VEROA. Prototip de cafetera eco-friendly de doble càpsula

[CATALÀ] L’estat fonamental d’aquest projecte es basa en el desenvolupament d’un prototip de cafetera compatible tant amb càpsules Nespresso com amb Dolce Gusto. També regeix en la creació d'un disseny inclusiu per a persones que utilitzen cadira de rodes o persones amb mobilitat reduïda i els hi és difícil utilitzar certs electrodomèstics. En el projecte queden reflectits els estudis ergonòmics i volumètrics i totes les fases que s’han hagut de realitzar per poder-la fer apte per a tothom. El repte principal es troba en la inclusió, dins un sol prototip, del mecanisme de les cafeteres Nespresso i el de les Dolce Gusto, dues de les grans marques que fabriquen càpsules de cafè. Gràcies a les tecnologies actuals com una placa Arduino, sensors, electrovàlvules i solenoides tubulars s’ha aconseguit generar un prototip intel·ligent el qual detecta la càpsula automàticament sense la necessitat que l’usuari hagi de realitzar cap força. A més, es tracta d’un prototip sense plàstics assolit gràcies a la implementació de materials com el suro, l’alumini, l’acer inoxidable i el vidre; materials una mica més cars però que alhora augmenten l’esperança de vida de la nostra màquina; VEROA. “Eco-friendly” és un dels adjectius més adequats per descriure aquest projecte. L’estètica de VEROA mostra a l’usuari la seva sostenibilitat ja que el suro es presenta com el material principal de l’electrodomèstic, un material respectuós amb el medi ambient que a poc a poc va obrint-se lloc en el sector industrial, arquitectònic i alimentari.[ANGLÈS] The fundamental state of this project is based on the development of a coffee maker prototype compatible with Nespresso and Dolce Gusto capsules. It also runs over the creation of an inclusive design for people that needs a wheelchair or people with reduced mobility that have problems on using some types of electrical appliances. The ergonomic and volumetric studies as well as all the phases that have been carried out for making the product able for everyone, are reflected on the project. The main purpose runs over the inclusion, into one only prototype, the mechanism of Nespresso and Dolce Gusto coffee makers, two of the big manufacturing companies of coffee capsules. Thanks to the new technologies like Arduino, sensors, electrovalves or tubular solenoids it has been achieved the creation of an intelligent prototype that detects automatically the capsule without needing the user to apply any type of strength. Also, one of the main proposes is the creation of a prototype without plastics, achieved thanks to the implementation of materials like cork, aluminium, stainless steel or glass; materials that give more life expectation to our machine, VEROA, even though they are a little bit expensive. Eco-friendly is one of the words that best defines our project. VEROA shows the user its sustainability; it shows the cork as the principal material of the machine, material that is easy getting in the industrial, architectural and alimentary sector

The TARGET_TIA: A complete, flexible and sound territorial impact assessment tool

This chapter presents TARGET_TIA as a relevant and flexible Territorial Impact Assessment (TIA) methodology. TARGET_TIA was created in a context where existing ESPON TIA tools were mainly designed for assessing ex ante territorial impacts of EU directives. Hence, in view of the need to properly assess the main ex post territorial impacts of EU Cohesion Policy in several countries in a relevant and sound way, the author decided to design, test and apply his own TIA methodology, named TARGET_TIA. When compared with other existing TIA methodologies, TARGET_TIA can be used both at ex ante and ex post policy evaluation phases. In addition, it brings to the table the possibility to use counterfactual evaluation elements to allow the production of credible and sound TIA evaluation scores. Following on from its implementation in assessing the main territorial impacts of EU policies and programmes, mostly at the ex post evaluation phase, it is possible to conclude that it is a credible, flexible, easy-to-operate, cost-effective and robust TIA methodology, which can be applied to projects, programmes and policies, at all territorial levels.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

The early experience of smart specialization implementation in EU cohesion policy

