Abstract
COVID-19 has caused strong restrictions in the activities of companies and people in the European Union. Its effects are not restricted to the public health field, but also include the economic and social dimensions. To face this wide range of challenges, government entities, companies, and civil society have sought to develop innovative solutions to cope with the effects posed by COVID-19. This study aims to explore these innovative initiatives using the observatory of public sector innovation (OPSI) framework and intends to understand the effects of digital skills of citizens and companies in the emergence of these initiatives. The findings reveal that the proposed innovative solutions result essentially from incremental innovation projects and are promoted by government entities at national and local levels. Nevertheless, the relevance of the participation of companies and civil society in these innovative initiatives is also highlighted. Finally, the digital competencies of each EU state member do not appear to influence the countries' capacity to offer innovative solutions.

Abstract
<p><em>Investment in research and development is a key factor in increasing countries' competitiveness. However, its impact can potentially be broader and include other socially relevant elements like job quality. In effect, the quantity of generated jobs is an incomplete indicator since it does not allow to conclude on the quality of the job generated. In this sense, this paper intends to explore the relevance of R&amp;D investments for the job quality in the European Union between 2009 and 2018. For this purpose, we investigate the effects of R&amp;D expenditures made by the business sector, government, and higher education sector on three dimensions of job quality. Three research methods are employed, i.e. univariate linear analysis, multiple linear analysis, and cluster analysis. The findings only confirm the association between R&amp;D expenditure and the number of hours worked, such that the European Union countries with the highest R&amp;D expenses are those with the lowest average weekly working hours.</em></p>

Abstract
The management of urban solid waste represents a great challenge to humanity. The current scenario of pollution due to waste that is still being incorrectly disposed of has brought us to an alarming situation. To progress and overcome the barriers, the sector needs changes and innovations. Waste management is not only the responsibility of municipalities; it must also involve people. This chapter presents a technological solution that fosters people's involvement in waste management practices. Through the use of this platform, users can register the waste produced and evaluate their performance in recycling management according to several types of residues considering the targets set by the municipalities. This approach may be relevant for the implementation of pay-as-you-throw models in municipalities. © 2021, IGI Global.

Abstract
This study aimed to explore the diversity of open-innovation practices that are adopted in Portuguese SMEs considering the outside-in, inside-out, and coupled paradigms. A quantitative study was carried out considering a sample of 187 Portuguese SMEs. The findings revealed that these organizations favored the adoption of the outside-in paradigm. The inside-out model was the least relevant, especially for smaller companies (i.e., small and micro-companies). The most adopted outside-in practices were the integration of external knowledge from suppliers and clients; in the inside-out model, licensing processes were more important; while in the coupled model, joint ventures and network consortiums stood out. The increase in the innovation capacity of these organizations was highlighted as the most relevant benefit, while the lack of resources and difficulties in integrating knowledge emerged as challenges. This study is especially relevant for the establishment of public-support policies that promote the involvement of Portuguese SMEs in open-innovation processes. © 2021 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Abstract
With the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, companies must be able to ensure that applications requesting the user to record personal data inform the user of the purpose for which the data collected is being collected. Furthermore, it is also necessary to ensure the data owner has given his/her explicit consent to the collection of these data and that such consent is recorded. This imperative has required a reworking of the interfaces of the applications. In this sense, this study seeks to explore the policies and practices that are being followed by organizations in designing interfaces. Four case studies were considered in the development of this study to explore this phenomenon in the dimensions of pragmatic hedonic processes of interface design, approaches to collect consent, and how personal data is managed. Copyright © 2021 by Author/s and Licensed by Veritas Publications Ltd., UK.

Abstract
Tourism has been a fundamental pillar for the development of the Portuguese economy and has supported and stimulated new opportunities. However, for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the hospitality sector, and given their specific characteristics, there are no specific indicators to monitor sustainability, and they are only based on existing generic models such as ETIS, WTO, and Green Globe. Given the complexity of the indicators in these models and their comprehensive vision, it makes it difficult for hospitality SMEs that have limited resources to measure them. Consequently, it is important to focus their attention on the most relevant indicators for their activity. In this sense, this study is relevant in identifying the critical sustainability factors for Portuguese hospitality SMEs. In total, and after the synthesis and assessment of the various indicators, a total of 35 critical indicators were identified, distributed among the economic, social, sustainable management, and environmental dimensions.