Politicians, regulators, viceroys and 5G auctions

Under a positive view, underlying this paper, independent regulation has been widely accepted in the European Union to solve some problems created by the discretionary power of politicians. However, independent regulators also enjoy substantial discretion. This is constrained by widely accepted good regulation practices, at least in part enshrined in law. Failure to comply with good regulatory practices is a source of regulatory discretion that jeopardizes the case for independent regulation. It is argued that the process followed by Anacom to issue the 5G auction regulation misses important steps inherent to good regulatory practice and so it risks weakening, or wipe out, social support for regulatory independence in electronic communications markets. This outcome is not inevitable. Improving regulatory governance is still an option, eventually supported by the public, and some proposals are offered along these lines

Scientific systems in Latin America: performance, networks, and collaborations with industry

In this paper, we use a combination of bibliometric, social network and econometric approaches to increase our knowledge of how research institutions interact with the private sector in Latin America (LA). We first study recent trends in scientific output and specialization. On average, LA countries have been reducing the gap with the world leading regions. They have also tended to specialize in fields related to economic activities based on natural resources, such as Agricultural and Plant and Animal Sciences. However, collaborations with the private sector remain scarce. In this paper, we have built scientific networks composed by what we define as Research Departments (RD). These RDs belong to universities, research institutes and government agencies. We model the intensity of collaboration of a RD with industry as a function of its size, previous performance, and its position in the LA and national scientific networks. Our results show that the RDs with higher diversity of research partners in their national scientific network work more intensively with industry. Additionally, collaborations with industry are influenced by previous interactions with the private sector

Mechanical Behaviour of Materials for External Biomechanics Application: Study on the Fatigue of Polymers: PLA and PETG

This study investigates the mechanical behaviour of various polymeric materials pro- cessed through fused filament fabrication (FFF) for potential external applications in biome- chanics. The research objectives were twofold: firstly, to assess the materials' suitability for bio- mechanical use through uniaxial tensile testing, and secondly, to evaluate their fatigue re- sistance, specifically focusing on PLA and PETG materials. The uniaxial tensile tests provided insights into parameters, such as maximum tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and strain at failure values, suggesting the materials' potential for general biomechanical applications. However, fatigue testing unveiled limitations in PETG, as indicated by the low fatigue resistance depicted in Wöhler curves. These findings suggest that this material may not be well-suited for continuous and long-term use in biomechanical components. Fractography analysis further revealed critical features, such as fibre arrangements, com- pression issues between layers and inadequate adhesion, voids in fibre connections, and frac- ture zones, shedding light on failure mechanisms.Este estudo incide sobre o comportamento mecânico de diversos materiais poliméricos processados através da fabricação de filamentos fundidos (FFF) para potenciais aplicações em biomecânica. Os objetivos da pesquisa foram: primeiro, avaliar a adequação dos materiais para uso biomecânico por meio de ensaios de tração uniaxial e, segundo, avaliar sua resistência à fadiga, com foco específico nos materiais PLA e PETG. Os testes de tração uniaxial forneceram informações sobre parâmetros como tensão de cedência, módulo de elasticidade e valores de deformação, sugerindo o potencial dos materi- ais para aplicações biomecânicas gerais. No entanto, os testes de fadiga revelaram limitações no PETG, devido à baixa resistência à fadiga representada nas curvas de Wöhler. Essas descobertas sugerem que esses materiais podem não ser adequados para uso contínuo e de longo prazo em componentes biomecâni- cos. A análise da fractografia revelou ainda características críticas, como arranjos de fibras, problemas de compressão entre camadas e adesão inadequada, vazios nas conexões das fibras e zonas de fratura, esclarecendo os mecanismos de falha

