The border as a barrier and an incentive for the structural economic transformation of the Kaliningrad exclave

This paper aims to study how geopolitical shifts affect regional economies and their structures. Border functions and regimes act as tools for the economy and society to adapt to the redistribution of political influence, movements of people, goods, capital and information between integration associations, individual countries and their cores. A changed environment may slow down the development of some industries (and even cause them to decline) and give a boost to others, with these two processes constituting economic restructuring. In the exclave of Kaliningrad, heavily dependent on international trade and transit trade with mainland Russia, geopolitical changes have naturally had an exceptionally strong effect. The relationship between border functions and economic restructuring was investigated over four periods. The study utilised data from Rosstat and the Federal Customs Service, departmental statistics and findings from expert interviews conducted by the authors. The extent and direction of changes are assessed by examining the ratios between major economic sectors, the structure of foreign trade relations, and the volume and sectoral distribution of investments. Four main ways are identified in which the sharp increase in the barrier nature of the borders between the Kaliningrad region and neighbouring countries since 2014 and especially February 2022 has influenced the region's economy. The significance and effectiveness of the agro-industrial complex have risen, with an increased focus on domestic tourism, and the adoption of advanced public administration practices in collaboration with businesses. This includes implementing mechanisms such as Free Economic Zones and industrial parks, along with a shift towards proactive measures to adapt to the changing environment

IGU REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN SANTIAGO

IGU REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN SANTIAG

Phantom borders: the role in territorial identity and the impact on society

This paper is devoted to the phenomenon of phantom borders as a special type of relict (historical) borders. These borders still evoke strong emotions in public opinion, remain the subject of political discourse and, therefore, can be used in political mobilization, strengthening or transforming national, ethnic or regional identities. Phantom borders usually divide territories with different identities of the population, while maintaining in their eyes a certain legitimacy. The need to study phantom boundaries is explained by many reasons. Firstly, recently established borders often cause nostalgia for “fair” old borders which potentially threatens to exacerbate international conflicts. Secondly, borders inherited from the past are usually significant in state building. Thirdly, phantom borders have an impact on many fields of activity, from agriculture to transport. Fourthly, phantom borders determine the cultural landscape of the borderlands. A vivid expression of the significance of historical boundaries is their ability to attract tourists. Some countries like Poland and Ukraine are “classic” cases for studying the relationship between historical and cultural borders. In many countries, phantom borders are former frontiers associated with the history of the formation and development of state territory – for instance, kresy in Poland. The author suggests four conceptual approaches to the study of phantom borders. In the final section the author considers the case of Russia – a country with large territory and complicated history of its formation and settlement where one can find all types of phantom borders.Cet article aborde le phénomène des frontières fantômes en tant que type particulier de vestiges historiques. Ces frontières suscitent de fortes émotions dans l’opinion publique, animent les discours politiques et peuvent ainsi s’utiliser à des fins de mobilisation politique, renforcer ou transformer les identités nationales, ethniques ou régionales. Le plus souvent les frontières fantômes séparent des populations d’identités différentes, aux yeux desquelles elles conservent une certaine légitimité. La nécessité d’étudier cette question peut s’expliquer par de nombreuses raisons. En premier lieu, les frontières récentes sont souvent cause de nostalgie pour les anciennes frontières « justes », ce qui peut représenter une menace dans l’exacerbation de conflits internationaux. En second lieu, dans la plupart des cas les frontières héritées du passé ont un certain poids dans la construction d’un Etat. Ensuite, elles ont un impact dans de nombreux domaines d’activités, de l’agriculture jusqu’aux transports. Enfin, les frontières fantômes déterminent le paysage culturel des régions frontalières. Une expression frappante de l’importance des frontières historiques est leur capacité d’attraction en matière de tourisme. Certains pays comme la Pologne et l’Ukraine sont des cas « classiques » pour l’étude des relations entre frontières historiques et frontières culturelles. Dans beaucoup de pays, les frontières fantômes sont d’anciennes frontières associées avec l’histoire de la formation et du développement du territoire de l’Etat – tel le terme kresy (confins) en Pologne. L’auteur suggère quatre approches conceptuelles pour cette étude. La dernière partie de l’article est consacrée au cas de la Russie – un pays doté d’un vaste territoire et d’une histoire complexe où l’on peut trouver tous les types de frontières fantômes

The crystallization of thin Sb2Te films with vacuum annealing and an electron beam

Thin Sb2Te films with a thickness gradient were studied via transmission electron microscopy. The processes of forced crystallization were examined with thermal annealing and an electron beam. The crystallization’s general tendencies, including competitive nucleation and growth crystallization, were revealed. As the thickness of the sample increases, the size of the crystals growing in the film enlarges. As the temperature increases, the number of crystals in the film grows. Crystallization under the action of an electron beam occurs mainly by nucleation mechanism

Zarya Energy Balance Analysis: The Effect of Spacecraft Shadowing on Solar Array Performance

The first element of the International Space Station (ISS). Zarya, was funded by NASA and built by the Russian aerospace company Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center (KhSC). NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and KhSC collaborated in performing analytical predictions of the on-orbit electrical performance of Zarya's solar arrays. GRC assessed the pointing characteristics of and shadow patterns on Zarya's solar arrays to determine the average solar energy incident on the arrays. KHSC used the incident energy results to determine Zarya's electrical power generation capability and orbit-average power balance. The power balance analysis was performed over a range of solar beta angles and vehicle operational conditions. This analysis enabled identification of problems that could impact the power balance for specific flights during ISS assembly and was also used as the primary means of verifying that Zarya complied with electrical power requirements. Analytical results are presented for select stages in the ISS assembly sequence along with a discussion of the impact of shadowing on the electrical performance of Zarya's solar arrays

Nanometre scale 3D nanomechanical imaging of semiconductor structures from few nm to sub-micrometre depths

Multilayer structures of active semiconductor devices (1), novel memories (2) and semiconductor interconnects are becoming increasingly three-dimensional (3D) with simultaneous decrease of dimensions down to the few nanometres length scale (3). Ability to test and explore these 3D nanostructures with nanoscale resolution is vital for the optimization of their operation and improving manufacturing processes of new semiconductor devices. While electron and scanning probe microscopes (SPMs) can provide necessary lateral resolution, their ability to probe underneath the immediate surface is severely limited. Cross-sectioning of the structures via focused ion beam (FIB) to expose the subsurface areas often introduces multiple artefacts that mask the true features of the hidden structures, negating benefits of such approach. In addition, the few tens of micrometre dimension of FIB cut, make it unusable for the SPM investigation

Jean Gottmann as a Visionary and a Critic

This is an introductory paper to the special issue on “The spatial transformation of the urban environment in the conditions of post-industrial development of society” conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Jean Gottmann. The conference was held at the Institute of Environmental Management, territory development and urban planning of the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, Russia. The special issue presents a number of scientific papers, which represent different view angles on regional development in the context of globalization. Keywords: Jean Gottmann, Economic Geography, Regional Economy, Kaliningrad Region JEL Classifications: N9, O1, R