The societal disturbance created by the rapid outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the entire globe, profoundly affecting all levels of education. The challenge presented by COVID-19 is broad, rapidly evolving, and complex; it threatens everyone’s well-being, the global economy, the environment, and all societal and cultural standards and our daily activities. Throughout the Coronavirus outbreak and any future lockdowns, it is crucial that the needs of students be ultimately and regularly met and that they are supported effectively. We intend to address skill shortages and mismatches, particularly regarding the readiness to teach in an online environment that encourages flexible and innovative learning. The main contribution of this paper is addressing this subject with an integrated vision of three different players in higher education: students, teachers and librarians. Using the Technology Adoption Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), a conceptual model was developed to explain both the behavior and intentions of users when using e-learning systems. Among Portuguese students, 91% of e-learning satisfaction can be attributed to perceived usefulness, actual use, and personal considerations. For educators, satisfaction appears to be mostly dependent on perceived usefulness and usability, while librarians’ satisfaction is negatively dependent on technological factors. Students’ actual use of technology is 89% dependent on organizational and technological variables. However, the actual use by teachers appears to be primarily dependent on personal and technological factors. Similarly, 91% of the variability of the use of e-learning tools by librarians can be explained by organizational, personal and technological factors, with the personal factors having a negative impact on the actual use.

O presente artigo tem como objetivo a análise das fontes de financiamento à inovação mais importantes, às quais a Polónia apresenta atualmente acesso. É igualmente pretendida, uma abordagem dos obstáculos que o país em estudo enfrenta para se tornar uma economia mais inovadora. Como é amplamente aceite, a inovação é uma atividade fulcral para o desenvolvimento económico de qualquer país e para manter a competitividade no mundo atual. Contudo, na União Europeia existem países que, apesar do seu desenvolvimento global, apresentam índices de inovação abaixo da média da União Europeia.

Digital influencers can reach multiple consumers through their platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. In this sense, the objective of our study is to explore Influence Marketing in Portugal in the cosmetic industry and the way digital influencers can have an impact on the behavior of portuguese consumers. To explore the benefits of using digital influencers as a marketing tool, the mode of action and the impact on consumer behavior, we resort to the use of qualitative methodology. In this sense, our study consists of a case study, namely, the case of Nyx Cosmetic. The use of “digital influencers” as a marketing tool has shown a positive impact on consumer behavior due to its influence on followers, which is also seen in the Portuguese cosmetic market. Due to the continuous increase of users of Portuguese social networks, brands must have a strong online presence to create an impact on their current and potential consumers. Keyword: Cosmetics; Digital Influencers; Marketing; NYX Cosmetic.

Purposes: In the present study, the concepts inherent to Industry 4.0 and Mittelstand will be initially defined in a clear way, for a better understanding of the context under analysis. Afterwards, the current situation of Industry 4.0 in the German SME sector will be evaluated, presenting as results the respective inherent challenges and opportunities. In this follow-up, the research will conclude whether the concept of Industry 4.0 can represent a key success factor for the SME sector in Germany. Methodology: The data analysis in the present research are based on a bibliographic review and an analysis of statistical data, seeking to represent a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Results: The challenges analyzed and discussed may be a possible justification for a slow reversal of traditional production processes for Industry 4.0. However, the numerous opportunities and their high implementation potential are preponderant for the adoption of the 4.0 industry in the production processes of the future. Conclusions: This research shows that currently, there is still a high percentage of companies in the German SME sector that have not implemented Industry 4.0. However, the opportunities presented throughout the study, overcome the possible challenges posed in this context, as Industry 4.0 can considerably increase the profitability and efficiency of production as well as the overall competitiveness of the organization. Keywords: digitization; industry 4.0; mittelstand; SME.