Maria João Lima

This chapter analyses the role of structured entrepreneurship support programmes in fostering inclusive business development and improving access to finance in emerging economies, drawing on the ENVOLVER programme in Angola. Based on a pilot intervention supporting around thirty projects across multiple sectors, the study compares two complementary support models: direct mentoring and incubator-mediated support. A structured methodology integrating business planning, financial analysis, and investment evaluation was applied and adapted to the local context. The findings highlight improvements in project structuring, strategic clarity, financial sustainability, and access to funding, reinforcing the business plan as a tool for capability development, formalisation, and legitimacy. At the ecosystem level, results underline both the relevance of incubators' role and existing capacity gaps, pointing to the need for continued institutional strengthening.

This study examines capacity-building initiatives within the Envolver project to improve access to finance for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Angola. Emphasizing the role of financial literacy and human capital development, it analyzes training methodologies tailored to diverse stakeholder groups within the financing ecosystem. The study characterizes target audiences, trainer profiles, and pedagogical approaches, highlighting the use of hybrid delivery models and context-specific learning tools. Attention is given to establishing a common language among stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, financial institutions, incubators, and public entities. The findings underscore the need for differentiated training strategies, practical and context-based learning resources, and interactive methodologies to enhance knowledge transfer and application. Overall, the results show that well-designed capacity-building programs can strengthen competencies, improve coordination among stakeholders, and increase access to financing and private-sector development in emerging economies.

This study examines the determinants of increased competitiveness among companies applying to the SME Qualification Incentive Program, focusing on both firm and application characteristics. Three dimensions are considered: value added, internationalization, and financial structure. The results show that firm structural characteristics, particularly sector and regional location, play a dominant role in explaining value added. The application characteristics exhibit limited overall explanatory power, but remain relevant for specific outcome dimensions. Innovation-related variables emerge as key determinants, especially marketing innovation, which is positively associated with value added and financial structure but negatively associated with export intensity. Market-related variables and organizational factors primarily drive export intensity, whereas financial structure appears less directly explained by observable characteristics. The findings suggest that policy instruments may influence outcomes not only through firm selection but also through the characteristics of applications.

This study examines the determinants of firm competitiveness by analyzing the impact of firm and application characteristics associated with the EU-funded, specifically the Innovation Incentive System. Using a sample of 60 firms that applied to the Innovation Incentive System, the analysis employs multiple regression models to assess effects on value creation, internationalization, and financial sustainability. The results show that firm characteristics play a dominant role, while project characteristics provide additional explanatory power. Evidence also reveals trade-offs between innovation, internationalization, and financial performance. These findings contribute to understanding the effectiveness of public support policies in enhancing firm competitiveness.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze recent publications in scientific journals on the circular economy and energy through a systematic review using the PRISMA method and to propose a framework. In recent years, the circular economy has been widely recognized as a viable solution to address environmental and economic challenges. The transition to renewable sources, such as solar, wind, and biomass, is essential for a clean and balanced energy market. The methodology adopted was a systematic review of the scientific literature using the PRISMA method, which aims to categorize published research, evaluating it in terms of its objectives, methodologies, results, and conclusions. To this end, full articles published in scientific journals between 2021 and 2025 on the subject were identified. The analysis of the selected studies reveals an intrinsic relationship between the circular economy and sustainable energy, particularly in the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 and 12. The results highlight that circular economy practices, such as waste recovery, bioenergy generation, and gasification, not only demonstrate their ability to create sustainable value chains but also contribute to reducing environmental impacts, promoting energy efficiency, and present a proposed framework for analysis and proposition.

Social entrepreneurship has stood out as a promising approach to addressing socio-economic vulnerabilities in urban contexts. This study explores the main structural challenges and opportunities for social entrepreneurship in the parishes of Montijo and Afonsoeiro, Portugal. Using a qualitative approach based on focus groups with local stakeholders, including civil society representatives, social entrepreneurs, associations, and government entities, the research identifies key barriers such as limited access to economic opportunities, social exclusion, and inadequate infrastructure. The findings reveal the transformative potential of socially oriented entrepreneurial initiatives, particularly when supported by strong and collaborative local networks. This work contributes to the understanding of urban vulnerabilities and highlights the importance of supportive ecosystems in promoting inclusive and sustainable development. The insights generated are relevant for policymakers, social entrepreneurs, and civil society organizations committed to fostering social innovation in similar urban settings.

Entrepreneurial intention (EI) is shaped by a combination of cognitive and psychological factors. This study investigates how resilience and the three components of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) – Personal Attitudes (PA), Subjective Norms (SN), and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) – influence EI among undergraduate business students at the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (IPS). A quantitative approach was employed, using a structured questionnaire that combined the Entrepreneurial Intention Scale developed by Liñán and Chen (2009) with the Resilience Scale proposed by Campbell-Sills and Stein (2007). Data from 128 students were analyzed using factor analysis to confirm construct validity, followed by linear regression to test the proposed hypotheses. The results demonstrate that PA and PBC are strong positive predictors of EI, while SN has a weaker, though still significant, effect. Additionally, resilience shows a moderate but significant positive impact on EI, supporting its role as a relevant psychological contributor to entrepreneurial motivation. These findings reinforce the validity of the TPB framework while highlighting the added value of resilience. The study suggests that entrepreneurship education should not only address cognitive determinants but also integrate strategies that foster students’ psychological adaptability to better prepare them for entrepreneurial challenges.

Entrepreneurship plays an important role in the economic development of the nations by driving innnovation, economic efficiency, and job creation. On the other hand, entrepreneurship education and international education seem to be an important antecedent for entrepreneurship intentions. In this context, universities and campuses have an important role in fostering entrepreneurial activities, namely extra curricular and curricular programs that empower young and nascent entrepreneurs to develop skills, attitudes and competencies that can later be applied to business creation. The main objective of this study is to present the extra curricular program, EXIT program, and confirm its impact on entrepreneurial skills, attitudes and competencies acquired or developed by students. This study employs a mixed research approach that includes both qualitative and quantitative methods. The results reveals that EXIT program effectively contributes to the development of various attributes associated with student resilience. It notably boosts critical thinking, creativity, initiative, problem-solving, proactivity, responsibility, cooperation, social responsibility, and a balanced mix of ambition, optimism, and realism. EXIT’s impact on student skills development underscores its substantial positive influence, especially in domains like teamwork and communication. Feedback from the focus group discussions attested to the overall positive reception of EXIT by participants. The program demonstrated its effectiveness in improving their entrepreneurial skills, facilitating multicultural experiences, and encouraging collaborative efforts.

The choice to pursue an entrepreneurial path is the result of a complex cognitive journey. It's vital to comprehend this mental process as it unfolds during the educational phase, especially since entrepreneurship is now a potential career option for a growing number of students. This paper explores and evaluates entrepreneurial intentions (EI) and their antecedents among 132 students from College of Business Administration (ESCE), Polytechnic Institute of Setubal (IPS). To collect data, the research used part of the Entrepreneurial Intentions Questionnaire (EIQ) designed by Liñán and Chen (2009) with additional demographic questions. This paper also examines the role of age, gender, work experience and self-employment in affecting personal attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and entrepreneurial intentions. The research is based on a study developed by Liñan and Chen (2009) that was applied in two different cultures: Spain and Taiwan. This research adds another comparison with students from Portugal and the results allowed the confirmation of the findings of previous studies concerning the relationship between the entrepreneurial intention and the personal attitude and perceived behavioral control.