Abstract
Nowadays, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are faced with the crucial challenge of establishing and supervising strategies and policies that are essential for decisions in various areas and at various levels. Within this context, the importance of Business Intelligence (BI) has increased significantly, emerging as an essential tool for analysing and managing data. This BI capability enables HEIs to make more informed choices in line with their global strategies. This research focuses on developing a roadmap for the effective implementation of BI systems in HEIs. Using a Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, this work proposes a structured and adaptable roadmap that covers the key factors from the design to the implementation of BI systems in HEIs. This roadmap includes not only a reference architecture for BI systems but also a set of dashboards. The roadmap was validated through a case study at the University of Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), involving exploratory analysis and feedback from experts. This study stands out for its practical and theoretical approach, offering a strategic and practical guide for the adoption of BI systems in HEIs, thus responding to a need identified in the academic literature.

Abstract
Many companies have been trying to take advantage of the entertainment boom on the internet and are searching for the bestways to make money from content creators. Among these are Virtual YouTubers, who have been growing in English-speaking spaces. This paper compares their popularity and influence in Portugal and the USA, while reflecting on their impact on viewers. To accomplish this, we created a survey, which obtained 102 answers, 46 being from Portuguese people and 44 being from U.S. citizens. We noted that only 37% of Portuguese people had heard of VTubers before and only 13% watch them on a weekly basis. On the other hand, every respondent from the USA was familiar with VTubers, with 86.4% watching them regularly. When asked about how VTubers affected the respondents' personal lives, some stated that it was merely a form of entertainment, however, many U.S. citizens reported that they watch VTubers to fulfill their need for social interaction or cope with loneliness. Thus, it is evident that these creators are much more popular in the USA. Lastly, we conclude that VTubers can have a positive impact on people's lives, but they also serve as an unhealthy escape from reality at times.

Abstract
The purpose of this study is to ascertain the hierarchical importance of a patent's characteristics to licensing. This research has a causal-exploratory purpose, in that it sought to establish relationships between variables. This research aims to identify which characteristics are influential in the licensing of Brazilian academic patents in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical technology fields, based on the mining of data contained in licensed and unlicensed patent documents. Which characteristics of Brazilian academic patents are most influential in their licensing potential? An analysis through Random Forest was performed. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies in Brazil using machine learning to identify which characteristics are influential in licensing a particular academic patent, especially given the difficulty of gathering this information. We found that regardless of the measure used, the three most critical licensing characteristics for the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical patents analysed are Patent Scope, Life Cycle, and Claims. At the same time, the least important is the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The relevance of this research is based on the fact that after identifying which intrinsic characteristics influence the final value and licensing probabilities of a given patent, it will be possible to develop mathematical models that provide accurate information for establishing technology transfer agreements. In practical terms, the results suggest that greater patent versatility, combined with lifecycle management and a technical effort to build strong claims, increases the licensing potential of academic biopharmaceutical patents.

Abstract
The growing use of technology and social media has resulted in the emergence of digital influencers, a new profession capable of changing the mentalities and behaviours of those who follow them. This study arises to better understand the potential impact digital influencers might have on the Portuguese population’s purchase behaviour and patterns, and for this purpose, seven hypotheses were formulated. An online questionnaire was conducted to respond to these theoretical assumptions and collected data from 175 respondents. A total of 129 valid answers were considered. It was possible to conclude that purchase intention does not necessarily translate into a purchase action. It was also concluded that the relationship between social network use and the purchase of products/services recommended by influencers is only significant for Instagram. Furthermore, individuals’ Generation is not significantly linked with purchasing a product/service recommended by influencers. Furthermore, a small percentage of respondents have also identified themselves as impulsive shoppers and perceived Instagram as their favourite social network. With the results of this study, it is also possible to state that the influencer’s opinion was classified as the last factor considered in the purchase decision process. Additionally, there is a weak negative association between purchasing a product/service recommended by influencers with sponsorship disclosure and remunerated partnership, which decreases credibility and discourages purchasing.

Abstract
In the context of Industry 4.0, this paper explores the vital role of advanced technologies, including Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), digital twins, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), in enhancing data valorization and management within industries. These technologies are integral to addressing the challenges of producing highly customized products in mass, necessitating the complete digitization and integration of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) for flexible and automated manufacturing processes. The paper emphasizes the importance of interoperability through Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA), Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS), and Resource-as-a-Service (RaaS) to achieve seamless integration across systems, which is critical for the Industry 4.0 vision of a fully interconnected, autonomous industry. Furthermore, it discusses the evolution towards Supply Chain 4.0, highlighting the need for Transportation Management Systems (TMS) enhanced by GPS and real-time data for efficient logistics. A guideline for implementing CPS within Industry 4.0 environments is provided, focusing on a case study of real-time data acquisition from logistics vehicles using CPS devices. The study proposes a CPS architecture and a generic platform for asset tracking to address integration challenges efficiently and facilitate the easy incorporation of new components and applications. Preliminary tests indicate the platform's real-time performance is satisfactory, with negligible delay under test conditions, showcasing its potential for logistics applications and beyond.

Abstract
The dowry payment system is used in the cultural context and tradition of certain financial transactions related to marriages and engagement. However, disputes, fraud, and financial gaps in exploitation occur in these systems, which affect user confidence. This study uses an exploratory approach to identify the main weaknesses of current traditional dowry payment systems and analyses the benefits that blockchain technology and smart contracts can provide. The proposed data security framework combines blockchain security features such as decentralisation, cryptography, and automatic verification through smart contracts to ensure the integrity and reliability of dowry payment transactions. In this study, we adopt the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology to propose producing and developing artefacts that support solving problems in the existing dowry payment system more efficiently. We will disseminate new ideas or concepts developed to indigenous communities in Timor-Leste using the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) frameworks to ensure that the technological framework developed can be used safely and efficiently.