Science and technology in Africa : a bibliometric and patent analysis

Mestrado Economia e Gestão de Ciência, Tecnologia e InovaçãoIt is known that Africa's R&D has been fragile. However, the analysis of bibliometric data indicates that Africa has relative distinguish behaviours on publication (2,51% of world output in 2011) and patent production (0,25% of total PCT Applications in 2011). Regarding research output there was a turning point around 2004, when the continent's output was yet to reach 15,000 publications annually. Since that year African publications have grown faster than the world average, with its number more than duplicating until now. These advances are overshadowed by the fact the continent’s production is still highly concentrated (South Africa and Egypt). Concerning scientific specialization, the results indicate that the overall Africa’s specialization is not too different of the world pattern with the exception of Agricultural Sciences, which are relatively more important in Africa. An important finding is that, at the nation level, higher level of specialization and English language colonial legacy seems to lead to better results on “scientific impact”. Other relevant result is that there seems to be a non-linear dynamics between publication output and patent output. The more a country publishes in WoS publications, the more it is able to transform scientific information into technological inventions. Finally, as demonstrated, in a way, by our cluster analysis, Africa is too complex to follow one set of S&T policies. Each country must evaluate what already exists and, with a realistic vision (Lundvall, 2009), develop their knowledge frontiers to respond to local circumstances and opportunities.Historicamente, a I&D em África tem sido diminuta. No entanto, a análise de dados bibliométricos indica que África tem comportamentos distintos em relação à produção científica (2,51% da produção mundial em 2011) e aos pedidos internacionais de patentes (0,25% do total em 2011). Relativamente à produção científica, houve um ponto de viragem em 2004, quando a produção total do continente não ultrapassava as 15000 publicações anuais. Desde esse ano o crescimento anual tem sido mais rápido que a média mundial. Estes avanços são ofuscados pelo facto da produção do continente ser ainda altamente concentrada (África do Sul e Egito). Quando o à especialização científica, a única área científica onde África apresenta maior diferenciação é em “Ciências Agrárias”. Um resultado importante, ao nível dos países, é que maiores níveis de especialização e a existência da língua inglesa como língua colonial, parecem levar a publicações com maior "impacto científico". Outra conclusão relevante é que parece haver uma dinâmica não-linear entre o número de publicações de um país e o número de pedidos PCT. Quanto maior o nível de publicação de um país na WoS, maior parece ser a capacidade dos agentes em transformar a informação científica em invenções tecnológicas. Finalmente, a nossa análise de clusters demonstrou, que África é muito complexa para seguir um conjunto único de políticas de C&T. Cada país deve avaliar as suas características e, com uma visão realista (Lundvall, 2009), desenvolver as suas fronteiras de conhecimento para responder às circunstâncias e oportunidades locais

Tariff deficit, excessive rents, and privatisation

O défice tarifário e a possibilidade de haver rendas excessivas têm sido a principal fonte de polémica sobre a intervenção do Estado no setor elétrico nos últimos 25 anos e foram objeto de uma Comissão Parlamentar de Inquérito, cujo Relatório, assim como as declarações de voto dos partidos, são uma fonte de informação bem sistematizada sobre o que se passou. Neste trabalho, discutem‑se os fundamentos e as consequências da política de défices tarifários e de políticas que conduziram ao que tem sido considerado como rendas excessivas. Sobre a política de défices tarifários não se encontram fundamentos nem de eficiência, nem de equidade e é duvidoso que se possa justificar com base num argumento de estabilidade tarifária, que foi o argumento mais utilizado formalmente. A criação de rendas excessivas tem no mercado de eletricidade os efeitos negativos associados ao poder de mercado. Numa perspetiva de equilíbrio geral, é possível fundamentar uma política de rendas excessivas com base em critérios de eficiência, mas não foi esta a abordagem seguida pelos governos portugueses que poderá ter estado mais centrada na obtenção de vantagens eleitorais com aquela política. Em sentido diferente, pode-se considerar que em 1995 foi adotado um modelo de regulação contratual que pode gerar a criação de rendas, sem que estas devam ser consideradas como excessivas. Concluindo, qualquer que seja a interpretação dada ao trabalho da Comissão, a sua principal utilidade parece ser a de evidenciar formas de melhorar o processo de decisão pública.A tariff deficit and excessive rents have been the source of public discussion on energy policy in the last 25 years, and the subject of a recent inquiry by a Parliamentary Commission. The Commission concluded there were excessive rents created by policy options. The rationale for these rents, from the point of view of the policy makers, was that they would increase privatisation revenues and support industrial and environmental policies. The rationale for the tariff deficit was that it would increase price stability. In this paper the Commission’s view that there were excessive rents is initially accepted, and these explanations are discussed from the perspective of public interest and of public choice and economic theories of regulation. It is argued that the best explanation for these policies is not based on the public interest, but on vote seeking behaviour by the governments. It is also suggested that excessive rents in the energy sector might have been sustained on the grounds of public interest, based on efficiency, if complemented by credible commitments to reduce income taxes. However, some doubts remain about the relevant concept of excessive rents. The Commission’s report is ambiguous on these. Moreover, the contractual regulation arrangements adopted by Portuguese public decision‑makers in the energy sector, since the mid‑1990s, may well be the source of informational rents that should not be considered as excessive. In any case, it is argued that the Commission’s report suggests, even if implicitly, to improve public decision‑making, in the energy sector and in state intervention in general.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Appropriating the returns of patent statistics. Take-up and development in the wake of Zvi Griliches

