NOVA IMS is proud to announce its leading role in the PROGRESSE project, which secured first place at the Science4Policy 2023 call funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).

PROGRESSE aims to inform policy decisions that drive increased business productivity and a more resource-efficient economy in Portugal. For that, the project will specifically evaluate the impact of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) incentive systems on investment in new companies. This focus aligns with a critical need to foster an environment that cultivates innovative and successful startups, ultimately addressing Portugal's stagnant productivity growth.

Under the coordination of Professor Bruno Damásio, the project will address key questions, including the impact of incentive systems on companies' productivity and the heterogeneity of this impact based on entrepreneur and entrepreneurship characteristics. To delve into these questions, staggered designs DiD estimators and causal trees will be employed.

The original research team, including Fernando Alexandre and Miguel Portela from the Universidade do Minho, along with Sandro Mendonça from ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, and Carolina Vasconcelos from NOVA IMS Information Management School, represents a collaborative effort across top Portuguese research institutions.

PROGRESSE project is seamlessly integrated into the Public Policy and Deep Learning MagIC research lines and contributes to the Education and Sustainability key impact areas. It underscores NOVA IMS's commitment to conducting impactful research at the intersection of economics and policy-making.