Potential of regional fuel and energy complex with the typological features of regional development

Purpose: Fuel & Energy Complex (FEC) has a significant share in the economic system and has the most extensive potential for introducing innovations. Authors suggest innovative potential of regional FEC considering the specifics of regional economic development. Design/Methodology/Approach: To evaluate the attainability of economic growth in conjunction with the goals of energy efficiency and energy independence and to make decisions on adjustments in energy policy, the authors propose a three-component integrated index of elasticity of energy efficiency for each typological group of region, including the index of innovative potential of the regional Fuel & Energy Complex, the index of energy supply efficiency of consumers in the region and the sustainability index of the region’s energy system. Findings: The survey identified five typological groups of regions reflecting the features of regional FEC development. Considering the significance of factors affecting innovative potential, seven groups of such factors were proposed for formation, and the significance of each factor was determined in accordance with the typological group of the region. Practical implications: Each of the three components of the integrated index makes its specific contribution to the resulting quantitative indicator, the value of which will reflect the degree to which the regional energy policy has reached its target priorities, and to meet the urgent challenges of modern innovative sustainable energy technologies. Originality/Value: Realisation of the innovative potential of regional FEC should be closely linked with indicators of energy efficiency and energy independence in order to ensure the development of regional economies, including the achievement of global climate goals.peer-reviewe

FinTech ecosystem as an instrument of sustainable development provision

Purpose: The article aims to determine the relationship between the FinTech ecosystem and ensuring a stable path of economic growth in the context of digitalization. The transition to digitalization of the financial sector is accompanied by a fundamentally new, qualitative transformation of socioeconomic relations in society. Design/Methodology/Approach: As part of the study, the concept of FinTech was considered both in the context of technological innovation and in the context of companies utilizing these innovations in business, as well as the systematization of business models of the FinTech industry. The classification of horizontal and vertical innovations of the financial industry is given. The authors presented the structure of the FinTech ecosystem as an instrument for ensuring sustainable. Findings: For the successful development of the FinTech ecosystem, the authors of the study presented a number of initiatives, the implementation of which will ensure the maintenance of the financial system stability, protection of consumer rights, as well as the digital innovations’ development and implementation. Practical Implications: The formation of a sustainable digital financial infrastructure tends to ensure the effective provision of services in the financial market, including for small and medium-sized companies, which will increase the availability of financial services and promote competition in the financial sector. Originality/Value: The key contribution of the study is the ecosystem approach, which allowed determining the possibilities of safe sustainable development of the financial sector.peer-reviewe

Natural resources conservation management and strategies in agriculture

This paper suggests a holistic framework for assessment and improvement of management strategies for conservation of natural resources in agriculture. First, it incorporates an interdisciplinary approach (combining Economics, Organization, Law, Sociology, Ecology, Technology, Behavioral and Political Sciences) and presents a modern framework for assessing environmental management and strategies in agriculture including: specification of specific “managerial needs” and spectrum of feasible governance modes (institutional environment; private, collective, market, and public modes) of natural resources conservation at different level of decision-making (individual, farm, eco-system, local, regional, national, transnational, and global); specification of critical socio-economic, natural, technological, behavioral etc. factors of managerial choice, and feasible spectrum of (private, collective, public, international) managerial strategies; assessment of efficiency of diverse management strategies in terms of their potential to protect diverse eco-rights and investments, assure socially desirable level of environmental protection and improvement, minimize overall (implementing, third-party, transaction etc.) costs, coordinate and stimulate eco-activities, meet preferences and reconcile conflicts of individuals etc. Second, it presents evolution and assesses the efficiency of diverse management forms and strategies for conservation of natural resources in Bulgarian agriculture during post-communist transformation and EU integration (institutional, market, private, and public), and evaluates the impacts of EU CAP on environmental sustainability of farms of different juridical type, size, specialization and location. Finally, it suggests recommendations for improvement of public policies, strategies and modes of intervention, and private and collective strategies and actions for effective environmental protection

Opportunities for Dutch Biorefineries

Deze Roadmap Bioraffinage beschrijft een aantal mogelijke routes naar de ontwikkeling en implementatie van een bioraffinage-gerelateerde Bio-based Economy in Nederland. De Roadmap combineert korte- en middellange termijn mogelijkheden (commerciële implementatie, demonstratie plants, pilot plants en gerelateerd toegepast onderzoek) met strategisch onderzoek voor de langere termijn. Tevens zijn vier z.g. Moonshots uitgewerkt, als voorziene bioraffinagestrategieën met een grote potentie voor de Nederlandse economi

Knowledge Management and Sustainable Agriculture:the Italian Case

The contemporary knowledge-based economy requires global usage of information in all aspects of modern society. Pertinent information is an important asset for successful business, therefore an application of knowledge management in organisational practice has become a crucial factor for the viability and sustainable development of enterprises. This is particularly relevant for the agricultural context, which needs modern practices for enhancement and development. However, information and knowledge, due to their intangible character, seem difficult to manage and organize. Therefore the paper targeted at developing sustainable organizational model of knowledge management for small and medium enterprises. Italian agriculture is considered as a context for this study, and knowledge management was offered as a tool for facilitating agricultural performance and increasing competitiveness of agricultural sector. A wide concept of knowledge management and specified agricultural context require a theory-based approach to research and a survey. Thus, the research methodology includes the next four parts. The first one contains literature review and examines definitions, strategies, approaches and models of sustainable knowledge management. The second part includes content analysis of 105 scientific publications. The third part of methodology is based on the results of the two previous parts and includes creating the model of knowledge management. Verification of this model is the last part of the research. Verification was executed through on-line questionnaire distributed to Italian agricultural enterprises throughout the country on their intentions and awareness towards knowledge management and developed model of knowledge management. The results of the survey have demonstrated farmer’s incentives to implement the developed knowledge management model with flexible approach in its organisation

Investing in Sustainable Energy Futures: Multilateral Development Banks' Investments in Energy Policy

Analyzes MDB loans for electricity projects and lays out policy reforms, regulations, and institutional capacities needed to enable public and private investment in sustainable energy and ways for MDBs to address them consistently and comprehensively

The Lore of Low Methane Livestock:Co-Producing Technology and Animals for Reduced Climate Change Impact

Methane emissions from sheep and cattle production have gained increasing profile in the context of climate change. Policy and scientific research communities have suggested a number of technological approaches to mitigate these emissions. This paper uses the concept of co-production as an analytical framework to understand farmers’ evaluation of a 'good animal’. It examines how technology and sheep and beef cattle are co-produced in the context of concerns about the climate change impact of methane. Drawing on 42 semi-structured interviews, this paper demonstrates that methane emissions are viewed as a natural and integral part of sheep and beef cattle by farmers, rather than as a pollutant. Sheep and beef cattle farmers in the UK are found to be an extremely heterogeneous group that need to be understood in their specific social, environmental and consumer contexts. Some are more amenable to appropriating methane reducing measures than others, but largely because animals are already co-constructed from the natural and the technical for reasons of increased production efficiency