Inward FDI in Portugal and its policy context, 2011

Portugal's performance in attracting inward foreign direct investment (IFDI) during the economic and financial crisis in 2009 was poor, below the low figures that it had already recorded in the previous couple of years, although Portugal did not record negative FDI inflows like competing countries such as Ireland (in 2008) and Hungary (in 2009). The country's difficulties in attracting IFDI are, however, structural. The "golden" years of the early 1990s, when Portugal emerged as an attractive and fashionable location, are past. The country's IFDI performance throughout the first decade of the 21st century was, in general, weak. In 2009, Spain, France and Brazil were the main sources of IFDI in Portugal. In spite of the Government's commitment to attracting IFDI, policy design and implementation have fallen short in the increasingly fierce competition for international investment

Outward FDI from Portugal and its policy context, 2012

In 2010, Portugal's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) was severely affected by the global economic and financial crisis, with flows recording a negative figure of -US$ 8.4 billion, the lowest in an ever-steeper declining trend exhibited since 2005. Nevertheless, Portugal's OFDI stock increased almost three-fold between 2000 and 2010. During this period, Portugal's OFDI annual growth rates were lower than those of comparator economies, such as Spain or Ireland, and only slightly above those of Italy. OFDI flows in the 2001-2010 period were concentrated in the services sector, particularly in real estate, followed by retail and manufacturing. In contrast, there has been a clear decline of investment in financial services (largely explaining the negative figures recorded in 2010) and in the construction industry. Excluding 2010, the Netherlands has attracted a significant share of Portugal's OFDI. Investment in non-traditional destinations has gained importance in recent years, both in Europe (Romania, Bulgaria) and outside Europe (the United States, India), but their weight remains limited. The crisis affected OFDI policy, leading to growing concern regarding the localization of value-added activities in Portugal. There has been a shift in government policy in the past three years, prioritizing exports over direct investment as a mode of entry into foreign markets

Competitive strategies and international new ventures’ performance: Exploring the moderating effects of internationalization duration and preparation

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this article is twofold: to bring back to discussion the importance of strategy as a key element for international new ventures (INVs) to achieve higher international performance and to assess the relevance of contingency perspective, particularly two organizational contingency factors (internationalization duration and internationalization preparation), in moderating the strategy–performance relationship. The framework developed addresses the effects of four competitive strategies (cost leadership and innovation-based, marketing-based, and quality- and service-based differentiation) as determinants of INVs’ international performance. In addition, internationalization duration and internationalization preparation are included as moderators of these relationships. The hypotheses were tested using a sample of 319 INVs. The findings show that marketing and quality and service differentiation strategies are associated with higher INVs’ international performance and that internationalization duration and internationalization preparation play relevant moderating effects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Foreign Investment in Portugal and Knowledge Spillovers : From the Methuen Treaty to the Twenty First Century

This article looks at the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on host-country firms’ capabilities, industry competitiveness and long-term economic development. Focussing on the case of Portugal over a period of 300 years, it develops a framework of the types of knowledge spillovers, based on the behaviour of, and interactions between, foreign investors and local players. This study argues that the impact of FDI in Portugal has evolved in stages, from closed to interactive approaches, increasing the learning by local players. These ultimately lead to the long-term upgrade of firms’ capabilities, industry competitiveness and host-country economic development

Relatório por país de 2016 do Observatório RIO: Portugal

O presente relatório apresenta uma análise do sistema de investigação e inovação (I&I) em Portugal relativa ao ano de 2016, nomeadamente das políticas relevantes e do seu financiamento, dando especial ênfase aos temas que têm uma importância decisiva para as políticas da UE. O relatório identifica os principais desafios que o sistema de I&I português enfrenta e aprecia as soluções políticas implementadas. A sua elaboração seguiu um conjunto de orientações sobre a recolha e análise de uma série de materiais, incluindo documentos estratégicos, estatísticas, relatórios de avaliação, sítios web, etc. Os dados quantitativos e qualitativos são, sempre que possível, comparáveis entre os relatórios de todos os Estados-Membros. Salvo indicação específica em contrário, todos os dados utilizados neste relatório se baseiam nas estatísticas do Eurostat que se encontravam disponíveis em novembro de 2016. O conteúdo do presente relatório baseia-se parcialmente no relatório do RIO de 2015 referente a Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inward and Outward FDI Country Profiles, Second Edition

This second edition contains a series of 77 standardized country profiles dealing with the inward and outward foreign direct investment (FDI) performance of 40 economies. The profiles have been peer-reviewed by a global network of experts. The publication is intended to contribute to the analysis of trends in foreign direct investment and policy issues related to them. More specifically, the individual profiles discuss FDI trends and developments (country-level developments, the corporate players); effects of the recent global crises; and the policy scene. Each profile contains a standard set of tables, including on FDI stocks and flows, sectoral and geographical FDI distributions, the largest M&As and greenfield investments, the principal foreign affiliates (for inward FDI), and the principal multinational enterprises (for outward FDI). The standardized template used to produce the profiles allows cross-country comparisons. The volume is meant to be a reference tool for anyone interested in foreign direct investment

Formação avançada e capacitação para inovar : objectivos possiveis no período de programação 2007-2013

