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Economic competitiveness is not only a microeconomic problem for business management. It is also an important indicator of comparison among the economic development, advancement and sustainability of respective countries. The investigation of macroeconomic competitiveness of individual states is at the forefront of the discourse of both macroeconomic experts and politicians. In this study we focus on the economic competitiveness of the BENELUX countries, that is Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg. The objective of the article is to identify the position of the BENELUX countries as an economic union with respect to global economy and the potential for the growth and sustainability of BENELUX economic competitiveness. The first part of the article addresses the theoretical principles of the given problematic, delineates competitiveness within its economic determinants and positions a discussion with specific focus on the BENELUX countries. The article also addresses the cooperation within the union of these states in terms of sustainability of competitiveness. The empirical part of the article analyses the competitiveness of the chosen states using standard macroeconomic methods. Three indices were utilised in the analysis, the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), the ʻDoing Businessʼ index created by the World Bank, and the Economic Freedom Index (EFI). We have also subjected the selected indicators to a correlational analysis, the aim of which was to identify possible correlations between the chosen competitiveness index and a chosen parameter. The results of the analysis reveal the current economic position of the BENELUX countries, and outline the economic opportunities and threats to further development.

As the world’s largest CO₂ emitter, China’s ability to decarbonize its energy system strongly affects the prospect of achieving the 1.5 °C limit in global, average surface-temperature rise. Understanding technically feasible, cost-competitive, and grid-compatible solar photovoltaic (PV) power potentials spatiotemporally is critical for China’s future energy pathway. This study develops an integrated model to evaluate the spatiotemporal evolution of the technology-economic-grid PV potentials in China during 2020 to 2060 under the assumption of continued cost degression in linewith the trends of the past decade. The model considers the spatialized technical constraints, up-to-date economic parameters, and dynamic hourly interactions with the power grid. In contrast to the PV production of 0.26 PWh in 2020, results suggest that China’s technical potential will increase from 99.2 PWh in 2020 to 146.1 PWh in 2060 along with technical advances, and the national average power price could decrease from 4.9 to 0.4 US cents/kWh during the same period. About 78.6% (79.7 PWh) of China’s technical potential will realize price parity to coal-fired power in 2021, with price parity achieved nationwide by 2023. The cost advantage of solar PV allows for coupling with storage to generate cost-competitive and grid-compatible electricity. The combined systems potentially could supply 7.2 PWh of grid-compatible electricity in 2060 to meet 43.2% of the country’s electricity demand at a price below 2.5 US cents/kWh. The findings highlight a crucial energy transition point, not only for China but for other countries, at which combined solar power and storage systems become a cheaper alternative to coal-fired electricity and a more grid-compatible option.

Introduction: Imports are an important component of economic development in developing countries, including in the ASEAN Economic Community.   Purpose: The aims of this study to analyze the determinants of import in ASEAN Economic Community.   Methodology/Approach: The research method used is panel data analysis from 2010-2019. The research variables include imports as the dependent variable and export variables, exchange rates, population, inflation, GDP and interest rates as independent variables. This study is to analyze the determinants of imports in the economies of ASEAN community countries starting from the results of the Chow test and Hausmen test which compare the static and dynamic fixed effect panel data analysis models.   Findings: The results of this study indicate that imports for ASEAN economic community are influenced by the variables of exports, FDI and population. The results of this study also show that imports for ASEAN economic community are a necessity to support their economic development.   Originality/Value/Implication: The conclusion and recommendation from this research is that imports are an important component in economic development in ASEAN economic community, so it is necessary to have an integrated policy among ASEAN economic community to build economic cooperation to reduce economic dependence from outside. ASEAN economic community need to improve economic efficiency and international competitiveness to encourage exports of flagship products in international markets.

In a dynamically changing socio-economic environment with significant technical and technological progress, the notion of energy security takes on a new, broader meaning. Modern literature presents a variety of operational definitions of energy security. Most authors dealing with the issue of energy security expose its different aspects while standing in opposition to competing concepts. As a result, literature that addresses the problems of energy policy is becoming a platform for debates on the essence of energy security and the applicability of its various approaches to individual situations. There is no unanimity among authors with regard to the theoretical framework or the components of this notion. However, the issue of diversity of views is quite typical in social sciences and should not be taken negatively. Despite this, and perhaps contrary to the definitional wealth, experts in the field of energy policy constantly stress the necessity and urgency of undertaking work on the conceptualization of energy security. The aim of the article is a comprehensive review of the concept of energy security in the context of new trends in the development of the energy sector based on a narrative review of scientific literature. The main differences in the perception of energy security have been identified, and it has been pointed out that the “supply concept” of energy security is giving way to an approach in which energy is a factor initiating deep transformations of social systems by changing consumption patterns, reducing energy consumption, and forcing changes in economic systems by imposing energy efficiency standards and environmental standards.

Type of the article: Research Article AbstractThe study aims to empirically group European countries based on competitiveness determinants and adult education demand to form a generalized cluster representation of their socio-economic characteristics. The sample covers 36 European countries from 2015 to 2024. The information base was formed using a set of indicators derived from the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), together with an indicator reflecting adult education demand. The methodology includes standardization of indicators, selection of relevant variables using principal component analysis, and cluster analysis. The first two principal components explain 76.3% of the total variance, allowing a substantial reduction in the dimensionality of the dataset while preserving most of the information contained in the initial indicators. Clustering was conducted using Ward’s hierarchical method and the k-means algorithm, with verification of differences between clusters by analysis of variance (p < 0.05). To examine structural changes over time, clustering was performed for three benchmark years: 2015, 2020, and 2024. The results reveal five clusters of countries differing in institutional development, innovation potential, business environment characteristics, and adult education participation. A relatively stable core of highly competitive economies was identified, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Switzerland. Other clusters show greater variability in composition. Across the benchmark years selected within the 2015–2024 observation period, Ukraine remained within the cluster characterized by the lowest values of competitiveness determinants and adult education demand, reflecting persistent structural constraints in the development of human capital and lifelong learning systems.

