Economic Growth: Advances in Analysis Methodologies and Technologies

Vítor João Pereira Domingues Martinho is Coordinator Professor with Habilitation at the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Coimbra, Portugal. With a profound academic background, he has also served as Invited Professor at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (Portugal) and currently holds the position of Invited Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra (Portugal). From 2006 to 2012, Professor Martinho served as President of the Scientific Council, President of the Directive Council, and President of the Agricultural School belonging to the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal. Additionally, he was President of the Direction of the Association of Forest Producers of Viseu, Portugal. His excellent academic record is further substantiated by his participation as an Erasmus student in the Faculty of Economics from the University of Verona, Italy, and in various technical and scientific events nationally and internationally. Martinho has published several technical and scientific papers and serves as Referee for various scientific and technical journals. He actively participates in the evaluation of national and international projects.

• Chapter 1: Economic growth: Sigma and beta convergence processes worldwide.- Chapter 2: Clubs of convergence: Insights from the main groups of countries.- Chapter 3: World trends: Differences and similitudes between absolute and conditional convergence.- Chapter 4: Constant, decreasing, or increasing returns to scale: Evidence from the Verdoorn and Kaldor laws.- Chapter 5: Circular and cumulative processes in economic growth: The importance of the external demand.- Chapter 6: Interrelationships between economic growth and sustainability: Highlights from the literature.- Chapter 7: Sustainable development: Contributions from life cycle cost analysis.- Chapter 8: Social life cycle assessment: Relationships with the economic growth.- Chapter 9: Machine and deep learning: Their roles in the context of the economic growth processes and sustainability assessment.- Chapter 10: Economic growth, sustainability assessment and artificial intelligence: Combinations among these three dimensions.