This paper discusses the early-stage experience of the smart specialization agenda within EU Cohesion Policy. The analysis examines the types of policy prioritization choices made by different member states and regions and seeks evidence on the extent to which weaker regions, in particular, might be constrained in their choices. The paper then reviews the evidence arising out of various surveys of policy-makers’ own experience and perceptions of the agenda, and concludes with a discussion of the major features of the policy progress so far and the main challenges ahead

Sticking it on Plastic: Credit Card Finance and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in the UK

This paper investigates the role of credit card financing in UK small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and how this varies by location and business orientation. Using a large scale dataset of UK SMEs, the results of a regression based analysis suggest that firms located in peripheral geographic areas have greater usage of credit cards relative to counterparts located in ‘core’ locations. Innovative, growth, and export-oriented SMEs are also more inclined to use credit card financing. Moreover, SMEs that use credit cards as a form of improvised financial ‘bootstrapping’ are more likely to seek additional funding sources in the future

Regional polycentricity: an indicator framework for assessing cohesion impacts of railway infrastructures

Territorial cohesion has become one of the main objectives in transport planning. This has fostered the development of assessment methodologies to quantitatively estimate the territorial impact of major transport infrastructures, which are particularly scarce at the intra-regional level. Linked to cohesion, polycentricity has been defined as the best spatial configuration to achieve balanced regions where population and opportunities are distributed among several entities linked by functional relationships. This paper aims to present a methodology to estimate these impacts based on the use of a new regional composite polycentricity indicator. The proposed indicator is tested by comparing the effects of conventional and high-speed railway (HSR) alternatives in the territorial system of a northern region of Spain. This quantitative assessment is a ranking tool for prioritizing rail network alternatives in terms of achieving the most balanced territory, which is especially relevant in countries where HSR networks follow cohesion goals. Our results show that new HSR links should only be complementary to regional railway services, and that the suppression of secondary lines should be avoided if a reduction in polarization is to be achieved.E. González-González gratefully acknowledges a predoctoral fellowship (FPI) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (reference BES-2008–00436)

The drivers of change for the contribution of small farms to regional food security in Europe

[EN] The capacity of the food system to respond to the economic, demographic and environmental challenges ahead has become a topic of increasing interest, with particular attention to the roles and responsibilities of the different actors to ensure more sustainable food systems that can guarantee food and nutrition security for all. In this paper we approach the need to better understand the factors that can condition the potential contribution of small farms to regional food and nutrition security in Europe, acknowledging the role that small farms play in Europe at present. The analysis is based on a survey to 94 experts from 17 regions (NUTS3 level) in 11 different European countries, which identified the drivers of change according to the regional experts. These drivers were then categorized and their relative relevance assessed. The results indicate that some relevant drivers in the European context are linked to the capacity to adopt technologies and practices allowing adaptation to climate change, and the capacity to connect to food markets, with emphasis in the need for cooperation and collective action. The weight of other more European-specific drivers such as 'consumer values and habits' reveal that the future role of small farms will be very dependent on a societal change, with equity becoming a relevant component of consumers' choice.This research was supported by the `Small Farms, Small Food Businesses and Sustainable Food Security' (SALSA) project, which has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 677363Arnalte-Mur, L.; Ortiz Miranda, D.; Cerrada-Serra, P.; Martinez Gomez, VD.; Moreno-Pérez, OM.; Barbu, R.; Bjorkhaug, H.... (2020). The drivers of change for the contribution of small farms to regional food security in Europe. Global Food Security. 26:1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100395S1826Béné, C., Prager, S. D., Achicanoy, H. A. E., Toro, P. A., Lamotte, L., Cedrez, C. B., & Mapes, B. R. (2019). Understanding food systems drivers: A critical review of the literature. Global Food Security, 23, 149-159. doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2019.04.009Bourgeois, R., & Sette, C. (2017). The state of foresight in food and agriculture: Challenges for impact and participation. Futures, 93, 115-131. doi:10.1016/j.futures.2017.05.004Ericksen, P. J. (2008). Conceptualizing food systems for global environmental change research. Global Environmental Change, 18(1), 234-245. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2007.09.002Guiomar, N., Godinho, S., Pinto-Correia, T., Almeida, M., Bartolini, F., Bezák, P., … Wästfelt, A. (2018). Typology and distribution of small farms in Europe: Towards a better picture. Land Use Policy, 75, 784-798. doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.04.012Inayatullah, S. (1998). Causal layered analysis. Futures, 30(8), 815-829. doi:10.1016/s0016-3287(98)00086-xMiller, R. (2015). Learning, the Future, and Complexity. An Essay on the Emergence of Futures Literacy. European Journal of Education, 50(4), 513-523. doi:10.1111/ejed.12157Šūmane, S., Kunda, I., Knickel, K., Strauss, A., Tisenkopfs, T., Rios, I. des I., … Ashkenazy, A. (2018). Local and farmers’ knowledge matters! How integrating informal and formal knowledge enhances sustainable and resilient agriculture. Journal of Rural Studies, 59, 232-241. doi:10.1016/j.jrurstud.2017.01.02

