António Manuel Amaral

Abstract
This project was developed to improve the cost estimation process of new products within the Product Development Department of a furniture manufacturer. This work involved developing a methodology using Machine Learning (ML) models trained on products’ existing data to predict the cost of new innovative ones based on similarities and given data. The ML models used were Linear Regression (LR), Light Gradient-Boosting Machine (LGBM), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The proposed methodology considers the estimation of the total cost of producing a product, which encompasses both material and operational costs. Throughout this project, several analyses were developed to identify and evaluate different independent variables that could explain the behaviour of these two cost components. The suitability of the different variables was studied by applying several ML models, and a set of functions that return an estimate of the cost as a function of these predictor variables was obtained. The proposed approach, which incorporates ML models into more complex variables to predict, resulted in a 19.29% reduction in estimation error. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Abstract
Technological evolution is very present in today’s world. The Internet of Everything (IoE) is one of the next steps in this evolution. WordPress is a website-building tool that is used today to its minimum capability. The main problem is how to make WordPress customizable and reliable to support device networking and communication. This can be done by implementing a new architecture that supports WordPress as a powerful tool, allowing for scalability and maintenance. The adoption of a recent trend known as DevOps is an important step in creating and developing a strong website and ensuring its integration with multiple devices. It emphasizes continuous testing, delivery, and integration. This article is based on a literature review to justify using micro-services architecture and the DevOps approach to build a reliable and robust working tool in WordPress that can be part of the IoE. © ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering 2025.

Abstract
The current era where living demands an accelerated digital transition mainly focused on encouraging a smarter, healthier, and more sustainable mobility, in all its dimensions – a must concern for the young generations. The convergence through several digital services and APP can be an attitudes and perception changer within the group of academic mobility users’, promoting a more sustainable and better mobility choices that impact on the academic user’s mobility routines. Thus, encouraging a global shift to shared and active mobility services and systems bringing significant contributions to environmental sustainability and, also, to users’ health. The Academic Mobility as a Service (AMaaS) provide a digital service with mobility alternatives to support the academic population geographically located in different faculty campuses and Higher Education Institutions (HEI). The AMaaS applied to a restrict group is helpful to test innovative transport solutions and its high cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Despite the shortage of AMaaS case studies and the lack of security reference, it is imperative that a cybersecurity by design is planned and included in AMaaS design. In this paper AMaaS critical cybersecurity challenges, and potential risks are discussed and AMaaS Security by Design framework is described. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

Abstract
This work was developed to improve the costing process of new products within the Product Development Department of a furniture manufacturer. It consisted of creating a parametric cost estimation model based on applying simple and multiple linear regressions, considering the existing data of the products produced and their respective costs. The proposed model considers the cost estimation of creating a product that covers the materials and operations costs. The suitability of the different independent variables was studied by applying simple and multiple linear regressions. A set of functions that return an estimate of the cost as a function of these predictor variables was obtained. The model built with the functions obtained provides the materials and operations cost estimation. The results indicated that 75% of the tests performed show an estimation error of less than 2% in the total cost of a product. Incorporating this model in a tool with the purpose of cost estimation brings the ability to predict prices faster, improving the internal process of obtaining costing and enhancing the analytical capacity of the team in the relentless pursuit of cost minimization and value creation.

Abstract
Nowadays, Mobility, in all its dimensions (transport mobility, sustainable mobility, active mobility, and Mobility as a Service (MaaS)), is an essential dimension in sustainable development goals, allowing to increase in the quality of life, the health, the social inclusion and to reduce climate action in any society. To increase the citizens' awareness and promote a true behavioral change, the citizens need to feel part of the process. Gamification has proved to be effective in raising citizens' awareness, encouraging their participation, and promoting a gradual but profound behavior change in various areas such as participatory governance, tourism, culture, education, etc. Gamification can also propel a Smart Living Society 5.0 among the younger groups of the society, especially in the context of academic communities that are more knowledgeable and eager to foster a healthier, more sustainable, and more inclusive society. Smart Living Society 5.0 is an activity in the scope of the TECH - Tecnologia, Ambiente, Criatividade e Saude - a project of NORTE 2020, focusing on creating an Academic MaaS (AMaaS). At this stage, it is essential to know about gamification use cases related to new mobility solutions and practices. The paper presents successful cases of mobility systems and services that consider gamification to promote and incentivize their use concerning active mobility and sustainable mobility; it discusses the potential of gamified systems to achieve a gamification proposal approach to implement in the AMaaS under development.