O fluxo de novos doutorados em Portugal tem vindo a aumentar continuamente nas últimas décadas, tendo-se atingido a marca simbólica de mais de 1000 doutorados por ano em 2003. De igual modo, Portugal tem apresentado das taxas de crescimento mais elevadas em termos do número de publicações científicas a nível mundial. Estes avanços decorrem em parte dos recursos canalizados pelos Fundos Estruturais europeus, embora a sua origem se situe antes da adesão à CE. A par dos avanços registados, continuam no entanto, a verificar-se enormes fragilidades nos recursos humanos com níveis de habilitações superiores. Tal situação revela-se principalmente no contingente dos graduados em ciências naturais e em engenharias, cuja oferta permanece muito insuficiente. Este trabalho procede assim a um balanço da oferta de formação avançada, situando os avanços portugueses num quadro comparativo internacional. A análise equaciona as necessidades existentes na perspectiva da capacitação para resposta aos desafios da economia baseada no conhecimento. O pressuposto é que se deverá investir num determinado perfil de oferta tendo em vista a intensificação e melhoria das dinâmicas de inovação em Portugal. Conclui-se argumentando que se as políticas públicas não gerarem no médio prazo alterações significativas na composição estrutural, quantidade e qualidade do contingente de recursos humanos com formação avançada, designadamente no respeitante a graduados em ciências naturais e engenharias, comprometer-se-á irreversivelmente a capacidade de convergir face `*as economias mais avançadas nas próximas décadas"Advanced training and innovation capacity: possible objectives in the programming period 2007-2013": - The stream of new doctors in Portugal has been increasing in the last decades; a record of more than 1 000 doctors was reached in 2003. Portugal has registered one of the highest growth rates, at a world level, in terms of scientific publications. These increases result in part from the resources provided by the European Structural Funds although their origin goes back to before the adhesion to the EC: In spite of the progress registered, the human sources with higher educational levels still show, however, enormous fragilities. Such situation is mainly evident among the contingent of graduates in sciences and engineering whose supply is still insufficient. This work makes then a balance of the advanced training supply, placing the Portuguese advances in an international comparative framework. This analysis equates the existing needs in the perspective of the capacity to meet the challenges of the knowledge-based economy. The assumption is that it is necessary to invest in a certain supply profile with a view to the intensification and improvement of the innovation dynamics in Portugal. The conclusion is that if, on the short run, the public policies do not bring about significant changes as to the structural composition, quantity and quality of the contingent of human resources with advanced training, namely in what regards sciences and engineering, the capacity to catch up with the most advanced economies in the next decades is jeopardized in a irreversible way."Formation avancée et qualification pour innover. Objectifs possibles dans la période de programmation 2007-2013" . - Le flux de nouveaux doctorats au Portugal est venu ä augmenter continuement dans les derniéres décennies, ayant atteint la marque symbolique de plus de 1000 doctorats par année dans 2003. Également, le Portugal a présenté des taux de croissance plus élevés dans des termes de nombre de publications scientifiques å mondial. Ces avances s'écoulent en partie des ressources canalisées par les Fonds Structurels européens, bien que son origine se place avant Itadhésion ä la CE.De pair avec les avances enregistrées, continuent néanmoins ä se vérifier énormes fragilités dans les ressources humaines avec des niveaux des qualifications supérieures. Telle situation se révéle principalement dans le contingent des gradués dans des sciences naturelles et dans des ingénieries, dont l'offre reste tres insuffisante. Ce travail procéde ainsi à un équilibre de l'offre de formation avancée, plagant les avances portugaises dans un tableau comparatif intemational. L'analyse égale les nécessités existantes dans la perspective de la capitation pour réponse aux défis de l'économie basée sur la connaissance. La présupposition est que se devra investir dans un certain profil d'offre en vue de l'intensification des dynamiques d'innovation au Portugal. Il se conclut en faisant valoir que si les politiques publiques ne produiseot. dans un moyen délai des modifications significatives dans la composition struCturelle, quantité et qualité du contingent de ressources humaines avec formation avancée, notamment en ce qui concerne les gradués dans des sciences naturelles et ingénieries, se compromettra irréversiblement la capacité de converger face aux économies plus avancées dans les proches décenniesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A process view of new ventures internationalization: capabilities, alertness and the moderating role of technological turbulence

This research is based on the perception that the explanation of International New Ventures’ (INVs) performance demands a process view, going deeper than the standard approach, in empirical papers, of testing a direct relationship between individual- and company-level antecedents, and performance. In line with Aspelund, Madsen & Moen (2007) and Keupp & Gassmann (2009) arguments, a three-tier model was developed to investigate the process leading to INVs international performance. Based on the dynamic capabilities framework, entrepreneurial alertness was envisaged as the mediating element between firms’capabilities and their international performance. Empirical research confirmed the hypothesized model. Firms’capabilities (entrepreneurial orientation, foreign market knowledge, and absorptive capacity) significantly influence the level of entrepreneurial alertness, which impacts on company international performance. The paper makes three contributions to International Entrepreneurship literature. First, it highlights the key role played by entrepreneurial alertness in explaining INVs’ international performance. This is convergent with the dynamic capabilities view on firms’ ability to sense and seize specific international business opportunities. Second, it shows that alertness is based on a set of first order capabilities, namely entrepreneurial orientation, foreign market knowledge, and absorptive capacity that simultaneously leverage and constrain alertness. is a key element to foster INVs’ higher performance. Third, it underlines the role of technological turbulence as a moderator of the relationship between entrepreneurial alertness and INVs’ international performance