Capacity-Building Model to Promote Innovation and Sustainability in the Portuguese Agro-Industrial Sector

Teresa Paiva (), Maximiano P. Ribeiro and Paula Coutinho
Additional contact information
Teresa Paiva: Center of Potential and Innovation of Natural Resources, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal
Maximiano P. Ribeiro: Center of Potential and Innovation of Natural Resources, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal
Paula Coutinho: Center of Potential and Innovation of Natural Resources, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-16

Abstract: The characteristics of the Portuguese agro-industrial sector limit the adoption and promotion of innovation. A business-sector characterisation was carried out to identify needs and business behaviour. Capacity, in terms of skills and knowledge, motivation and opportunities, is the main factor in innovation and sustainability adoption and the alteration of the behaviours of people or organisations. Collaborative business practices to enhance networking and knowledge sharing and the diversity of skills and competencies, along with several pedagogical methods, within innovation and sustainability training, were outlined. Throughout a benchmarking methodology that analysed various courses and pedagogies in this type of training, it was possible to incorporate reflexive practices and action-oriented training to engage in transformative actions and the work community’s capacity-building creation. Thus, a model was designed to be able to promote the capacity for innovation and sustainability in the Portuguese agro-industrial sector, with training activities targeting its specific characteristics. It is focused on problem solving, technical exercise, and task performance, aligned with the multidisciplinary perspective needed to achieve a vision based on systemic, critical, and reflective thinking and able to answer the future market demand. Therefore, it will be possible for the Portuguese agro-industrial SMEs to establish partnerships and networks that will induce the incorporation of innovation and sustainable practices.

Keywords: agroindustry; capacity-building; sustainability; innovation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/23/15873/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/23/15873/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:23:p:15873-:d:987494

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().