Recent developments in automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are leading to a wave of innovation in organizational design and changes in the workplace. Techno-optimists even named it the "second machine age," arguing that it now involves the substitution of the human brain. Other authors see this as just a continuation of previous ICT developments. Potentially, automation and AI can have significant technical, economic, and social implications in firms. This paper will answer the following question: What are the implications on industrial productivity and employment in the automotive sector with the recent automation trends, including AI, in Portugal? Our approach used mixed methods to conduct statistical analyses of relevant databases and interviews with experts on R&D projects related to automation and AI implementation. Results suggest that automation can have widespread adoption in the short term in the automotive sector, but AI technologies will take more time to be adopted. The findings show that adoption of automation and AI increases productivity in firms and is dephased in time with employment implications. Investments in automation are not substituting operators but rather changing work organization. Thus, negative effects of technology and unemployment were not substantiated by our results.
UID/SOC/04647/2013 SFRH/BD/76200/2011 ; There is a lack of research on indicators in TA studies. But, there are several reasons supporting the need to address this omission: indicators are cornerstones of many TA studies, revealing the scope and quality of the problem addressed. They are not normatively neutral instruments for analysing problems, but they can frame problems and strategies for the solution of problems. They need to be transparent and thoughtfully selected to open alternatives and prevent unintended controversies; they require substantial refection because conditions for their use may change significantly, and finally they can provide valid insights for TA about the policy process. Furthermore, this paper offers a heuristic model for analyzing knowledge production within TA studies. This is done to improve the analysis of complex problems and structuring options for democratic decision-making. The model proposes a detailed explanation of the complete selection of indicators using transparent criteria and analysing the observables used or the ones which should be used or the ones not yet known. Finally, this paper provides insights into the discussion of the panel organized while addressing the question as to how we can acquire deeper and more comprehensive knowledge leading TA professionals to reflect on options in their studies. ; publishersversion ; published
This paper was first presented at the 2012 – EU SPRI Conference "Towards Transformative Governance? - Responses to mission-oriented innovation policy paradigms", Fraunhofer ISI, June 2012, Karlsruhe ; In this paper we reflect upon how policy-makers look for, interpret and use evidence for reflection and policy development. We propose an exploratory framework that sets out two of the elements necessary to a conceptualization of what may explain the way in which evidence and indicators are used in STI policy development: the type of evaluative approach and the styles of governance.
The objective of the paper is to help to understand recent changes in the structure of R&D activities, by analyzing data on the expenditure of the business sector in research and development (R&D). The results are framed in an international context, through comparison with indicators from the most developed countries, divided by technological intensity and economic activity. The study reveals that the indicators of Portuguese R&D expenditure in the business sector are closely linked both to fiscal policy and to high foreign direct investment in knowledge-intensive industries. It also links these indicators to phenomena such as the abundance of skilled labor in pharmaceutical industries and the government intervention in some sectors of the economy (namely health and rail transportation).
Working on digital platforms is a new form of work that, in Portugal, has not yet defined a regulated model of labour relations. This article analyses the worker profiles of various digital work platforms and their collective representation in Portugal. The diversity found in the case studies of worker profiles from each platform explains, in part, the lack of interest of labour movements in representing them. The type of tasks and the workplace contributes to the lack of interest in the search for collective representatives and demonstrates the (mis)alignments that occurred between workers and possible representatives. There is also potential for other alignments between the interests of different workers, trade union movements and associations of alternative representation
This report contains a summary of the fieldwork from Portugal. The work consisted in 6 preliminary interviews to experts and virtual workers and 19 semi-structured interviews of up to 60 minutes with social partners. These interviews were conducted in the period of June 2018 to June 2019. The report is structured around three main headings that reflect the different fieldwork activities: peak-level social partners interviews, sectoral social partners interviews and mini-case studies. The latter two were subdivided into the tree sectors under analysis: ICT, financial and healthcare. ; publishersversion ; published
There are thousands of indicators produced to understand and govern our societies. Studies about the way indicators are used in technological innovation are significantly rare, despite the centrality of these decisions to promote growth in our technology-intensive civilization. This book presents what is known and what was discovered in a doctoral research, which analysed innovative business leaders, policymakers and public researchers responsible for technological ...