In this collection of essays, the author provides a compelling new framework for thinking about the moral obligations that private actors in a market economy have toward each other and to society. In a sharp break with traditional approaches to business ethics, the author argues that the basic principles of corporate social responsibility are already implicit in the institutional norms that structure both marketplace competition and the modern business corporation. In four new and nine previously published essays, the author articulates the foundations of a “market failures” approach to business ethics. Rather than bringing moral concerns to bear upon economic activity as a set of foreign or externally imposed constraints, this approach seeks to articulate a robust conception of business ethics derived solely from the basic normative justification for capitalism. The result is a unified theory of business ethics, corporate law, economic regulation, and the welfare state, which offers a reconstruction of the central normative preoccupations in each area that is consistent across all four domains. Beyond the core theory, the author offers new insights on a wide range of topics in economics and philosophy, from agency theory and risk management to social cooperation and the transaction cost theory of the firm.

The continuous expansion of the scale of the global digital economy has given rise to a large number of technical and skilled talents demand, and also triggered a profound change in the field of university education, and digital transformation has become an inevitable trend for the modernization of university education. This paper takes 291 prefecture-level cities in China as the research object, and analyzes the driving effect of the digital transformation of universities on regional economic competitiveness by combining relevant statistical data. On the basis of clarifying the significant spatial correlation between economic competitiveness and the clustering of universities’ digital transformation in each city, we constructed a spatial measurement model and used the partial differential method to calculate the spatial Durbin model to decompose the spatial spillover effect of the digital transformation of universities on regional economic competitiveness in each city. The results found that the regression coefficient between the digital transformation of colleges and universities and regional economic competitiveness is greater than 0 and passes the 1% significance level test, indicating that the digital transformation of colleges and universities can significantly improve regional economic competitiveness. Meanwhile, the regression coefficient of government subsidies and regional economic competitiveness is 0.6037 and positive at 1% significance level. It shows that the government has accelerated the process of accelerating digital transformation in universities by providing subsidies, which indirectly promotes regional economic competitiveness.

This paper assesses the impact of transport infrastructure quality on economic competitiveness in the European Union (EU), context in which we argue that the quality of the different modal transport networks has a differentiated contribution on competitiveness. The purpose of our analysis aims to quantify the qualitative contribution of each modal transport network to economic competitiveness in the EU. The econometric quantification of the mentioned impact emphasizes a contributory hierarchy as follows: the quality of port and railroad infrastructure contributes most substantially to economic competitiveness, followed by the quality of the air transport infrastructure, the inland waterways and the road network. Based on the iterated results, we sequenced the EU member states with the lowest quality of networks with the highest impact on competitiveness. Thus, we identified the states for which the priority improvement of the quality of the port and railway infrastructures would significantly improve their economic competitiveness.

Collaboration with technology is the best strategy to create regional competitiveness in this era. However, adjustments to locality elements must still be included because it is the key and capital of success. The purpose of this study is to develop a strategy to build the competitiveness of the Central Java region based on technology and locality with the Pentahelix approach. The method used in this research is Research and Development (R&D). The study is based on qualitative research with the Pentahelix approach. The second stage is developing a technology and locality-based platform implemented in one of the districts in Central Java. The results of the first research phase are in the form of an analysis of the conditions of Central Java which can be capital in increasing regional competitiveness and can be realized in the form of a digital platform with the Pentahelix approach. The results of the second study are digital platforms in the form of technology and locality-based apps. The new thing offered in this research is the R&D method used to develop a strategy to increase the competitiveness of the Central Java region.

Purpose:This study analysed how the educational preferences of current students (referred to as digital natives), perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI), and expectations of academic teachers shape the development of intellectual capital in higher education in the context of differences in the level of digitisation in Poland and Greece.Methodology:The research draws on theoretical frameworks including learning styles, digital pedagogy, educational geography, expected value theory, and intellectual capital. A comparative analysis was conducted to examine students’ attitudes toward teaching methods, active learning approaches, and the use of AI in education. Survey data were collected from higher education students in Poland and Greece and analysed to identify cross-cultural differences.Findings:The results reveal significant national differences. Polish students, typically younger, preferred laboratories and group work, while Greek students favoured project-based learning and seminars. In terms of expectations, Polish students prioritised lecturers’ expertise and teaching diversity, whereas Greek students emphasised the development of social competences. Both groups acknowledged the educational potential of AI, though Polish students more often highlighted risks to independent thinking, while Greek students viewed AI as more inspirational.Originality:This study contributes to understanding how digital and socio-economic transformations shape educational expectations and learning preferences across cultures. It underscores the need for locally tailored academic programs that integrate technology and active learning strategies to enhance intellectual capital and better prepare students for digitally driven, knowledge-based societies. The results contribute to understanding how the development of intellectual capital in universities is linked to the creation of a skilled, innovation-oriented workforce, which is essential for the competitiveness of economies.Key words:socio-economic transformation, spatial differences in education, Generation Z, active learning, digital natives, economic competitivenessJEL classification: I23, I25