Developing intermediate cities

Intermediate cities have experienced economic dynamism in recent years, but, with the focus firmly on large metropoles and sprawling megacities, the development potential of intermediate cities has stayed out of the limelight. This paper upholds the relevance and potential of intermediate cities, arguing that they can play as important a role – if not a more important one – than the large metropoles that, until now, have been the focus of attention. Intermediate cities hold considerable advantages, in particular for poverty reduction and as more efficient ecosystems to live and work. Untapping the potential of intermediate cities requires, however, more territorially balanced, place-sensitive strategies

Food beyond the City – Analysing Foodsheds and Self-Sufficiency under different Food System Scenarios in European Metropolitan Regions

The debate on urban resilience and metabolism has directed increasing attention to the ecological footprint of food consumption, self-sufficiency as a means of food security, and regionalisation of food systems for shortening supply chains. Recently, metropolitan regions have proposed food policies that aim to foster local food systems connected to their cities. Our research thus focused on the relationship between urban food demand and metropolitan land use.We have developed the Metropolitan Foodshed and Self-sufficiency Scenario (MFSS) model, which combines regional food consumption and agricultural production parameters in a data-driven approach to assess the spatial extent of foodsheds as well as the theoretical self-sufficiency of the communities they serve. The model differentiates between food groups, food production systems, levels of food loss and waste as well as food origin. With regard to future urban growth, we applied the model to current and future population projections.Results show substantial variations in the spatial extent of metropolitan foodsheds and self-sufficiency levels between the case study regions London, Berlin, Milan and Rotterdam, depending on population density and distribution, geographical factors and proximity to neighbouring urban agglomerations. The application of the model as a food planning tool offers a new perspective on the potential role of metropolitan regions for strengthening urban self-sufficiency. It also enables the ex-ante assessment of spatial consequences of changes within metropolitan food systems, on both demand and supply sides. In particular, we discuss possible dietary and consumption changes, but also production and supply chain alternatives.</p

Debating the urban dimension of territorial cohesion

The Territorial Cohesion goal was only included in the EU Treaty by 2009, with a view to promote a more balanced and harmonious European territory. One year earlier (2008), the European Commission (EC) published the ‘Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion—Turning territorial diversity into strength’. Neither one, nor the other, clearly defines the meaning of the Territorial Cohesion concept. The later, however, proposes three main policy responses towards more balanced and harmonious development: (i) Concentration: overcoming differences in density; (ii) Connecting territories: overcoming distance; and (iii) Cooperation: overcoming division. Although not explicitly, this document identifies several ‘urban questions’ to be dealt when promoting territorial cohesive policies: avoiding diseconomies of very large agglomerations and urban sprawl processes, combating urban decay and social exclusion, avoiding excessive concentrations of growth, promoting access to integrated transport systems and creating metropolitan bodies. In this light, this chapter proposes to debate the importance of the urban dimension to achieve the goal of territorial cohesion at several territorial levels.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio