Prelims
Economic Development and Resilience by EU Member States
ISBN: 978-1-83797-998-1, eISBN: 978-1-83797-997-4
ISSN: 1569-3759
Publication date: 18 November 2024
Citation
(2024), "Prelims", Grima, S., Romānova, I., Noja, G.G. and Dorożyński, T. (Ed.) Economic Development and Resilience by EU Member States (Contemporary Studies in Economic and Financial Analysis, Vol. 115), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. i-xix. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1569-375920240000115018
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2025 Simon Grima, Inna Romānova, Graţiela Georgiana Noja and Tomasz Dorożyński
Half Title Page
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND RESILIENCE BY EU MEMBER STATES
Series Page
CONTEMPORARY STUDIES IN ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
Series Editor: Simon Grima
Volume 108A: | Managing Risk and Decision Making in Times of Economic Distress |
Edited by Simon Grima, Ercan Özen and Inna Romānova | |
Volume 108B: | Managing Risk and Decision Making in Times of Economic Distress |
Edited by Simon Grima, Ercan Özen, and Inna Romānova | |
Volume 109A: | The New Digital Era: Digitalisation and Emerging Risks and Opportunities |
Edited by Simon Grima, Ercan Ozen, and Hakan Boz | |
Volume 109B: | The New Digital Era: Digitalisation and Emerging Risks and Opportunities |
Edited by Simon Grima, Ercan Ozen, and Hakan Boz | |
Volume 110A: | Smart Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Performance Management in a Global Digitalised Economy |
Edited by Pallavi Tyagi, Simon Grima, Kiran Sood, B. Balamurugan, Ercan Ozen, and Thalassinos Eleftherios | |
Volume 110B: | Smart Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Performance Management in a Global Digitalised Economy |
Edited by Pallavi Tyagi, Simon Grima, Kiran Sood, B. Balamurugan, Ercan Ozen, and Thalassinos Eleftherios | |
Volume 111A: | Smart Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Performance Management in a Global Digitalised Economy |
Edited by Pallavi Tyagi, Simon Grima, Kiran Sood, B. Balamurugan, Ercan Ozen and Thalassinos Eleftherios | |
Volume 111B: | Digital Transformation, Strategic Resilience, Cyber Security and Risk Management |
Edited by Simon Grima, Eleftherios Thalassinos, Gratiela Georgiana Noja, Theodore V. Stamataopoulos, Tatjana Vasiljeva, Tatjana Volkova | |
Volume 111C: | Digital Transformation, Strategic Resilience, Cyber Security and Risk Management |
Edited by Kiran Sood, B. Balamurugan and Simon Grima | |
Volume 112A: | Contemporary Challenges in Social Science Management: Skills Gaps and Shortages in the Labour Market, Part A |
Edited by Anne Marie Thake, Kiran Sood, Ercan Özen, and Simon Grima | |
Volume 112B: | Contemporary Challenges in Social Science Management: Skills Gaps and Shortages in the Labour Market, Part B |
Edited by Anne Marie Thake, Simon Grima, Ercan Özen and Kiran Sood | |
Volume 113A: | Sustainable Development Goals: The Impact of Sustainability Measures on Wellbeing, Part A |
Edited by Ridhima Sharma, Indira Bhardwaj, Simon Grima, Timcy Sachdeva, Kiran Sood and Ercan Özen | |
Volume 113B: | Sustainable Development Goals: The Impact of Sustainability Measures on Wellbeing, Part B |
Edited by Ridhima Sharma, Indira Bhardwaj, Simon Grima, Timcy Sachdeva, Kiran Sood and Ercan Özen | |
Volume 114: | Sustainability Development Through Green Economics |
Edited by Sanjay Taneja, Pawan Kumar, Reepu, Balamurugan Balusamy, Kiran Sood and Simon Grima. |
Title Page
CONTEMPORARY STUDIES IN ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS - VOLUME 115
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND RESILIENCE BY EU MEMBER STATES
EDITED BY
SIMON GRIMA
University of Malta, Malta
INNA ROMĀNOVA
University of Latvia, Latvia
GRAŢIELA GEORGIANA NOJA
West University of Timisoara, Romania
AND
TOMASZ DOROŻYŃSKI
University of Lodz, Poland
United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China
Copyright Page
Emerald Publishing Limited
Emerald Publishing, Floor 5, Northspring, 21-23 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL.
