CEF.UP – WiP Seminar

Wednesday – May 21^st, 2025 at 13:00h | Room 305

Machine learning and business growth: the impact of ESG practices

Sandra Marnoto – cef.UP, NECE and University of Maia.

Abstract:

“Growth is essential for Businesses long-term success, allowing the improvement of market position and profitability. ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices are fundamental in this process, strengthening customer reputation and loyalty, which drives competitive performance. With globalization, global value chains (GVCs) become essential for business growth, allowing access to new markets and cost reduction. Aligning ESG practices with participation in these chains is vital for sustainable growth and innovation. This study investigates the impact of ESG practices on business growth, focusing on how inclusion in global value chains (GVCs) moderates this relationship. The main objectives of the research are to assess how ESG practices influence the growth of companies and how integration into GVCs affects this dynamic. To achieve the objectives, the methodology used includes a combination of machine learning algorithms, such as Linear Regression, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting Machine, Support Vector Regression and Neural Networks, allowing to capture complex interactions between variables. The dataset used in the study is the Flash Eurobarometer 486, entitled “SMEs, Start-ups, Scale-ups, and Entrepreneurship”, conducted by the European Commission in 2020 and covers companies from all Member States, as well as 13 other countries, totaling 14,554 companies distributed across different sectors and regions. The results show that the governance dimension (G) has a significant impact on the growth of companies, as well as social practices (S). Environmental practices (E) have a less significant effect. In addition, inclusion in global value chains does not moderate the influence of ESG practices, so regardless of whether or not the company is part of a global network of suppliers and customers, ESG practices maintain the level of influence on business growth.”

CEF.UP – WiP Seminar

Tuesday – December 17^th, 2024 at 13:00h (1 pm) | Room 305

Nurturing the sustainable and circular economy: An integrated ecosystems model

Cristina Fernandes – FEP – School of Economics and Management – University of Porto, CEF.UP and NECE

Abstract:

“Environmental sustainability and the circular economy are receiving regular mention in literature as paradigms capable of addressing major social challenges. However, understanding how best to assist ecosystem transition toward a sustainable and circular economy ecosystem and which strategic variables are effective levers in nurturing its adoption, remaining elusive. This research investigates factors contributing to a successful transition towards green innovations. The study employed a four-study research designto achieve a holistic understanding across the multiple levels of the ecosystem. Firstly, a systematic literature review was conducted to develop a conceptual model for identifying variables to nurture the transition (study 1) across the interrelated layers of the ecosystem. Secondly, a micro-level analysis was undertaken using ANCOVA to examine the strategic orientations (market and product) that impacts green innovations of companies (study 2). Thirdly, a meso-level analysis was conducted, applying logistics regression to identify the moderating effect of industry type on the relationship between strategic orientations and green innovations (study 3). Finally, the study evaluated the impact of environmental assets on economic growth and the mediating role of Industry 4.0 on this relationship, using multiple regression panel data models. The development and empirical testing of the multi-level model contributes to this emerging field, to better reflect the integrated nature of ecosystems and identify advantageous strategies for nurturing ecosystem transition towards increased sustainable and the circular economy.”

CEF.UP – WiP Seminar

Tuesday – December 3^rd, 2024 at 13:00h (1 pm) | Room 305

Agglomeration in an urban corridor

José Gaspar – FEP – School of Economics and Management, University of Porto and Cef.Up

Abstract:

We study agglomeration within a corridor characterized by a continuous path connecting a finite number of places where cities may locate. As economic integration changes, a corridor may undergo successive bifurcations whereby the number of cities increases (decreases) two by two in a way that preserves the bilateral symmetry of places around the central place. We focus on the bifurcation from the state of full agglomeration in the central place occurring at a critical level of economic integration, called the sustain point. For a particular model, full agglomeration becomes unstable below the sustain point and two identical cities may emerge stably with the same distance to the central city. The existence and uniqueness of both the sustain point and the optimal distance to the central city are determined analytically. We find that cities can only emerge optimally at places that are sufficiently far away from the central place, thereby generating a polycentric structure. As integration increases, a preexisting state of twin cities may engender a central city, which grows in size and may eventually develop further into a core city. Finally, we draw a comparison of our model with its discrete–space analogue and discuss the impact of local dispersion forces (e.g. congestion costs) on agglomeration.

CEF.UP – WiP Seminar/Webinar

Friday – June 7^th, 2024 at 13:00h (1 pm) | Room 305 | Online

Fiscal Policy Dispersion in the Euro Area – a new quantitative index

Daniel Loureiro – FEP – School of Economics and Management – University of Porto and Cef.Up

Abstract:

“We developed a new Fiscal Dispersion Index to assess fiscal policy coordination in the Euro Area and complement the existent literature. We found greater fiscal policy dispersion around the years of economic crisis, signaling a deterioration of coordination. Besides, we highlighted Portugal as one the most problematic countries, continuously deviating from the average policies. However, the direction of the Portuguese deviation is not constant over time. It shifted from looser policies between 2000 and 2007 to tighter policies from 2016 to 2021. Moreover, we also found that Germany and Netherlands pursued tighter policies than the average, particularly when facing common shocks. Thus, we recommend that additional measures should be approved to improve coordination during the more challenging times, preventing insufficient expansionary policies. Failing to do so will likely hamper the credibility of the European framework and institutions.”