Three decades after the publication of Zvi Griliches’ (1990) influential survey on “Patent statistics as economic indicators”, the uses and limitations of patent statistics remain a core issue in the field of innovation studies. This paper follows through Griliches’ seminal work to understand how the literature using patents as an empirical resource developed over time. How has this indicator been adopted and how has it been adapted to different research challenges? We address this question by examining the citation tree of nearly 2000 articles published in almost 400 journals found to refer to Griliches’ seminal contribution between 1990 and 2019. We combine bibliometric techniques and qualitative analysis to provide a close-up moving picture of patents as a data resource: growth and variety of usage, impact on disciplines and journals, driving institutions and geographies, major topics and research issues. We find that five main themes emerge: 1) Economic growth; 2) Geography of innovation; 3) Innovation management/performance; 4) Pat-methods; and 5) Green innovation. Shouldered by these findings, we discuss potential pathways for future patent-based research.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Wal-Mart Tax: A Review of Studies Examining Employers\u27 Health Care Cost-Shifting

[Excerpt] As job-based health coverage declines and employers shift ever-growing health costs onto employees, workers increasingly must turn to taxpayer-funded programs like Medicaid to get health care for themselves and their families. Meanwhile, Medicaid is wrestling with explosive cost growth, increasing 56 percent since 2000. Medicaid is the second largest expense for most states, accounting for around 16 percent of state budgets, on average. States’ spending on the program is expected to grow almost 12 percent this year, four times faster than the increase in states’ general fund spending. Recent studies in 13 states have examined the extent to which employers’ workers utilize public health programs to secure health coverage for themselves and their families. As the following summary of those analyses reflects, in each one of these states, Wal-Mart ranks at or near the very top of the list of employers that are shifting to the public the cost of providing health care for their workers. In so doing, Wal-Mart is directly contributing to the nation’s Medicaid crisis

Emerging 21st century technologies : is Europe still falling behind?

Firms and countries that specialise in emerging technologies tend to have a higher chance of becoming or remaining competitive in the future. This paper aims to analyse the most dynamic areas of technological competition between 2010 and 2019 and to identify which actors are leading in those areas. We analyse patenting dynamics in four major patent offices (USPTO, EPO, JPO, KIPO), to have a global landscape of technological dynamism, and we use the IPC patent classification system to proxy the technological areas. After examining patenting growth patterns in all 4-digit IPC classes, we built a score to classify the emergent technological areas across the four offices. Our results indicate twelve “emerging” IPC classes, which are related to software engineering, digital communication, IT methods for management,medical technology, pharmaceuticals, energy conservation, games, biotechnology and semiconductor devices. We find that European firms do not hold a leading share in any of these IPC classes. This is particularly true in emerging areas such as software engineering, energy conservation and semiconductor devices, which are likely to be critical to succeed in the new techno-paradigms related to digitalization and clean energy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mapping research systems in Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda and their relation with the sustainable development goals

In this chapter, we investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the research systems in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania versus the main challenges they face. Our central assumption is that a misalignment between the investment in research areas and the socio-economic challenges may reduce the effectiveness of the investments in research to address those goals. Our main objective is to understand the extent to which the research priorities in these countries are aligned with their major socio-economic challenges. In this vein, we intend to bring prioritisation and directionality to the debate about science policy investment