Susana Leal

Micro and small-sized enterprises (micro-SMEs) in Europe’s furniture sector continue to face significant obstacles to internationalisation, including limited digital skills, constrained resources, and a lack of strategic market insight. In response to these challenges, the INT4FURN project—supported by Erasmus+ Key Action 2—has developed a Digital Internationalisation Learning Hub designed to build international business competencies through modular training aligned with the ECVET framework. This paper offers a critical analysis of the platform, examining its pedagogical approach, structural design, and core features, including thematic learning modules, multilingual glossaries, instructional videos, and self-assessment tools. Drawing on a qualitative case study methodology, the findings indicate that the platform provides a user-centred, mobile-accessible, and digitally inclusive learning experience, tailored specifically to the needs of micro-SMEs. While challenges such as digital literacy and learner engagement remain, the INT4FURN hub emerges as a scalable, innovative solution that contributes meaningfully to vocational education and supports the broader goals of digital and sustainable transformation within traditional manufacturing industries.

As sustainability becomes increasingly central to organizational strategy, social economy organizations (SEOs) are rethinking their business models. This study employs stakeholder analysis using the value mapping (VM) tool developed by Short, Rana, Bocken, and Evans for the development of the VOLTO JÁ project. The objective of the VOLTO JÁ project is to operationalize a senior exchange programme between SEOs. The VM approach extends beyond conventional customer value propositions to prioritize sustainability for all stakeholders and identify key drivers of sustainable business model (SBM) innovation. The multi-stakeholder methodology comprises the following elements: (1) sequential focus groups aimed at enhancing sustainable business thinking; (2) semi-structured interviews; and (3) workshop to facilitate qualitative analysis and co-create the VM. The findings are then categorized into four value dimensions: (1) value captured—improved participant well-being, enhanced reputational capital, mitigation of social asymmetries, and affordable service experiences; (2) value lost—underused community assets; (3) value destroyed—institutional and systemic barriers to innovation; and (4) new value opportunities—knowledge sharing, service diversification, and open innovation to foster collaborative networks. The study demonstrates that the application of VM in SEOs supports SBM development by generating strategic insights, enhancing resource efficiency, and fostering the delivery of socially impactful services.

Introduction: Human resources in ophthalmology have recently received particular attention, and it has been questioned whether there is a sufficient number of workers. The aim of this study was to analyze and characterize Portugal’s ophthalmologist population.Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, an online questionnaire was sent to all ophthalmologists registered with the Portuguese College of Ophthalmology in December 2021. Information on the following variables was collected and analyzed: demographic factors, professional qualifications, professional activity, weekly professional activity and medium-term plans.Results: Among the 910 registered ophthalmologists, a response rate of 64.7% was achieved. There were 0.9 ophthalmologists for every 10 000 inhabitants, 0.45:10 000 working in the public sector (0.35:10 000 full-time equivalent). Among the respondents, 57.6% were over 50 years old (59.6% male), 97.3% were Portuguese, 46.7% completed their residency in the Lisbon region, 27.3% complemented their programme with additional training, 9.5% had a PhD and approximately 58% lived and worked in large urban centres. Regarding professional activity, 58.5% of the respondents worked in the public sector (4.2% exclusively), while 67.9% worked in different economic sectors. The median number of weekly working hours reported was 45 hours, with those in the public sector reporting 35 hours. Private/social sector work and public sector work accounted for 12 926 hours/week and 10 808 hours/week, respectively. It was found that 31.4% of the respondents provided emergency medical services and that 52.8% performed surgical procedures more than once a week. Looking ahead, 38.7% of the ophthalmologists intended to reduce their workload within the next five years due to family reasons, fatigue and demotivation. The projected rate of retirement or cessation of activity in the next five years was estimated to be 1.7%, while an average of 20 new ophthalmologists are expected to enter the profession annually, resulting in a generational balance of 0.8%.Conclusion: While the number of ophthalmologists in Portugal meets the international recommendations, there is a shortage in the public sector and most ophthalmologists work in large urban centres. The number of ophthalmologists in Portugal is expected to be stable for the next five years.

This chapter aims to identify how higher education institutions (HEIs) have operationalised the transfer of knowledge to society in terms of research, development, and innovation; the determinants of this process; and how the knowledge transfer to society contributes to local and regional development and sustainability. Herein, a scoping review was carried out to address this goal. Out of 197 retrieved articles, 30 met the inclusion criteria. These studies concentrate on the following themes: (1) determinants of the knowledge transfer process between HEIs and society; (2) the state of knowledge transfer in HEIs; (3) transfer knowledge to local and regional development; and (4) transfer of knowledge to sustainability. This study concludes that although different determinants influencing this collaboration have been identified, most studies reveal that the transfer level is still at a very early stage. Request access from your librarian to read this chapter's full text.