First edition 2025
Editorial matter and selection © 2025 Simon Grima, Inna Romānova, Graţiela Georgiana Noja and Tomasz Dorożyński.
Individual chapters © 2025 The authors.
Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.
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No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters’ suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-83797-998-1 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-83797-997-4 (Online)
ISBN: 978-1-83797-999-8 (Epub)
ISSN: 1569-3759 (Series)
Contents
About the Editors | vii |
About the Contributors | ix |
Acknowledgement | xix |
Chapter 1. Introduction – Navigating Economic Waters: Development and Resilience in EU Member States | |
Eleftherios Thalassinos | 1 |
Chapter 2. Globalisation, Economic Integration, and Labour Market Dynamics within the European Union | |
Alina Ionaşcu and Graţiela Georgiana Noja | 5 |
Chapter 3. Does the Quality of Governance Have the Power to Attract Foreign Investors? Evidence from the EU-13 Member States | |
Tomasz Dorożyński, Anetta Kuna-Marszałek and Bogusława Dobrowolska | 23 |
Chapter 4. Regional Economic, Social, and Healthcare Disparities Among the European Union Member States | |
Małgorzata Stefania Lewandowska, Arkadiusz Michał Kowalski, Dawid Majcherek and Scott William Hegerty | 47 |
Chapter 5. An Empirical Assessment of the Impact of EU Digital Policies on Economic Growth | |
Maria Magdalena Doroiman and Nicoleta Sîrghi | 67 |
Chapter 6. Productivity and Competitiveness: Future Challenges | |
Inna Šteinbuka, Oļegs Barānovs, Jānis Salmiņš and Irina Skribāne | 83 |
Chapter 7. International Trade: Single European Market | |
Margarita Dunska and Krišs Jānis Dombrovskis | 99 |
Chapter 8. Financial Sector Development in New EU Member States | |
Marina Kudinska, Irina Solovjova and Inna Romānova | 119 |
Chapter 9. The Leading Industries in the New EU Member States and Their Contribution to Increasing the EU’s Export Potential | |
Ileana Tache | 141 |
Chapter 10. Managing Climate Change Risks and Environmental Challenges Towards Sustainable Development within the European Union | |
Marilen-Gabriel Pirtea, Graţiela Georgiana Noja, Nicoleta-Claudia Moldovan, Irina-Maria Grecu and Alexandra-Mădălina Ţăran | 159 |
Chapter 11. Quality of Life in the European Union | |
Kesra Nermend and Simon Grima | 177 |
Chapter 12. Digitalisation and Productivity Improvement | |
Vida Davidaviciene and Alma Maciulyte-Sniukiene | 201 |
Chapter 13. The Labour Market, Human Capital and Migration: Ageing and Stratification of Society | |
Biruta Sloka, Ilze Buligina, Ginta Tora, Juris Dzelme, Ilze Brante, Anna Angena and Kristīne Liepiņa | 231 |
Chapter 14. Future Challenges on the Way to the Full Convergence | |
Andrea Imperia and Loredana Mirra | 249 |
Chapter 15. Higher Education Institutions’ Responses to Digital Transformation within the European Union: Skills Development and Smart Specialisation | |
Graţiela Georgiana Noja, Ciprian Pânzaru, Mirela Cristea and Eleftherios Thalassinos | 273 |
Chapter 16. Conclusions | |
Simon Grima, Inna Romānova, Graţiela Georgiana Noja and Tomasz Dorożyński | 289 |
Index | 293 |
About the Editors
Simon Grima is the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Management, and Accountancy and the Head of the Department of Insurance and Risk Management. He is also a Professor at the University of Latvia, Faculty of Business, Management and Economics, and a Visiting Professor at UNICATT Milan. He has over 30 years of experience in various fields, including financial services, academia, and public entities. He has served as President of the Malta Association of Risk Management and Compliance Officers and is the Chairman of the Scientific Education Committee of the Public Risk Management Organisation and the Federation of European Risk Managers. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1523-5120]
Inna Romānova is a Professor of Finance at the University of Latvia, the Director of the Scientific Institute of Economics and Management, and the Director of the professional master’s degree programme in Financial Economics. She is an expert in Economics and Management Sciences at the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Her academic interests are in Corporate Finance and Analysis. She has more than 15 years of pedagogic experience both in Latvia and abroad, and she is a Visiting Professor in several universities in Europe. She also has professional experience in banking and finance, both in Latvia and Germany. Her research focuses on Financial Technologies and Financial Management. She is on the editorial board of several scientific journals as well as has co-edited several volumes of Emerald book series Contemporary Studies in Economic and Financial Analysis. She has participated in several research projects, including the State Research Programme project. She is the Chair of the International Scientific Conference ‘New Challenges in Economic and Business Development’ as well as a member of the programme committees of several conferences.