This work presents research conducted to understand the role of indicators in decisions of technology innovation. A gap was detected in the literature of innovation and technology assessment about the use and influence of indicators in this type of decision. It was important to address this gap because indicators are often frequent elements of innovation and technology assessment studies. The research was designed to determine the extent of the use and influence of indicators in decisions of technology innovation, to characterize the role of indicators in these decisions, and to understand how indicators are used in these decisions. The latter involved the test of four possible explanatory factors: the type and phase of decision, and the context and process of construction of evidence. Furthermore, it focused on three Portuguese innovation groups: public researchers, business R&D&I leaders and policymakers. The research used a combination of methods to collect quantitative and qualitative information, such as surveys, case studies and social network analysis. This research concluded that the use of indicators is different from their influence in decisions of technology innovation. In fact, there is a high use of indicators in these decisions, but lower and differentiated differences in their influence in each innovation group. This suggests that political-behavioural methods are also involved in the decisions to different degrees. The main social influences in the decisions came mostly from hierarchies, knowledge-based contacts and users. Furthermore, the research established that indicators played mostly symbolic roles in decisions of policymakers and business R&D&I leaders, although their role with researchers was more differentiated. Indicators were also described as helpful instruments to conduct a reasonable interpretation of data and to balance options in innovation and technology assessments studies, in particular when contextualised, described in detail and with discussion upon the options made. Results suggest that there are four main explanatory factors for the role of indicators in these decisions: First, the type of decision appears to be a factor to consider when explaining the role of indicators. In fact, each type of decision had different influences on the way indicators are used, and each type of decision used different types of indicators. Results for policy-making were particularly different from decisions of acquisition and development of products/technology. Second, the phase of the decision can help to understand the role indicators play in these decisions. Results distinguished between two phases detected in all decisions – before and after the decision – as well as two other phases that can be used to complement the decision process and where indicators can be involved. Third, the context of decision is an important factor to consider when explaining the way indicators are taken into consideration in policy decisions. In fact, the role of indicators can be influenced by the particular context of the decision maker, in which all types of evidence can be selected or downplayed. More importantly, the use of persuasive analytical evidence appears to be related with the dispute existent in the policy context. Fourth and last, the process of construction of evidence is a factor to consider when explaining the way indicators are involved in these decisions. In fact, indicators and other evidence were brought to the decision processes according to their availability and capacity to support the different arguments and interests of the actors and stakeholders. In one case, an indicator lost much persuasion strength with the controversies that it went through during the decision process. Therefore, it can be argued that the use of indicators is high but not very influential; their role is mostly symbolic to policymakers and business decisions, but varies among researchers. The role of indicators in these decisions depends on the type and phase of the decision and the context and process of construction of evidence. The latter two are related to the particular context of each decision maker, the existence of elements of dispute and controversies that influence the way indicators are introduced in the decision-making process.
UID/SOC/04647/2013 SFRH/BD/76200/2011 ; This work aims to describe the latest developments in European countries or regions that lack a structure to develop Parliamentary Technology Assessment activities (named non-PTA). They are countries or regions where parliamentary-oriented technology assessment activities have not yet resulted in a formal structure, but where these activities can be detected to some extent. We will concentrate on activities in Portugal, Wallonia, and other Central and Eastern countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania and Bulgaria. Catalonia is mentioned as a specific case where a formal PTA structure exists but the way it is organized and financed is similar to the national and regional experiences at the non-PTA countries. We can conclude that TA institutionalization in non-PTA countries appears to be dependent on the level of public production of knowledge. In fact, the presence or absence of Science & Technology (S&T) issues on the public agenda of these countries and regions affects the need for parliamentary policy advice: in their presence, S&T agenda pushes the need for TA advice by parliamentarians; in their absence, the promotion of innovation tries to keep up with globalization pressures and to generate economic growth, without significant demands for TA advice. ; publishersversion ; published
Abstract The use of digital platforms for managing work grew considerably in Portugal, especially in the aftermath of the Great Recession. This new form of digital and platform work intensified the use of an on-demand workforce, not involved in the bargaining process, subject to indecent working conditions, social control and surveillance and the possibility of accessing social benefits, creating new obstacles for organising. Between 2019 and 2021, semi-structured interviews with workers, activists involved in associations and social movements, trade unionists and key informers were conducted. Also desk research involved five case-studies in Portugal, as part of a European research project. Results allowed to establish a typification of digital platform workers and to analyse collective action and voice in the country.
