Paulo Rupino Cunha

University of Coimbra | UC · Department of Informatics Engineering

Digital technologies can help support the health of migrants and refugees and facilitate research on their health issues. However, ethical concerns include security and confidentiality of information; informed consent; how to engage migrants in designing, implementing and researching digital tools; inequitable access to mobile devices and the inter...

Digital technologies can help support the health of migrants and refugees and facilitate research on their health issues. However, ethical concerns include security and confidentiality of information; informed consent; how to engage migrants in designing, implementing and researching digital tools; inequitable access to mobile devices and the inter...

Climate change is the greatest health threat of the 21st century, with global impacts that drive and intensify migration. It exacerbates health risks, disrupts healthcare access, and worsens social determinants of health. Acting as a multiplier, climate change amplifies drivers of displacement such as resource scarcity, food insecurity, extreme wea...

Collaborative networks require inter-organizational business process governance (IO-BPG) mechanisms to define ownership over shared resources and activities, accountability over operations, inter-organizational roles and responsibilities, and strategic partner alignment. We developed an IO-BPG modeling approach aiming to incorporate (1) IT governan...

Amid global health challenges, resilient health systems require continuous innovation and progress. Stakeholders highlight the critical role of digital technologies in accelerating this progress. However, the digital health field faces significant challenges, including the sensitivity of health data, the absence of evidence-based standards, data go...

In this study, we examine barriers and engagement in digital workplaces with data spanning multiple years from the periods before, during, and after COVID-19. We build on a previous systematic literature review, a survey, and two rounds of interviews spaced 1 year apart to compile a comprehensive list of barriers to digital workplaces and those uni...

The interest on the discovery of information hidden in large amounts of data exploded in the last decade, bringing to light the need of efficient and effective tools to access all sources and kinds of data. On the other hand, the need to secure and share valuable data led to the development of new technologies, like blockchain, that warrant data in...

Our SIG GLOBDEV Official Ancillary Meeting 2024 and Pre-AMCIS 2024 Workshop SIG titled "BRIDGING HORIZONS: EMPOWERING GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ICT AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP" is devoted to issues described below. In an era marked by digital disparities and burgeoning social entrepreneurship our workshop aims to forge new pathways toward inclus...

Background: The current workforce comprises individuals with varied characteristics and work expectations. Consequently, many companies are currently investing resources to design effective work environments with the aim of enhancing their ability to retain top talent. Method: We conducted a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to investigate how org...

A comprehensive analysis was performed, considering blockchain technology (BT) properties in digital health, addressing medicolegal, privacy, and regulatory considerations. Adherence to personal data protection and healthcare regulatory guidelines were analyzed and compared for GDPR (Europe), HIPAA (United States), CCPA (California), PIPEDA (Canada...

: A comprehensive analysis was performed, considering blockchain technology (BT) proprieties in digital health, addressing medico-legal, privacy, and regulatory considerations. Adherence to personal data protection and healthcare regulatory guidelines were analyzed and compared for GDPR (Europe), HIPAA (United States), CCPA (California), PIPEDA (Ca...

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely used in many fields, from intelligent virtual assistants to medical diagnosis. However, there is no consensus on how to deal with ethical issues. Using a systematic literature review and an analysis of recent real-world news about AI-infused systems, we cluster existing and emerging AI ethics and respons...

Blockchain has been gaining significant interest in several domains. However, this technology also raises relevant challenges, namely in terms of data protection. After the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been published by the European Union, companies worldwide changed the way they process personal data. This project provides a model...

We present a one-year longitudinal phenomenological study that explores how individuals perceived and overcame barriers to remote work during Covid-19 lockdowns. Our study builds upon a previous systematic literature review and utilizes actor-network theory (ANT) to analyze data collected from a survey and two rounds of interviews spaced one year a...

Background: There is a long tradition of writing about future work in research papers, and information systems design science research (IS DSR) is no exception. However, there is a lack of studies on (1) how IS DSR authors currently envision the next steps for their work and (2) guidelines to improve the communication of opportunities to accumulate...

Based on two systematic literature reviews, we contribute to the understanding of multi-generational digital workspaces by consolidating a list of known barriers and enablers in digital workplaces and identifying best practices to mitigate the former and promote the latter. Further, we analyze how these factors are perceived by the different genera...

Purpose Central banks from more than 100 countries, representing 95% of the global financial output, are studying Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). CBDCs can potentially enable safe, efficient and inexpensive cross-border and cross-currency payments in today's interconnected financial system. However, a critical factor influencing their expa...

