an important source of fundraising for technology based-firms by providing temporary financial and management support in exchanges for equity. In Brazil, the venture capital market is under explored compared to mature ecosystems, resulting in restriction of risk investments. The contribution of this research is the better understanding of the difficulties of the relation between venture capital managers and entrepreneurs of biotech companies in Brazil. This can help to improve the relationship between these ones and, consequently, to benefit the future development of the biotech sector in habitats like the one studied. The method includes a collection of primary data through interviews with venture capital managers. It was concluded that the difficulties are present in the venture capital activities of fundraising and investments, that are influenced by the limited culture of venture capital investments in Brazil and the economic variables, as the interest rate, by its impact in the investors cost of capital. Also, was identified that, among several criteria investigated, the team characteristics was the one of greater value for most of the venture capital fund managers analyzed.

Recognizing the newness of the research on topics related to the level of cash holdings held by firms in emerging economies, this study has as main aim to present an empirical evidence on the determinants/factors, which explain the cash ratio presented by Brazilian listed non-financial firms in 2016. With the support of a theoretical framework based on the arguments of the Trade-off Theory and Pecking Order Theory, the determinants to be considered in the study were established. Using a sample of 164 firms, the results from the multiple linear regression show that the liquid assets substituting for cash holdings and the level of leverage lead to lower cash ratios. Contrary to expectations, larger firms have larger cash holdings, emphasizing a positive relationship between the variables. Both Pecking Order Theory and Trade-off Theory are relevant for explaining the decisions regarding cash holdings, having the first major relevance. The study does not present evidence in favor of the precautionary motive, which it has strong implications for the literature on cash holdings.

This study explicitly examines the relation between financing decisions, innovation and internationalization in the case of Portuguese small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) from the manufacturing sector in a period of financial crisis (between 2010 and 2016). Using a panel data analysis (Fixed effects model) with a sample of 1768 firms, this study tests the determinants of the Pecking Order Theory (POT) in comparison with Agency Cost Theory (ACT) and the Trade-Off Theory (TOT) This study provides first-hand results regarding the relation between both innovation and internationalization with SMEs debt financing. Results broadly support the POT but results show no significance of Internationalization to the econometric model. Innovative practices are positively related with debt.

This study seeks to fill a gap in market orientation literature about the hotel industry and deals with the construction of a market orientation scale tailored based on a sample obtained from the hotel industry in a multicultural context. The proposed model has three dimensions: intelligence generation, intelligence dissemination and coordinated response to the client, competition and market structure domains. Research results indicate that the scale has good psychometric indicators. Content validity was assessed by questioning a group of marketing experts across Western Europe. Working data indicates that the proposed model holds convergent and discriminant validity as well reliability.

This study intends to explain the entrepreneurial intention using a multivariate model. The purpose is to generate a more complete explanatory model that can describe the entrepreneurial intentions. It was applied a questionnaire to the 40 master students who attended the curricular unit Entrepreneurship in the 2016/2017 school year. The results show that personal background (gender and attendance of an entrepreneurship course), business knowledge (involvement in patenting activities and protection of intellectual property, possess analytical skills and possess the ability to think critically), entrepreneurial motivations (satisfy a market need and create something for oneself), and the institutional environment (knowledge of IPCA structures support to entrepreneurship) contribute for entrepreneurial intentions of master students. These results are then discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications for entrepreneurship.

The objective was to evaluate the perception of consumers in the purchase process on the attributes considered responsible for the attractiveness of retail cluster. In this sense, a quantitative research was done in which 240 consumers were surveyed in two different retail clusters. The proposed model used the modeling of structural equations based on the partial least squares and the results indicate that the customer service was the most important variable. On the other hand, there was low value for the location, which is usually considered one of the most important factors of the retail mix. Thus, it can be concluded that if there is a retail cluster in which we have good service, prices, conditions of purchase and reliable stores, its location can be made in any region that will result in a strong attractiveness for consumers.

MECHATREC cluster has been designed, built and developed in Romania since 2008 as a value-added growth vector in the Bucharest-Ilfov Region and as an integrating vector of strategic innovation in Romania, based on effective collaboration protocols with over 15 clusters, 6 regional development agencies (ADR) and 7 chambers of commerce and industry in Romania and by extension to the European Union based on strategic collaboration protocols with over 12 clusters from EU countries.

The article deals with the description and utilization of a biaxial mechanical educational system for familiarization of observation and weapons systems control techniques. Its application in education is divided into three sections. The first part deals with the model design and kinematic/dynamic analysis of the whole mechanical structure. A mathematical model is simplified into a form that still reflects the dynamics of the real system. The next part solves an influence of mechanical and regulation part, using a physical model for its simulation. Each degree of freedom can be separated and has its own simulation model. The last part applies measurement results from the real educational system which, besides adjusting a feedback control, also includes a possibility of mechanical system parameterization. These data are compared with simulation results. The similarity between the real system and the physical model is demonstrated in the final comparison.

The paper describes usage of real-time scale-models in the process of education in the field of Automatic Control at Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic. It presents both hardware and software solutions utilized in the presented laboratory together with some typical tasks for students related to a selected process. Teacher’s experiences and students’ feedback from a regular course in this lab are also given, as well as some future plans. Consequently, this work can serve as an inspiration for other similarly-oriented departments.

Entrepreneurship relevance is recognized and the governments investments are visible through the startup programs volume that have been arising all over the world. Universities can promote the entrepreneurial spirit and help to develop entrepreneurship skills in their engineering students. This could increase engineering students intentions to create their own business or to be intrapreneurs in the employee companies, helping the development of their future careers. This work is the result of the first intervention of the authors on engineering schools. A survey was distributed to engineerings students and young professionals in order to analyse their entrepreneurship perspectives. Early findings show that students should learn more about entrepreneurship, however, opposing results were obtained related with how these issues should be addressed in an engineering course. This on going work covers important topics that need a more detailed analysis.