UID/SOC/04647/2013 ; Despite increasing calls for evidence-based policies, knowledge about the practical use of evidence remainslimited. This study investigates the best available evidence in two policy settings of investment in technologyinnovation: an electric mobility policy and the creation of an Iberian laboratory. The work tested if the failure touse the best available evidence in a given setting points to the use of evidence for political ends. Results from thefirst case study show that the best available evidence were deliberately not used. In fact, three formal scientificstudies and a forecast from grey literature were purposefully ignored. Additional evidence were produced andbrought later in the debate phase to justify the decision. In the second decision, the best available evidence wereused with significant differences between the two countries making the same decision, but with markeddifferences in relation to the types of evidence, the type and number of sources and the depth of information used.The use of evidence depended on the needs to justify the same investment in two different policy-makingsettings. The case reveals that to understand the limits of evidence-based policy is more enlightening to considerthe best possible evidence instead of the best available evidence. Research also revealed the need to develop moreresearch about the importance of relational tacit knowledge in these decisions. ; publishersversion ; published
Portugal has been referred as one example of lower levels of integration of social partners in the governance of education and training systems (Sanz de Miguel, 2017). There is lack of research about the effectiveness of the governance of the only program close to the Dual VET concept: the Apprenticeship system. A pilot project of Dual VET ran from 2012 and terminated in 2016 without substantial evaluation. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the role social partners have in the governance of the existing Portuguese Apprenticeship system. We carried out extensive review of the scientific and grey literature about Dual VET for youngsters in Portugal, as well as database queries to official statistical sources. Our research reveals a complex formal role: The employment agency IEFP provides funding for Apprenticeship and negotiates with the main social partners the allocation of the Single Social Tax for its regional centres. Indirectly, many social partners are formally involved in the general VET governance participating in various coordination and monitoring structures of the National System of Qualifications and other regulatory agencies (IEFP and ANQEP). In this article we also discuss possible causes for the failure of the pilot Dual VET, which took effect within the scope of a curricular review of the primary and secondary education.
There are thousands of indicators produced to understand and govern our societies. Studies about the way indicators are used in technological innovation are significantly rare, despite the centrality of these decisions to promote growth in our technology-intensive civilization. This book presents what is known and what was discovered in a doctoral research, which analysed innovative business leaders, policymakers and public researchers responsible for technological innovations.
Paper presented at the Colloquium Gerpisa 2013, Paris (http://gerpisa.org/node/2085), Session n°: 19 New kinds of mobility: old and new business models ; The paper aims to understand the degree of transition towards e-mobility. The assumption is that the degree of convergence between actors of each system (batteries, vehicles, grid, policies, business models and consumers) is an indicator of changes in the present socio-technical regime. After an introduction to the socio-technical transition towards e-mobility, the paper presents and discusses three technology assessment approaches to several projects related to technology, society and politics. There are several thematic crossovers between all projects presented leading to a synergetic technology assessment. This output results from the overlapping areas between the cases and can be used to first assess the extent of changes in the present socio-technical regime, as well as to extract standards and regulations, acceptance/risk analyses and behaviour changes that could be significant in the context of a transition towards electric mobility. ; Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis - ITAS; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - KIT; Helmholtz-Institute Ulm for Electrochemical Energy Storage - HIU