Graţiela Georgiana Noja is the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, West University of Timisoara, Romania, in charge of academic and student affairs, and a Professor, PhD Habil., at the same faculty, Department of Marketing and International Economic Relations. She is also a Doctoral Advisor in the field of Economics within the Doctoral School of Economics and Business Administration. She completed her studies with the highest honours at the West University of Timisoara and developed throughout the years over 15 national and international projects as a manager, project assistant, expert, researcher, task responsible, and trainer. She has around 40 publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection and a couple dozen other publications in relevant international journals/books/collective volumes. She is an active member of the International Strategic Management Association and has a wide membership in various educational organisations, research networks, scientific and review committees of top-tier journals, and international conferences. Her main research and teaching activities are developed within the framework of the Economics and International Business area, with a keen focus on European economic integration, international migration, digital transformation, and sustainable economic development. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9201-3057]
Tomasz Dorożyński, PhD, works in the Department of International Trade, University of Lodz. He is a member of several organisations of researchers in international economics and International Business (IB), such as Academy of International Business (AIB), European International Business Academy (EIBA), Euro-Asia Management Studies Association (EAMSA; Board and Advisory Committee Member), and Academy of International Business Central and Eastern Europe (AIB-CEE). His research achievements include more than 120 peer-reviewed publications. So far, he has been involved in 17 research projects, also as project manager. His research work focuses, inter alia, on internationalisation, foreign direct investment, investment attractiveness, entrepreneurship, special economic zones, and regional development. Results of his studies have been presented on numerous occasions at international conferences, for example, in the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Brazil. He is a member of the Management Geography Research Group (Japan) and a Visiting Scholar at the Vilnius Tech (Lithuania). He has lectured in various countries including Italy, France, Portugal, Germany, Lithuania, Hungary, Estonia, Romania, Latvia, and Slovakia. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3625-0354]
About the Contributors
Anna Angena, Mag.sc.admin., Mag.oec., is a doctoral student, University of Latvia, and participated in several research projects related to supervision and involvement of students at risk in vocational education.
Oļegs Barānovs, Dr.oec., is Lead Researcher of the European Policy Research Institute of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Senior Economic Analyst of the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia. He is a member of the Economic Policy Committee of the European Council of Ministers. His main research interests include analysis of the economic development of Latvia and the European Union, productivity development and its promotion policy, as well as issues of the European Semester. He is author of more than 20 scientific papers.
Ilze Brante, Mag.ped., is a doctoral student, University of Latvia, and participated in several research projects related to quality of vocational education in several aspects, work-based learning, and involvement of students at risk in vocational education.
Ilze Buligina, Dr.sc.admin., Leading Researcher at the University of Latvia, has participated in several research projects and is conducting research on various aspects of vocational education and training, including work-based learning and involvement of students at risk in vocational education, and has participated in research related to several aspects of silver economy, cooperation with social partners and their role in the development of qualified specialists, knowledge triangle, and innovations in education.
Mirela Cristea is a Professor, PhD, at the University of Craiova (Romania), Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Department of Finance, Banking, and Economic Analysis, Center for Economic, Banking, and Financial Research (CEBAFI). Her main research directions and teaching activities are insurance and private pension funds, banking administration, and interdisciplinary research in economics. She obtained the scientific title of PhD in Economics at the University of Craiova, and graduated the Post-Doctoral School in Economics and Applied Sciences in Economics at the Romanian Academy from Bucharest, on the subject of the private pension system in Romania. She received two awards from the Faculties on Economics Association from Romania, in 2007 and 2013, for two books on life insurance and pension system subjects. In addition, she is a reviewer and member of the scientific and organisational committees for numerous journals and conferences. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6670-9798]
Vida Davidavičienė has 20 years of academic and scientific experience. Her research interests are information and communication technology development’s influence on society, business, and economics. She is an author of more than 100 scientific publications, 7 textbooks, and 8 books (monograph) parts. She is a member of the management science and communication science boards at Vilnius Tech. She is a member of the scientific committees of several scientific journals and international scientific conferences. She is an expert at the Research Council of Lithuania and member of the Lithuanian Standards Board Technical Committee LST TK 90 Human Resources and Knowledge Management. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0931-0967]
Bogusława Dobrowolska, PhD, is Assistant Professor at the Department of Economic and Social Statistics, Faculty of Economics and Sociology, University of Lodz. Her scientific interests include the application of statistical and econometric methods in economic and social research. She is the author of several dozen journal papers and chapters. Since 2013, she has given classes accredited by Predictive Solutions (previously IBM SPSS Poland). The classes deal with statistics using the application of PS IMAGO software. Since 2021, she has been the statistical editor of the journal Studies in Law and Economics. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3497-6223]
Krišs Jānis Dombrovskis is a third-year Business Administration bachelor’s student with a specialisation in International Business at the University of Latvia, Faculty of Business, Management and Economics. His academic interests are in economics, finance, and management. He is currently focussing his academic endeavours on tax-related topics, specifically, transfer pricing. During the time of his studies, he has gathered extensive knowledge in data analysis.
Maria Magdalena Doroiman is a PhD student, at the Doctoral School of Economics and Business Administration, at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, West University of Timisoara (Romania). She is a PhD student in her second year, in the field of Economics. Her research interests are in digital transformation and economic growth. Her doctoral thesis is a project that studies aspects of the role of digitisation in increasing market competitiveness. She holds a master’s degree in European studies and the economics of integration from the West University of Timisoara (Romania). She is currently a teacher of Economics and Business Studies, at ‘Grigore Moisil’ Theoretical High School and ‘Francesco Saverio Nitti’ Economic College from Timisoara (Romania).
Margarita Dunska, Dr.oec., is a Professor at the University of Latvia, Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics, Department of Global Economics Interdisciplinary Studies, Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs. Her academic interests are in economics, international economics, and finance. For many years, she is one of the leading experts in these topics. She is also an expert in the Academic Information Center, has participated in the accreditation of several programmes at other universities. She also has many years of experience in administrative work in higher education. In recent years, she has been the director of biggest study programmes at the faculty.
Juris Dzelme, Dr.chem., Leading Researcher at the University of Latvia, has participated in several research projects related to quality of higher education in several aspects; involvement of students at risk in vocational education; and knowledge triangle and innovations in education, quantum chemistry, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnologies.
Irina-Maria Grecu is a PhD candidate in Economics at the West University of Timisoara (Romania), Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. She holds a master’s in Management and European Integration and a BA in Economics and International Business at the West University of Timisoara, where she graduated with highest honours. Her main research activities are centred on international migration and labour market outcomes.
Scott William Hegerty, PhD, is Professor of Economics and Chair of the Department of Anthropology, Economics, Geography and Environmental Studies, Global Studies, and Philosophy at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. He specialises in International Macroeconomics, Urban Geography, and Applied Statistical Methods. He received his PhD and MA in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and his Bachelor of Science in History from UW-Eau Claire. His research focuses on Central and Eastern Europe, as well as on large US cities, and he has published widely in these areas.
Andrea Imperia is Assistant Professor in Economics at the Department of Social and Economic Sciences at Sapienza University of Rome. He received his Master in Quantitative Methods for Economics at Tor Vergata University of Rome and his doctorate in Economics at Sapienza. He has written on labour economics, the 2001 Argentinean crisis, the US economic and financial crisis of 2007–2008, Walras’s theory of capital, and Gustav Cassel’s general equilibrium analysis.
Alina Ionașcu is a Doctoral Candidate at the West University of Timisoara. Her research delves into the nexus of globalisation and European economic integration. Her academic journey, enriched by a master’s in European studies and an ongoing master’s in business law, equips her with diverse perspectives on these themes. Her experience extends to an Erasmus exchange in Lille, France, and a Student Evaluator in an Economic Studies role at the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education. This blend of education and experience underpins her commitment to exploring the theoretical underpinnings of globalisation and integration, as evidenced in her systematic and bibliometric analysis of relevant scientific literature. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5893-2261]
Arkadiusz Michał Kowalski is Associate Professor, Head of the Department of East Asian Economic Studies, and Deputy Director of the World Economy Research Institute at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics. He graduated with a Master of Science in Economics from the University of Southampton, winning the Taught Postgraduate Student competition organised by the Regional Science Association International British and Irish Section. He has been involved as a manager or researcher in different European or domestic research projects in these fields, which resulted in more than 100 publications, including books, chapters, articles in scientific journals, and expert’s reports.
Marina Kudinska is a Professor of Finance at the Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics of the University of Latvia. Her academic interests are in banking, risk analysis and digital finance. She has participated in several research projects. She is a member of the programme and scientific committees of several international scientific conferences, as well as member of the editorial board of two scientific journals of accounting, finance, and auditing studies. She has 35 years of pedagogic experience in higher education institutions. She has written seven study books on banking and finance and over 50 scientific publications. She has many years of experience in advising on banking issues.
Anetta Kuna-Marszałek, PhD, is Head of Department of International Trade, Deputy Head of Institute of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Sociology, University of Lodz. Her primary research interests focus on the various aspects of contemporary economics, including research on the world trading system, the interlinks between trade liberalisation and environmental policies, and green economy. She is currently working on the internationalisation of business activities, foreign direct investment, investment attractiveness, and institutional quality. Her research achievements include more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5687-7272]
Małgorzata Stefania Lewandowska is Associate Professor of SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, Department of International Management. She holds a Habilitation in Management, a PhD in Economics, and a Master of Business Administration from the Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada. She is author and co-author of books, papers, and chapters on management in international business, international cooperation of enterprises, business models of firms, and innovation policy. Her primary areas of research are innovation determinants and strategies, open innovation, innovation policy, and eco-innovation. She is a member of international associations: Academy of International Business and European International Business Academy.
Kristīne Liepiņa, Mag.oec., University of Latvia, has participated in several research projects related to adult education in several aspects, involvement of inhabitants in education and employment, and analysing several aspects of silver economy as well as the interaction between higher education and quality of life.
Alma Maciulyte-Sniukiene is an Associate Professor at the Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. She has 20 years of professional experience in the telecommunication field and 14 years of academic experience. She holds a bachelor degree in Telecommunication and Economics, master’s degree in Economics, and PhD in Economics. In 2015, she defended her dissertation in the field of Economics. Since this period, she has participated in research projects financed by EU structural funds. She is a member of European Regional Science Association and Eurasia Business and Economics Society. Her research areas are regional economic development, productivity, information and communication technology, and core infrastructure. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6661-7407]
Dawid Majcherek, PhD, is Assistant Professor at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, Department of International Management. He specialises in health economics, sports economics, econometrics, machine learning, clustering, and spatial analysis. He received his PhD in Economics and MA in Quantitative Methods in Economics and Information Systems from the Warsaw School of Economics. He has been working in the pharmaceutical industry since 2013 on various topics related to marketing, sales, management, salesforce effectiveness, finance, market access including pricing, and pharmacoeconomics.
Loredana Mirra is an Assistant Professor in Economics at the Department of Economics and Finance of the Tor Vergata University of Rome. She is the Deputy Coordinator of CREG (Interdepartmental Centre for Economics and Law Research) at Tor Vergata University of Rome. She holds a doctorate in ‘Theory and Quantitative Methods for the Analysis of Development’ at the University of Molise, a Master of Science in Economics and Econometrics at the University of Southampton, and a Master of Science in Economics and Institutions at Tor Vergata University of Rome. Her research interests are applied economics, spatial econometrics, economic growth, regional economics, and sustainable development. She serves as a referee for several international journals.