Maturity models are essential tools to evaluate Industry 4.0 readiness. However, they have limitations in supporting organizational strategies over time and are insufficient to create company-specific Industry 4.0 roadmaps. This paper presents a research project to steer Industry 4.0 transformation in a leading paper pulp company listed on the Euro...

Data policies are high-level guidelines that define how the organization handles data. In the age of cross-organizational digital business ecosystems, organizations are facing the need to define data policies that allow them to operate in decentralized scenarios. We conducted a Design Science Research (DSR) project to develop an approach for data p...

Digital Transformation is reshaping how companies work and deliver their products and services in search of competitive advantages. IT governance is a crucial facilitator of the alignment between technology and business, with companies relying on the definition of structures, processes, and relational mechanisms. However, as companies increasingly...

Data governance is crossing organizational boundaries. However, governance mechanisms for data ecosystems have particularities, and tools to assist companies in steering decentralized data governance are lacking. This paper addresses these two gaps by presenting the results of a case study in the telecommunications industry (TELCO). After evaluatin...

After mass production and then mass customization, the time is almost ripe for mass personalization. The goal is to offer unique products designed for the needs of each customer. However, production in larger series of products also has its advantages, and the promise of “lot size one” is still far from being the norm in several sectors of the econ...

The immutability of data stored in a blockchain is a crucial pillar of trust in this technology, which has led to its increasing adoption in various use cases. However, there are situations where the inability to change or delete data may be illegal. European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)—applying to any company processing perso...

We propose a framework based on ADKAR (awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement) with guidelines to manage the organizational culture change required for servitization—the transition of a company towards a product–service system (PSS) business model that provides cohesive delivery of products and services, increasingly supported on...

The PLAIS EuroSymposium 2022 was organized with the leading topic of “Digital Transformation”. The papers included in the proceedings are related to the use of machine learning, big data, and the Internet of Things in various applications. Other topics of the proceedings concern the current situation of ICT employees and their creativity via social...

Besides increasing transparency and demonstrating awareness of the author, self-reported limitations enable other researchers to effectively learn from, build on, validate, and extend the original work. However, this topic is understudied in information systems design science research (IS DSR). The study has assessed 243 IS DSR papers published in...

Digital transformation requires decentralizing business process governance due to the increasing interdependencies of organizations and more complex business pipelines enabled by information technologies. We present a modelling approach to assist companies in their inter-organizational business process governance (IO-BPG). The results emerge from a...

We present a systematic literature review based on bibliometric analysis to clarify the role of data governance in sustainable development. We made a concept-centric review of 35 relevant papers (out of an initial set of 2214) selected from Scopus and Web of Science and classified them into (1) sector-specific, (2) causal relationships and approach...

Blockchain technology is a very promising disruptive technology with the potential to address problems that afflict our society, making it more inclusive, fair, and resilient. However, on the other hand, there are some notorious cases of using blockchain-based cryptocurrencies for money laundering, human trafficking, and financing criminal activiti...

Background: The increase of forcibly displaced people worldwide is a challenge for health systems and their ability to provide access and equity in Health as a universal right. In the case of migrants and refugees, their journey exacerbates this challenge, as they go through diverse countries, camps, and humanitarian teams. Hence, the collection a...

The increase of forcibly displaced people worldwide is a challenge for health systems and their ability to provide access and equity in Health as a universal right. Health information systems should be strengthened to collect and disseminate migrant health data enabling analytics for strategic decisions.This Viewpoint focuses on blockchain technolo...

The results of a questionnaire that seeks to ascertain the organizational and social impact of the blockchain technology in Portugal are presented. It is structured according to the model proposed by the authors, which presents the following 3 parts: characterization of the respondents' profile, factors of knowledge and of use of the blockchain tec...

Emerging economies are characterized by a low but growing per capita income and an ongoing process of institutional transformation and economic opening. Transition economies are a particular case of emerging economies which have abandoned the communist-style central planning system and committed to substantial reforms to adopt a free market approac...

Industry 4.0 calls for end-to-end digital integration of supply chains and a new boundary-spanning logic of process design. The shift is from shared operation to shared transformation. Design science research was chosen to (1) propose an approach for interorganizational business processes improvement in decentralized contexts of Industry 4.0 (IOBP...

Technological advancements have enabled a new perspective on the future of work, by bringing about job creation, job destruction, and different ways of work. In the meantime, new generations are becoming the majority of the global workforce. In this context, we performed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to understand how employees experience th...

We provide actionable guidance to organizations needing to comply with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We use a data processing pipeline – Data collection, Data protection, and Data operations – to structure the discussion around regulation requirements (with references to specific articles and recitals), socio-technical cha...

Industry 4.0 brings new challenges to the digitalization and decentralization of business processes. This paper contributes with a Business Process Modeling and Notation (BPMN) Extension that addresses the inter-organizational nature of the fourth industrial revolution and the need to address risk-by-design since the early stages of industrial coll...

To understand opportunities Blockchain offers for development, we propose a novel framework that considers Business-, Society-, Economy & Finance-, Technology-, and Policy-related factors. It illustrates the complex and multifaceted role of Blockchain in development and is useful in guiding research efforts, formulating actionable advice, and promoti...

We analyze the path from cryptocurrencies to official Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), to shed some light on the ultimate dematerialization of money. To that end, we made an extensive search that resulted in a review of more than 100 academic and grey literature references, including official positions from central banks. We present and dis...

This article presents an overview of the main developments of cryptocurrencies and discusses their future perspectives. First, it briefly reviews the history of cryptocurrencies since the creation of Bitcoin, presents the main market trends, and discusses the key features of cryptocurrencies in the context of blockchain. Second, it analyses current...

The adoption of digitally enabled manufacturing requires new strategies for managing information about the construction materials beyond the traditional project-driven perspective. This paper contributes an approach to improving transparency and traceability (T&T) of materials using industry 4.0 technologies. The results of a year-long action resea...

This paper presents an overview of the main developments of cryptocurrencies and discusses their future perspectives. First, it briefly reviews the history of cryptocurrencies since the creation of Bitcoin, presents the main market trends, and discusses the key features of cryptocurrencies in the context of blockchain. Second, it analyses current c...

Initiatives using digital technologies as an enabler have been studied and implemented by many enterprises in recent years, mainly due to the increasing demand from customers for value-added products and services delivered faster and more conveniently. 1 This persistent increase in digital capabilities has resulted in endless new challenges. The ra...

We propose a benchmarking test suite to evaluate performance of cloud serverless platforms and an open source software tool to automate the test process. Additionally, we used this setup to compare the commercial offers of Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and IBM. The work builds on ideas and experiments reported in the literature that, nevertheless, did...

The present work is a contribution towards accelerating the digitisation process of natural history collections, usually a slow process. A two-stage process was developed at the herbarium of the University of Coimbra: (i) a new workflow was established to automatically create records in the herbarium master database with minimum information, while...

Even the most unforeseen objects can be digitally transformed, requiring a tailored approach to each sector of the economy. This paper presents a year-long design science research to create a smart product-service system (SPSS) in the traditional industry of ceramic roof tiles. Our study describes the challenges of incorporating interactivity and d...

We have identified, mapped and discussed existing research on Blockchain-based solutions for intellectual property (IP) protection, an investigation that emerged from a case in antibody production for scientific and medical applications. To that end, we have performed a systematic literature review and created an instrument that classifies the cont...

Smart products integrate physical and digital materialities, taking advantage of sensors, mobile technologies, and advanced data processing capabilities. This type of systems is a top priority for managers, offering the capacity to sense, communicate, adapt, and anticipate the needs of business stakeholders. We use the lens of the Viable System Mod...

This paper argues in favor of a deeper understanding of the importance of futures in information systems (IS) research and proposes an initial set of guidelines for the inclusion, in IS publications, of an optional section devoted to the discussion of futures. The proposal was inspired by reflections on the nature of disruptive innovations and was...

We propose a staged digital transformation capability maturity model framework that enables organizations to assess their present digital capability and establish a plan of improvements to move to a higher level. It was developed using a design science research approach, building on the ISO/IEC 330xx family of standards to provide structure to a se...

Agriculture 4.0 is a growing field of research that aims to solve one of the most critical challenges for humanity: efficient production in a changing environment. This paper presents a two-year long research project in a wine producer with over 800 associates. The results provide an in-depth presentation of transformations in two vineyards using a...

Smart, interconnected products are transforming the industry. Construction is a paradigmatic example of digital transformation incorporating systems to improve safety and productivity. This research uses the lens of the Viable System Model (VSM) to design smart products that adhere to the organization strategy in disruptive transformations. Our des...

We have identified, mapped and discussed existing research on Blockchain-based solutions for intellectual property (IP) protection, an investigation that emerged from a case in antibody production for scientific and medical applications. To that end, we have performed a systematic literature review and created an instrument that classifies the cont...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an approach to incorporating mobility into continuous manufacturing following the advent of Industry 4.0 (I4.0). Design/methodology/approach The investigation is based on a year-long canonical action research into a paper-manufacturing company implementing core I4.0 technologies. Findings The findin...

