Jorge Daniel Teixeira

Abstract
In 2023, global kiwifruit production reached over 4.4 million tonnes, highlighting the crop's significant economic importance. However, achieving high yields depends on adequate pollination. In Actinidia species, pollen is transferred by insects from male to female flowers on separate plants. Natural pollination faces increasing challenges due to the decline in pollinator populations and climate variability, driving the adoption of assisted pollination methods. This study examines the Portuguese kiwifruit sector, one of the world's top 12 producers, using a novel mixed-methods approach that integrates both qualitative and quantitative analyses to assess the feasibility of robotic pollination. The qualitative study identifies the benefits and challenges of current methods and explores how robotic pollination could address these challenges. The quantitative analysis explores the cost-effectiveness and practicality of implementing robotic pollination as a product and service. Findings indicate that most farmers use handheld pollination devices but face pollen wastage and application timing challenges. Economic analysis establishes a break-even point of €685 per hectare for an annual single application, with a first robotic pollination of €17 146 becoming cost-effective for orchards of at least 3.5 hectares and a second robotic solution of €34 293 becoming cost-effective for orchards up to 7 hectares. A robotic pollination service priced at €685 per hectare per application presents a low-risk and a viable alternative for growers. This study provides robust economic insights supporting the adoption of robotic pollination technologies. This study is crucial to make informed decisions to enhance kiwifruit production's productivity and sustainability through precise robotic-assisted pollination. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Abstract
Startups are vital to the economy and the digital future and are creators of around 50% of new jobs. Some studies indicate that around 90% of startups fail in their first months, mainly because they focus on launching products or services without adequate market validation. In addition, they have little or no experience in organisational management and lack the resources to apply quality models, which hinders their ability to face the challenges of a highly volatile and competitive environment. Therefore, this paper proposes the LightStartup framework, focused on startups in the service sector. LightStartup provides a lightweight, consistent and formalised process model, a process assessment model and a maturity model based on the ISO/IEC 33000 standard. LightStartup accompanies companies in transitioning from an informal management style to a formal and long-lasting management system, covering the management of services, people, customers and organisational governance.

Abstract
Purpose This study aims to explore how technology-enabled services influence the overall experience of participants in running events by applying a structured service design methodology. Specifically, it examined how recreational runners engage with technology-enabled services throughout the customer journey of a running event, and how the application of the MINDS method contributes to enhancing the runners' experience. Design/methodology/approach Thirty-nine running event participants were interviewed to explore their experiences. The interviews took place in Greece in 2023, across various mass-participation events from marathons to 5K city races. Using the Management and INteraction Design for Service (MINDS) method, qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Findings The study identified how recreational runners interact with technology-enabled services across the pre-, during-, and post-event stages. Using the MINDS method, participants' experiences were mapped to reveal emotional touchpoints, service gaps, and opportunities to enhance the event experience. These findings were translated into service design proposals through the MINDS method, resulting in visual outputs that illustrate how technology-enabled services could be better integrated across the event journey. Originality/value This study is among the first to examine running event experiences from the participants' perspective using a service design methodology. It also contributes to the advancement of the MINDS by introducing customer journey and emotional journey extensions, offering richer insights into how participant experiences can be optimized across the event lifecycle.

Abstract
Purpose Citizen engagement plays a crucial role in transitioning to sustainable service ecosystems. While customer engagement has been extensively studied in service research, citizen engagement has received significantly less attention. By synthesizing customer and citizen engagement literatures, this study develops an integrated framework to conceptually clarify the dual role of customer-citizen engagement for sustainability. Design/methodology/approach This study builds on a systematic literature review of customer engagement literature in service research and citizen engagement literature. Following a theory synthesis approach, we qualitatively analyzed 126 articles to develop an integrated conceptual framework of customer-citizen engagement for sustainability through a process of abductive reasoning. Findings The analysis showed that customer engagement and citizen engagement literatures have developed mostly separately but provide complementary views. While the customer engagement literature has traditionally focused on business-related facets, such as engagement with brands, the citizen perspective broadens the engagement scope to other citizens, communities and society in general. The integrated framework highlights the interplay between citizen and customer roles and the impact of their relationships with multiple objects on sustainability. Originality/value This integrated framework contributes to advancing our understanding of customer-citizen engagement, broadening the scope of subject-object engagement by examining the interplay between these roles in how they engage for sustainability and moving beyond the traditional dyadic perspective to a multi-level perspective of service ecosystems. This framework also enables the development of a set of research directions to advance the understanding of engagement in sustainable service ecosystems.

Abstract
Amidst an urgent need for sustainability, novel approaches are required to address environmental challenges. In this context, biomimicry offers a promising logic for catalyzing nature’s wisdom to address this complexity. The purpose of this research is to (1) establish a biomimetic understanding and vocabulary for sustainability and (2) apply biomimicry to upframe service ecosystems as a foundation for sustainability. Our research question is: How can the principles of natural ecosystems inform and enhance the sustainability of service ecosystems? The findings highlight upframed service ecosystems as embodying a set of practices that (1) promote mutualistic interactions, (2) build on local biotic and abiotic components supporting emergence processes, (3) leverage (bio)diversity to build resilience, (4) foster resource sharing for regeneration, and (5) bridge individual roles to optimize the community rather than individual well-being. Our upframed definition of a service ecosystem is a system of resource-integrating biotic actors and abiotic resources functioning according to ecocentric principles for mutualistic and regenerative value creation. The discussion emphasizes the implications of this upframed definition for sustainability practices, advocating for a shift in understanding and interacting with service ecosystems. It emphasizes the potential for immediate mutualistic benefits and long-term regenerative impacts. © Academy of Marketing Science 2025.