Nicoleta-Claudia Moldovan, PhD Habil., is Professor at the Finance Department from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FEBA), West University of Timisoara. She is PhD Advisor in Economics, finance specialisation, and also holds a postdoctoral degree in Economics. She has 30 years of experience in research and teaching in higher education. Her research mainly addresses entrepreneurship, public policies, good governance, fiscal policies, and economic competitiveness. She is the Director of the Accreditation Department within the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education and an Evaluator in the Finance domain. She was a Project Manager for projects financed through the Romanian Operational Programme ‘Human Capital’ and a member of different research projects. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1916-2638]
Kesra Nermend is a Professor at the University of Szczecin and is a Leading Researcher in Decision Support Methods and Cognitive Neuroscience. He is the Head of the Department of Decision Support Methods and Cognitive Neuroscience, Director of the Institute of Management, Director of the Center for Transfer and Technology, and President of the Center for Research and Development. Her research focuses on the application of quantitative methods and information technology tools in analysing socioeconomic processes, with a particular emphasis on multicriteria methods, multidimensional data analysis, and cognitive neuroscience techniques in studying social behaviour and consumer preferences in business decision-making processes. Her research is carried out within the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory and the Virtual Reality Laboratory, housed in the Institute of Management.
Ciprian Pânzaru is a Professor at the West University of Timisoara (Romania), Sociology Department. He coordinates disciplines such as the Sociology of Migration, Labour Economics, Social Mobility, and Economic Sociology. His areas of interest include agent-based modelling, computational sociology, international migration, labour market issues, and population forecasting. He attended the postdoctoral programme in Economics, financed from the European Social Fund, studying the effect of demographic changes on the social security system. He was a Visiting Researcher at the Department of Applied Economics of the Free University of Brussels. Currently, he is a PhD Supervisor and leads at the West University of Timisoara a Research Group on Social and Economic Complexity. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7652-4159]
Marilen-Gabriel Pirtea has been the Rector of the West University of Timisoara since 2012 (after being Chancellor, Vice-Dean, and Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration in Timisoara). Since 2016, he has been a member of the Romanian Parliament, in the Budget and Finance Commission, and in 2022–2023, he’s been appointed as Honorary Advisor of the Romanian Prime Minister, in charge of the integration of Romanian universities into the European education and research area. Since August 2023, he has been an Honorary Advisor to the Vice-Prime Minister of Romania. He is a Professor and Doctoral Advisor in the field of finance, his main interests being in company financial management, direct investment and business financing, international finance, and corporate governance. He is the main author of 4 books and co-author of 13 books, as well as author or co-author of more than 150 scientific articles and studies, and manager or part of the teams of more than 35 research projects. He has often offered lectures on the topics of corporate governance or finance and financing of different entities and has been invited as a guest lecturer in universities from Italy, the United States, Spain, Serbia, Slovenia, Great Britain, etc. For his activity, he has been awarded numerous distinctions, including that of Doctor Honoris Causa of two different Romanian universities and Professor Emeritus of another university. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3956-4394]
Jānis Salmiņš, Mg.oec., University of Latvia, Faculty of Economics and Management, holds master’s degree of Economic Sciences. The author is Deputy Head of Analytical Service in Ministry of Economics, from 2016 to 2019, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Macroeconomic Policy, and since 2016 member of Statistics Council. The author’s main themes of action include analysis of current economic situation and future trends, proposals for economic policy development, development of strategic planning documents and impact assessment of political initiatives, and proposals for necessary changes in economic policy for sustainable economic development.
Nicoleta Sîrghi, PhD Habil., is Professor of Economics, at the West University of Timisoara (Romania), Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. Her current research field is related to the study of the microeconomics and game theory with applications in economics. She has published in the International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos, Sustainability, Transformations in Business and Economics, Journal of Economic Computation and Economic Cybernetics Studies and Research, etc. She is a member of the editorial board of Timisoara Journal of Economics and Business and a reviewer for many international journals and conferences. She is a member of the scientific council of the European Real Estate Economics and Finance – Public Goods and Values (ERECO-PGV) network and a member of professional economics associations: Regional Science Association International, International Association of French-Speaking Economists, and ERECO-PGV network. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6345-0373]
Irina Skribāne, Mg.oec., is Researcher of the Productivity Research Institute of the Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics of the University of Latvia ‘UL Think tank LV PEAK’, Lecturer of the University of Latvia’s Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics, and Analyst of the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia. The author’s areas of research work are economic growth and structural transformation, productivity and competitiveness analysis, and investment and investment policy. The author has contributed to more than 20 scientific papers.
