Higher education institutions and, particularly, polytechnic institutes in Portugal are, generally speaking, recognized as the key stakeholders in regional development. However, due to the economic recession of recent years and the consequent budget constraints, higher education institutions more than ever need to demonstrate the social and cultural impact of their activities within their communities and their contribution to its economic development. The aim of this paper is to estimate the economic impact of a group of polytechnic institutes located in regions with diverse socio-economic characteristics using a common methodology. This common framework enables a comparative study and a better identification of the variables that differentiate the different regions, the respective polytechnics and their impacts.

Measuring the innovative performance of European Union (EU) is vital to assist in defining public policies that can contribute to stimulate innovation. This study aims to examine the socio-economic factors that contribute to the EU innovative performance. In order to validate the research, the empirical study uses two linear regressions, considering as dependent variables, respectively, the patents required and the percentage of innovative sales, with the objective of identifying the factors that most influence innovation outputs. This study concludes that the most important variables for innovative performance (measured as number of patents) are private R&D, percentage of innovative firms and public R&D. Additionally, the results can provide important clues to support the definition of public policies that can stimulate innovation.

Innovation today is an important means for firms to achieve competitive advantage, but few firms recognise the importance of cooperation in developing innovative processes. This paper is a study of cooperation in innovation in southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, Greece and Italy) and analyses how R&D, incoming spillovers, public support, appropriability of innovation, financial constraints on innovation, firm size and sector can contribute to cooperative behaviour in firms. The literature review demonstrates that cooperation encompasses sharing R&D costs and risks, reducing duplication spillovers, internalisation and introducing other benefits. This paper uses Community Innovation Survey (CIS 4) micro-data for the four southern European countries in question and applies a logistic regression in order to study cooperative behaviour in innovation. We believe that the results relative to these countries will provide important clues as to different arrangements of cooperation between firms and will highlight innovation patterns between them.

The main objective of this study is to analyze scientific production from 2010 to 2021 using bibliometric analysis based on articles on social networks, stakeholders, and sea tourism published in scientific journals. In the first phase, the search criteria were chosen. In the second phase, the search was done on WoS and Scopus databases. In the third phase, papers unrelated to our study’s subject were excluded. The resulting data from the selection and exclusion criteria were compiled in the fourth phase. In the fifth phase, the data was coded using the NVIVO software, and finally, in the sixth phase, the results were analyzed. The study’s results suggest that the research related to social networks, stakeholders, and governance in tourism, particularly in sea tourism, remains an underdeveloped field. Notwithstanding, results suggest that social networks and stakeholder cooperation contribute to local sea tourism development. Considering that STEs are closely linked to local communities, this study’s findings can provide clues on future research on tourism development, public policies to support STEs, cooperation for co-creation, and information and tourism resource sharing.

Pull factors, the attributes of a specific location, matter in tourism. These factors encompass the distinctive characteristics and alluring features that attract tourists to a destination, their importance and performance influencing the decision-making process and overall experience. A clear comprehension of this concept is crucial for destinations' economic vitality as they compete for tourists and strive for economic expansion and employment prospects. Indeed, an in-depth knowledge of these factors' importance and performance underscores the need for regions to adjust their approach to evolving tourist preferences. This adaptation is crucial to fostering responsible and sustainable tourism practices that safeguard cultural and natural resources. However, besides learning about the factors considered critical by tourists to visit a location, it is paramount to analyse how they evaluate the performance of each of these factors while staying there.This study focuses on the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA), Portugal, and the findings will provide essential insights into destination competitiveness, sustainable tourism development, and the creation of unique travel experiences. As a destination that gained popularity, attracting tourists from all over the world, it is necessary to comprehend the specific factors that contribute to this vibrant region's allure and how it performs regarding them. The research will use the Importance-Performance Analysis to make data interpretation accessible and suggest relevant measures to improve competitiveness based on optimising the allocation of resources among the various factors/attributes analysed. The research incorporates numerous criteria categories, including historical significance, urban appeal, natural scenery, culinary experiences, cultural heritage, and aspects like streets' cleanliness, transport availability, or health emergency infrastructures. The study's conclusions will impact Lisbon region's (LMA) tourism and destination management. By understanding what factors are more important for tourists that visit the area and their evaluation of the performance of each of these factors, stakeholders can improve marketing, infrastructure, and the visitors' experience to promote sustainable development and maintain Lisbon's standing as a top tourist destination for rewarding and enlightening experiences. Relevant data is also provided to inform future tourism initiatives. This study adds to the academic discussion of location competitiveness and unique travel experiences.