The Selection Process of Applications to the Portuguese Innovation Incentive System: Who Gets Financial Support?

Public policies to support entrepreneurship and innovation play a vital role when firms have difficulties in accessing external finance. However, some authors have found evidence of long-term inefficiency in subsidized firms (Bernini and Pelligrini, 2011; Cerqua and Pelligrini, 2014) and ineffectiveness of public funds (Jorge and Suárez, 2011). The aim of the paper is to assess the effectiveness in the selection process of applications to public financial support for stimulating innovation. Using a binary choice model, we investigate which factors influence the probability of obtaining public support for an innovative investment. The explanatory variables are connected to firm profile, the characteristics of the project and the macroeconomic environment. The analysis is based on the case study of the Portuguese Innovation.Incentive System (PIIS) and on the applications managed by the Alentejo Regional Operational Program in the period 2007 – 2013. The results show that the selection process is more focused on the expected impact of the project than on the firm’s past performance. Factors that influence the credit risk and the decision to grant a bank loan do not seem to influence the government evaluator regarding the funding of some projects. Past activities in R&D do not significantly affect the probability of having an application approved under the PIIS, whereas an increase in the number of patents and the number of skilled jobs are both relevant factors. Nevertheless, some evidence of firms’ short-term inefficiency was found, in that receiving public financial support is linked to a smaller increase in productivity compared to non-approved firm applications. At the macroeconomic level, periods with a higher cost of capital in financial markets are linked to a greater probability of getting an application for public support approved, which could be associated with the effectiveness of public support in correcting market failings.

Prevenção de Úlceras da face, em Pessoas Submetidas a Ventilação não invasiva, indicadores sensíveis aos cuidados de Enfermagem: Revisão sistemática de Literatura

ABSTRACT The Non-invasive Ventilation represents an alternative from ventilatory support, being frequently used in the treatment of respiratory failure. There are many complications associated with this technique, related to the pressure / air flow and the application of interfaces, being this one the focus of the article. The most appropriate interface selection allows a successful technique; the interface must be based on anatomical characteristics of the patient, cutaneous integrity and ventilation requirements. The Nurse plays a key role selecting the appropriate interface; technical monitoring and prevention of complications. The objective of the study is identify sensitive results to nursing care in the prevention of pressure ulcers (PPU) of the face, in adult and elderly submitted to NIV. This research was through EBSCO (CINAHL (Plus with Full Text) and MEDLINE (Plus with Full Text), with selection of full text articles between 2003-01-01 and 31.12.2013. We used the method of PI[C]O and was selected 13 articles from a total of 353. It was identified a set of specific interventions that prevent the appearing of pressure ulcer (PU), and according to Doran (2011), promotes sensitivity to nursing care results. The nursing interventions in adults with NIV have a direct impact on health outcomes, with preventing and resolving complications, with contribution in terms of effective disease control, adherence to the treatment regimen and consequent increase in life quality.