The present paper addresses the use of numerical control (CNC) control equipment to support the training of professionals for industry in Portugal. The typical architecture of these equipment is approached, possible strategies of resources optimization is presented considering the design of low cost equipment, as didactic resource for training. Also the importance of this approach for learning operation, maintenance and design of industrial CNC machine tools is emphasized, and the work being done at the University of Minho is around this subject is depicted.

Project and team management play a major role in the student team’s project performance. This is more evident when projects last a long time and the teams are large. In this work, a student team accepted to use SCRUM as their project management methodology during their Project Based Learning (PjBL) experience. This PjBL experience took place on the 7th semester of the Integrated Master in Industrial Engineering and Management degree. The team had a short period of time to train the technique and apply it throughout the entire semester. Although not very enthusiastic in the beginning of the project, the team gradually became aware of the advantages of SCRUM features, recognizing the feeling of having the project under control and gaining management effectiveness throughout the semester. In the end, the team performed well above the average, being one of the two teams with the highest score of the class.

Higher Education Institutions are now preparing students for a globalized working area where they must be prepared for communicating effectively in a foreign language. Considering CLIL is an approach that integrates the teaching and learning of a content subject and a language at the same time and that engineering students respond well to this methodology, a task sequence in a Moodle platform is presented in this paper. The perspectives of a language teacher and a content lecturer are offered. A task sequence, being the result of a three year integrated collaborative approach between a language teacher and a content teacher, was tested in an Electro technical Engineering course. The preferred methodology was blended learning, as face-to-face classes and online digital Moodle platform were used.

The attention of Civil Engineering is currently oriented to the methodology Building Information Modelling (BIM), a new concept that is based on recent scientific advances concerning the ability of computer systems to store, manage and manipulate large amounts of information, and established as the big breakthrough in the construction industry. Being the school the main actor in the formation of new engineers, it has the mission to offer disciplines or training workshops to prepare students for the professional activity, giving the knowledge concerning the current most advanced computer technology. In the context of implementing BIM, the future engineer should acquire the ability to apply basic BIM tools in different domains and recognize the advantages in developing collaborative projects provided by BIM platforms. In Portugal, the involvement in terms of design offices and construction companies, have been growing and as so this interest the Construction industry is an incentive that justifies the inclusion of BIM within the curriculum of the Master Course of Civil Engineering.

This article aims to present the Project Education and Entrepreneurial Attitude of a Brazilian University, the focus of the project is to stimulate education and entrepreneurial attitude, initially, of the students of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), aiming to develop a foundation for the creation of a University Entrepreneur (UE). The first stage of the research, called informal research, identified teachers who, in the students’ opinion, develop singular activities in the classroom. For the quantitative approach two validated questionnaires were applied. The results show actions carried out through the project. The project has already included more than 8 mil students, distributed in 116 UFSM undergraduate courses. To date, 19 Entrepreneurial Attitude courses have been created in courses not geared to the business world.

The present article reflects on the role of the educational system in the (re) production of social inequalities, a phenomenon that has been the object of a large scientific production by the social sciences, in particular by the sociology of education. Our observation, as social professionals, of the interactions between teachers and students in a school context, leads us to recognize in situ the phenomenon of school elimination that Bourdieu [1] called “the excluded from the inside”. This observation allows us to verify how and how much the school institution can contribute to generate a rise of completely unrealistic expectations, in the precise measure in which it refuses to invest seriously in the learnings of the students that it certifies. We refer in particular to those students who are less equipped to appropriate the curricular knowledge that it conveys. This short reflection highlights some pedagogical practices dominant in the school that tend to reproduce the (unequal) order that marks the access to school certification. At the same time, it also points out ways of improving the modalities of teaching, according the theories about teaching through problems and competences [2–5, 8].

The IdeaLab is a laboratory for accelerating business ideas. It results from a pioneering initiative in Portuguese universities, which started in 2009. So far, there have been 17 editions, in which 255 ideas from 570 entrepreneurs have been developed. Of these ideas, more than forty have materialized into companies. The IdeaLab enables participants to (1) enhance the business potential of their ideas and (2) develop their entrepreneurial skills. A team of trainers/consultants ensures thematic workshops, coaching, networking and pre-incubation. The promoters are offered methodologies and tools to improve the design of innovative products, services and businesses. In this article, the IdeaLab is analyzed and discussed, as a catalyst of the process of turning knowledge (technology-based and other) into a product/service and/or sustainable businesses. Based on the analysis of the 17 editions, the results presented highlight the relationship between the promoters’ background and profiles and the type of ideas. Their potential to materialize into effective companies is also analyzed.

In the 2015/2016 academic year, Portugal’s General Directorate of Education launched the pilot project IP1 – Beginners Programming in Primary School, addressing the goal that students learn to program and with this experience develop cognitive and social skills.Programming is becoming popular in different levels of school in many countries due to its numerous advantages such as the development of competences for problem solving, divergent ways of thinking, creativity, communication and group work.The work presented here is an initial work, implemented within the frame of a doctoral degree project that describes a program of 21 fifty-minute sessions’, using Scratch tools, designed to develop the computational thinking of students in the third year of primary school. This paper also describes the instruments that will be built to evaluate the program’s effectiveness.This program can be a pedagogical reference for implementation of project IP1 in other primary schools. Final considerations will be raised about future steps.