Abstract
The internationalization of firms is a growing important phenomenon in the Economy. Thus, to face the new competitive challenges of globalized markets, industrial small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to implement new organizational approaches to take on new challenges in international markets. Based on a case study, this chapter reviews the literature on internationalization theories. Drawing on the network-based approach and on the resource-based view of the firm, we examine how collaborative new product development processes played a fundamental role in the internationalization process of a SME using a relationship-based perspective. The featured case concerns to a successful ex-small technical textile firm that leveraged its competitive strategy, climbed up the value chain, and extended its international activities following a technology-based path.

Abstract
In order to model the heat transfer dynamics in metamaterials (MMs), we develop a self-consistent theoretical formalism that combines the photonic mechanism, which involves the effects of the radiative heat transfer, with the phononic one, which comprises the effects of heat generation, heat storage, and heat conduction. The thermal conductivity tensor of the materials and the latent heat associated with material phase transitions are also considered in the formalism. As the first attempt in the construction of such a theory, here we study the propagation of fluctuating electromagnetic fields with slowly varying amplitudes (FEFSVA) through a dispersive and dissipative medium described by uniaxial effective permittivity and permeability tensors. Using the Poynting theorem for FEFSVA, we calculate the corresponding heat generation, accumulation, and release terms in a generalized heat transport equation. The dynamics of FEFSVA and its relation to the fluctuating source currents is described by constructing the matrix of dynamic dyadic Green's functions. In the framework of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, we obtain correlation between the 6-vector fluctuating current densities with SVA through relating the power spectral density of these currents to the local temperature and the frequency-dependent constitutive parameters in a narrow band around the carrier frequency. With a motivation in the study of how the slowed down FEFSVA impacts on the heat conduction, we employ our formalism in order to obtain the group velocity of the FEFSVA propagating through a layered hyperbolic MM with the Drude type dispersion.

Abstract
The need for efficient automation methods has prompted the fast development in the field of Robotics. However, most robotic solutions found in industrial environments lack in both flexibility and adaptability to be applied to any generic task. A particular problem arises when robots are integrated in work cells with extra degrees of freedom, such as external axis or positioners. The specification/design of high redundancy systems, including robot selection, tool and fixture design, is a multi-variable problem with strong influence in the final performance of the work cell. This work builds on top of optimisation techniques to deal with the optimal poses reachability for high redundancy robotic systems. In this paper, it will be proposed a poses optimisation approach to be applicable within high redundancy robotic systems. The proposed methodology was validated by using real environment existent infrastructures, namely, the national CoopWeld project.

Abstract
With the rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) in distribution systems, a new player, called EV parking lot operator (EV PLO), is emerging around the world. Furthermore, the integration of distributed generation in the distribution level, in particular, renewable energy sources, is leading to the establishment of various markets in distribution systems. On one hand, such PLOs aim at managing their EVs within their parking lots to participate in the distribution markets and to maximize their profits. On the other hand, a distribution system operator seeks to minimize the system-wide cost while minimizing renewable power spillage and the side-effects of its intermittency. This interaction inspires the innovative two-level model proposed in this paper. In the first level, a new model is proposed for EV PLOs which models the EVs' characteristics, including EV owners' uncertainties, in a reasonably accurate manner. These PLOs are allowed to participate in energy, reserve and regulation distribution markets by optimally managing their EVs. In the second level, a new model is developed to ensure that the technical constraints in the distribution networks are met while minimizing the overall system cost. In addition, this paper evaluates the effects of the penetration level and the placement of wind and solar PV on the offering strategies of EV parking lots, as well as on the overall performance of the distribution systems.

Abstract
This paper presents a new formulation for a time window assignment vehicle routing problem where time windows are defined for multiple product segments. This two-stage stochastic optimization problem is solved by means of a fix-and-optimize based matheuristic. The first stage assigns product dependent time windows while the second stage defines delivery schedules. Our approach outperforms a general-purpose solver and achieves an average cost decrease of 5.3% over expected value problem approaches. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis on three operational models shows that it is possible to obtain significant savings compared to the solutions provided by a large European food retailer.

Abstract
This article describes part of the development cycle of an educational robotic platform to be used as an interdisciplinary teaching tool integrated in the curriculum. We focus on the creation of the alpha and beta versions of our prototype and it’s evaluation by representative users. The SUS score of 92.5 points, Best Imaginable, show a very stable and satisfactory robotic platform, with almost no usability problems detected.