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
The transportation of large loads is still an obstacle to the productivity of some companies. To answer this internal logistics challenge, one solution with high potential is the use of several mobile robots that can execute these tasks cooperatively. This paper addresses the simulation of strategies that allow two omnidirectional robots, a leader and a follower, to coordinate their movement and cooperate in a transportation task (co-transport). This is achieved by implementing a force sensor on the mechanical structure of a support that allows the follower to grab and transport the load on the top of its chassis. Through the measurement of the forces, this robot will be able to react to the movement of the leader, whose function will be to guide the system to its final destination. The system and its cooperation strategies were idealized and then tested in the CoppeliaSim simulator. The results obtained through simulation were the target of an analysis that assessed which strategy best complemented the omnidirectional mobility of the system's constituents and, at the same time, ensured that less forces were exerted on the load during transport.

Abstract
Polar codes have been shown to provide an effective mechanism for achieving physical-layer security over various wiretap channels. A majority of these schemes require channel state information (CSI) at the encoder for both intended receivers and eavesdroppers. In this paper, we consider a polar coding scheme for secrecy over a Gaussian wiretap channel when no CSI is available. We show that the availability of a shared keystream between friendly parties allows polar codes to be used for both secure and reliable communications, even when the eavesdropper knows a large fraction of the keystream. The scheme relies on a predetermined strategy for partitioning the bits to be encoded into a set of frozen bits and a set of information bits. The frozen bits are filled with bits from the keystream, and we evaluate the security gap when the cyclic redundancy check-aided successive cancellation list decoder is used at both receivers in the wiretap channel model.

Abstract
This article documents some experiments on teaching a class on a Master Degree Program using a different perspective on gamification. Instead of winning badges or getting achievements, students earn classification points. This allows them to work as hard as they are willing, having in mind their current classification and how far they can reach. In the specific experiment being reported, students can earn final grade points with pull requests to a shared class project. The article describes the details of the experiment, extrapolates on different ideas for implementing this in other classes, and concludes with the pros and cons of such approach for student evaluation.

Abstract

Abstract
The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are the main instrument of the European Union (EU) Cohesion Policy to promote convergence, economic growth and reduce imbalances between EU members. The objectives of the 2014-2020 programming period follow the agenda of the Europe 2020 Strategy to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth of EU members. Since before joining the EU, in 1986, until the end of the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement (PT2020), Portugal will have received more than EUR 130 billion. Have the subsidies that Portugal has received been well applied? Our study fills a gap in the literature by portraying citizens' perceptions about the effectiveness of EU funds for the development of the country and its regions. The study is quantitative in nature, and a non-probabilistic sample of 1119 participants answered our survey. A high proportion (76%) of the respondents considered that EU funds contributed to the development of the region where they live, although a significant percentage of the respondents (more than half) considered that there may be corruption in Portugal. The Portuguese also mentioned the existence of practices such as favouritism and lobbying regarding the approval of projects. Our findings are supported by the literature, which refers to "lost opportunities" in the inefficient application of ESIF, while recognising that EU funds have played a significant role in Portugal's development over the last three decades.