Suchergebnisse

AbstractEcotourism can contribute to the conservation of environmental values, as well as to the development of positive synergies between agents in the tourism sector, tourists and the local population. The growing interest in tourism offers with low environmental impact, which support the local economy, translates into a competitive advantage for low‐density territories. On the basis of this principle, the scope of the present study is intended to evaluate the potential of the existing natural and rural features in the Beira Baixa region, located in the central interior of Portugal, which can anchor the creation of sustainable tourism products. Despite the undeniable interest in carrying out studies to determine an aggregate suitability index for the development of ecotourism using spatial multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA), there are still no studies carried out in Portugal. The identification of areas suitable for the development of ecotourism, and their constraints, was carried out on the basis of the integration of nine criteria using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in a geographical information system (GIS) environment. The results obtained reveal that the region has high suitability for the practice of ecotourism activities, given its important natural heritage. This study was innovative as it shows the ecotourism potential based on a diversity of criteria as an aid to public administration agents with functions in planning, territorial management and management of support mechanisms for the tourist sector. The use of the landscape diversity criteria, which had not yet been tested in previous studies, proved to be important in determining the ecotourism potential of the region, together with the landscape value based in the importance of the Montado agrosystem, which supports a variety of sustainable tourist activities. The information produced in the study may be useful for the design of new policies for valuing natural resources through tourism.

The Triple Helix, as spiral model of innovation that contains multiple relationships in different processes of knowledge enhancement, is a model that, leveraged by the dynamics of interaction between the different institutions and stakeholders, benefits from the role of universities as centers of excellence in education and science, from the private sector as co-creators of knowledge and human capital pickup as well as from the public sector supporting the legal framework and technical support besides the sectoral and territorial political supports. In the business context, especially in rural matrix territories, farmers have developed a crucial role in local development, promoting new development dynamics, not only as producers and employers, but also as investment attractors and stimulating the creation and transfer of knowledge. The reflection on the perspective of the Triple Helix observed in the productive framework of the agricultural sector is not firmly established or settled. In this context, this paper aims to discuss the model of the Triple Helix based on relations between the Academy and R&D-Agricultural Production-Government spheres focused on the sector of stone fruit, using the region of Beira Interior as case study. This region stands out for the many changes that have led to the establishment of interdependencies of the agricultural sector, research and education centers and various economic and social agents with a relevant role in the development of sector of stone fruit. Thus, this work aims to map the regional actors with an active role in sector and, on the other hand, to present the dynamics of institutional interactions that attained the creation of the PRUNUS network - resources and human capital enhancements. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The Triple Helix model is a model of development that is based on the involvement of three spheres - Academia, Industry and State Organizations - that cooperate and interact to consolidate economic development based on knowledge and innovation. The application of the model to the agricultural sector is still little rooted. The main goal of the project "+peach - Innovation and development in the peach tree culture in the region of Beira Interior", is to contribute to increase the global value of the activity through the performance of various cultural techniques and enhancement of its product - the peach, This project develops in a structure and organization of the Triple Helix model, in which the sphere of industry is occupied by fruit growers and Producer Organizations. The most relevant aspects of this regional-based initiative is the contribution to the creation of a knowledge network, the complementarity of the tasks carried out by the actors and the planning of future actions in a bottom-up perspective. It is highlighted as a very positive feature, the dynamic work from space zone of intersection of the different spheres whose synergy enhanced innovation and pro-active and collaborative work. The maintenance or strength of it is now dependent on governmental Sphere and closely associated to time needed to make decisions. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion