Ana Maria Marques Balão
Department of Social Sciences, Territory and Development
CARE – Research Center on Health and Social Sciences
Portalegre Polytechnic University
Relevant links outside academia
Research interests focus on the intersections of sociology, territorial development and social innovation, with particular emphasis on futures studies, strategic foresight, participatory approaches to public policy and community development. Additional research interests include social network analysis, social Innovation, ageing and care, and governance in low-density territories.
Expertise
- Territorial development, social innovation and sustainability in rural and low-density contexts.
- Strategic foresight, futures studies and scenario planning applied to regional development, public policies and organisations.
- Participatory and co-creation methodologies for research, social innovation and community development.
- Territorial governance, intermunicipal cooperation and collaborative networks for local and regional development.
- Social network analysis and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding complex social and territorial systems.
- Innovative pedagogies, problem-based learning and collaborative approaches in higher education.
Relevant projects
- Development of research and intervention projects applying futures studies and strategic foresight to territorial development, public policies and organisational innovation, including participation in the activities of FUTUR_LAB Alentejo.
- Long-term research on intermunicipal cooperation in Alentejo, exploring governance models, public policies and collaborative strategies for territorial development through prospective methodologies.
- Application of participatory methodologies to community development and local governance, promoting collaboration between public institutions, local stakeholders and civil society.
- Development of transdisciplinary and co-creation approaches in higher education, including the application of problem-based learning and collaborative methodologies to address real-world societal challenges.