GOVCOPP

Mission The Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies (GOVCOPP) mission is to conduct research and produce knowledge that contributes to economic efficiency and the development of good practices in governance in specific territorial contexts: at European, national, and regional levels, while having a particular focus on the regions of Centro and Aveiro. To meet such challenges, GOVCOPP brings together researchers with different backgrounds and scientific expertise, therefore benefiting from a diversity of approaches and methodologies. They are, therefore, divided into four main Research Groups. Research Groups 1. Competitiveness, Innovation and Sustainability (CIS) – studies the factors for economic efficiency in regional productive systems, which are subject to the restrictions imposed by the sustainable use of natural resources and the preservation of environmental quality. 2. Public Policy Institutions Innovation (PI2) – analyses public policies and governance structures and practices in particular regional contexts. The concept of regional innovation systems will also be addressed, complementing the economic perspective of the previous group with the analysis of the drivers of social inclusion, citizenship and quality of life. 3. Tourism Development (TD) – further develops the general analysis of regional innovation systems developed by the previous two groups on a specific sector of paramount importance to the Portuguese economy and that, by its nature, is deeply related to the territorial structure and the dimensions which are linked to the natural and built heritage and an appropriate supply of services and infrastructure. 4. Systems for Decision Support (SDS) – besides the specific role of providing databases and developing tools and techniques to support decision-making, this group is also aimed at providing the GOVCOPP with the modelling and data analysis skills required by the global work of the unit.