Abstract Over the last few decades, there has been a trend to build innovation platforms as enablers for groups of companies to jointly develop new products and services. As a result, the notion of co-innovation is getting wider acceptance. However, a critical issue that is still open, despite some efforts in this area, is the lack of tools and models that explain the synergies created in a co-innovation process. In this context, the present paper aims at discussing the advantages of applying a system thinking approach to understand the mechanisms associated with co-innovation processes. Finally, based on experimental results from a Portuguese co-innovation network, a discussion on the benefits, challenges and difficulties found are presented and discussed.
The pandemic of covid-19 has created the backdrop for a significant change in academic time and, in particular, learning time. This short work in progress paper focuses on the results of a study involving a survey, open interviews with teachers and students and a meeting with students' representatives at one university addressing student's feelings concerning time management throughout Covid 19. The preliminary results suggest that students are more prone to accept the hybrid model, however pointing out some important questions, especially regarding gender issues. The paper concludes with some recommendations for the university to address students' time management in gender equality plans, at different levels.
Universities are the main knowledge-producing institutions, combining learning and research activities. Companies, in turn, play a role in the application of knowledge. In between, we find university–industry collaborations assuming various forms and stretching across different areas. One of the areas in which this cooperation takes place is doctoral education. The aim of this article is to discuss the role played by doctoral students, through their research, in the enhancement of university–industry collaborations, as they can be a vehicle of connection between academia and companies, but also because they can positively influence knowledge transfer and knowledge sharing. The discussion is framed by public policy initiatives formally promoting relationships between universities and companies in Portugal. We analyse the factors that contribute to make doctoral students important actors in creating and strengthening the cooperation between universities and companies and assess how their role varies between the scientific and economic environments. Our analysis is based on a survey conducted with doctoral programme directors in Portugal during the 2016/2017 academic year. From the main findings of the research, we highlight that doctoral students' research is a central element in university–industry collaboration, including in knowledge transfer, and that the more diverse the role of universities and companies, the more heterogeneous and important is the role of doctoral students.