Research

Impacting

society

OSEAN is an interdisciplinary research unit, with special intervention in the following areas: Green and Blue Economy; Eco-Entrepreneurship; Green Accounting and Sustainable Finance; Digital Innovation; Sustainability and Social Inclusion.

OSEAN works to create an impact on the community and obtain recognition of excellence, not only from its peers but also from society itself.

OSEAN works to create an impact on the community and obtain recognition of excellence, not only from its peers but also from society itself.

Although interdisciplinary in scope, these are the scientific areas and areas of preferential intervention:

Green and Blue Economy
Eco-Entrepreneurship
Green Accounting and Sustainable Finance
Digital Innovation
Social Sustainability and Inclusion

1. Green and Blue Economy

Based on three pillars of sustainable business development in the green and blue economy—social, economic, and environmental—in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, proposing circular and regenerative economic models; and the ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) strategy. Core activities are:

Contribute to increasing the competitiveness of companies in the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
Disseminate good international practices to support the performance of organizations in the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
Reinforce education, training, and cooperation programs with other ORs and other regions in Europe and the world.

2. Eco-entrepreneurship

Tackling the environmental issues of entrepreneurship. Core activities are:

Research new organizational models that stimulate innovation and creativity in the development of ecologically efficient and economically viable solutions.
Research and develop new products and technological solutions (including processes) for a more circular economy.
Promote the link between higher education researchers and their partners to experiment with sustainable technologies, materials, and processes.
Develop sustainable sources of raw materials and components.
Increase the use of clean energy sources: solar, wind, and marine.

3. Green Accounting and Sustainable Finance

The environment is becoming a central issue in the business world and economic and financial activities. To respond to pressure from stakeholders, companies will have to collect, process, use, and disseminate information related to the natural environment. Core activities are:

Research environmental accounting metrics, their institutionalization, and their impact on market behavior.
Research funding sources for sustainable investments (namely “green bonds” and other financial instruments).

4. Digital Innovation

The fourth industrial revolution is transforming the business reality in an accelerated way. Characterized by Connectivity, Databases, and Computing (Sensors, Internet of Things, “Cloud”, and “Blockchain”); Advanced Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence; Human-Machine Interaction (Virtual Reality, Robotics and Automation); and Advanced Engineering (3D Printing, Nanoparticles, Renewable Energies). Core activities are:

Research new organizational models that stimulate innovation and creativity in the development of ecologically efficient and economically viable solutions.
Research and develop new products and technological solutions (including processes) for a more circular economy.
Promote the link between higher education researchers and their partners to experiment with sustainable technologies, materials, and processes.
Develop sustainable sources of raw materials and components.
Increase the use of clean energy sources: solar, wind, and marine.

5. Social Sustainability and Inclusion

The corporate responsibility of organizations already goes beyond the simple creation of value and, in the future, will also have to be an agent of change for an environmentally friendly, more inclusive society with equal opportunities for its citizens. Core activites are:

Research the effectiveness of mechanisms to encourage corporate responsibility in organizations.
Research the practice of the “Principles for Responsible Management Education” and the role of HEIs in implementing local and regional sustainability and inclusion strategies.