Hebaria are biological collections of preserved plants, algae, fungi and lichens used for scientific purposes. Fast communication and information exchange are fundamental to accelerate the investigation on biodiversity. The major world herbaria are concentrating efforts to digitise their collections and making available the information online. Over...

Opportunities to use virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VAM-R) are emerging in various sectors of the economy. To seize them, managers need to develop comprehensive strategies that intertwine digital and physical forms of materiality. This paper proposes a way to assess and steer the transformations of the reality-virtuality continuum across li...

As wearable technologies are gaining increased attention in construction, we present an integrated solution for their adoption in occupational health and safety (OHS). Research methods include a structured literature review of 37 articles and a year-long design science research project in a construction group. The main results are (1) the identific...

This chapter addresses cyber-physical systems resilience with a focus on Internet of Things as a particularly prominent example of large-scale cyber-physical systems. The emphasis is on current and future network architectures and systems, highlighting main research issues, as well as technological trends. This chapter opens by discussing and contr...

As part of an ongoing design science research project, we present a systematic literature review and the classification of 214 papers scoping the work on Data Science (DS) in the fields of Information Systems and Human-Computer Interaction. The overall search was conducted on Web of Science, Science Direct and ACM Digital Library, for papers about...

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 12th International Conference on the Quality of Information and Communications Technology, QUATIC 2019, held in Ciudad Real, Spain, in September 2019. The 19 full papers and 6 short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 66 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections: sec...

This paper addresses the understandability of smart contracts when compared to their traditional legal form. Our method is an exploratory case study conducted with 36 students in information systems (IS). We conclude that smart contracts written in Solidity language are understandable by users with a background in programming languages such as Java...

This book constitutes selected papers from the 15th European, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern Conference, EMCIS 2018, held in Limassol, Cyprus, in October 2018. EMCIS is dedicated to the definition and establishment of Information Systems as a discipline of high impact for the methodical community and IS professionals, focusing on approaches that...

Our design research goal is to improve the user experience and effectiveness of an integrated IT solution for supporting the creative and collaborative Data Science (DS) life-cycle process. The work is being done as a Design Science Research (DSR) project, in real-life context. Within a fast-pace development environment, with scarce access to end-u...

We describe the design and implementation of an innovative software platform that enables hoteliers to configure custom solutions to manage their business, by building on multiple existing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions. A flexible cloud integration mechanism uses "drivers" to communicate with various SaaS via their existing APIs. Selection...

We propose a lifecycle model for sociomaterial transformation in the emergent fourth industrial revolution (industry 4.0). Canonical action research is our mode of inquiry, conducted in a traditional ceramic company over a period of eighteen months. The findings suggest that the claimed revolution requires the introduction of combined changes in th...

Pilot projects are popular in companies for experimenting with industry 4.0 concepts. However, few studies have addressed the specificities of piloting transformation, whose requirements are quite different than those for implementing a project with clear goals. Pilot projects can be used for the purpose of exploring, demonstrating, optimizing and...

An increasing number of concurrent standards and regulations is being imposed on organizations operating in various domains. From healthcare to automotive to food, demands from national legislation, directives of each target market, and edicts from specific clients are creating a patchwork of requirements for compliance and audit. Managing these di...

As part of an ongoing design science research project, we present a systematic literature review and the classification of 214 papers scoping the work on Data Science (DS) in the fields of Information Systems and Human-Computer Interaction. The overall search was conducted on Web of Science, Science Direct and ACM Digital Library, for papers about...

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify avenues for future research in mobile supply chain management (mSCM) in the advent of Industry 4.0. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was used to identify, classify, and analyze current knowledge, identify trends, and propose recommendations for future research. Findings:...

We propose a customer-focused approach to design product traceability for Industry 4.0. Our design-science research includes a review of traceability technologies and participative enterprise modeling in the ceramic industry. We find benefits in combining Business Process Modeling Notation and Goal-oriented Requirements Language representations to...

Departing from a case in the table and ornamental ceramics industry, we propose a comprehensive approach to design product traceability for Industry 4.0. Our design-science research approach includes a review of traceability technologies and participative enterprise modeling. We find benefits in combining Business Process Modeling Notation and Goal...

We describe a middleware solution for automatic run-time process versioning in Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) and then analyse its impact in terms of scalability and performance. Business processes change in response to business needs, but the deployment of new versions to a BPEL engine must ensure that running instances are not disrupt...

We propose the design of a digital service ecosystem for the pharmaceutical compounds supply chain. Our method of inquiry is the canonical action research and a retail pharmacy provides the setting. A comprehensive review of existing literature about compounding of medicines is provided and six digital services identified: Supply management, Produc...