Biruta Sloka, Dr.oec., is Professor and Leading Researcher at the University of Latvia and has participated in several research projects and delivered study courses at several levels: doctoral, master, and bachelor. The author has experience in participating in Council of Statistics of Republic of Latvia and is a member of European Statistics Advisory Committee. The author has participated in the work of Association of Statisticians of Latvia, Association of Econometrists of Latvia, and Association of Professors of Latvia. The author has experience in participating in several scientific boards of international scientific conferences; has participated as reviewer of international scientific papers; and has participated as supervisor of doctoral theses and reviewer of doctoral dissertations.
Irina Solovjova is a Professor of Finance at the Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics of the University of Latvia. Her academic interests are related to economics and finance. The main research areas are assessment of the stability of the banking system, reliability of the commercial banks, and risks of companies and banks. She has more than 20 years of teaching experience in teaching various study courses at the Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics. She is the author of 2 scientific monographs and more than 30 articles in scientific journals and conference proceedings. She is an expert in Economics and Management Sciences at the Latvian Academy of Sciences. She has participated in more than 10 research projects, including the European Science Foundation (ESF) and Latin American Studies (LAS) projects.
Inna Šteinbuka, Dr.oec., is Chair of Latvian Fiscal Discipline Council, Professor at the University of Latvia (UL), Deputy Chair of the UL Board, Director of the UL Productivity Research Institute, full member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, and Governor of Latvia in Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF, Singapore). Since September 2011, she has been serving at the European Commission as Head of the EC Representation in Rīga. She has been working at the European Commission since 2005. Prior to joining the European Commission, she was Chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Latvia and Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of Nordic–Baltic constituency at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC. She has previously held various positions at the Ministry of Finance. Her areas of research work include macroeconomics, fiscal policy, productivity, and competitiveness. She is author of more than 35 scientific papers and co-author of 4 monographs.
Ileana Tache, PhD, is Professor at Transilvania University of Brasov, Department of Marketing, Tourism-Services, and International Business. Her teaching and research activity focuses on Economics, European Economic Policies, History of Economic Thought, and History of European Construction. Her teaching stays at Trier University, Pescara University, University of the Aegean, Piri Reis University, and Piraeus University. She has published papers in SAGE Open, Sustainability, International Advances in Economic Research, International Journal of Social Economics, and Rivista di Studi Politici Internazionali. She is Editor of a book published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. She is Coordinator of Jean Monnet projects: Ad Personam Jean Monnet Chair, Jean Monnet Center of Excellence. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4559-3367]
Alexandra-Mădălina Țăran is a Teaching Assistant and PhD student in the finance field, studying different aspects related to the relationship between public sector governance and health systems. Her research mainly addresses the public economic field, namely public policies, welfare, and good governance, with interdisciplinary research directions that focus on health economics, digitalisation, well-being, sustainability, and economic growth. She has already presented part of his research results at international conferences and published articles in journals indexed by Web of Science and other international databases. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7721-423X]
Eleftherios Thalassinos, PhD (UIC, Chicago, USA, 1983), DHC degrees in Economics (Danubius University of Galati, Romania, 2013; University of Craiova, Romania, 2015; and Rostov State University of Economics, Russia, 2018), MBA (De-Paul University, Chicago, USA, 1979), BA (University of Athens, Greece, 1976), is a Jean Monnet Chair Professor experienced in European Economic Integration and International Finance. He is the Editor-in-Chief of ERSJ, IJEBA, and IJFIRM and Chair of ICABE. He is Guest Editor in the Book Series Contemporary Studies in Economic and Financial Analysis published by Emerald; Contributions to Management Sciences by Springer; Business, Technology and Finance by Nova; JRFM, Resources, Risks and Sustainability by MDPI. He is a member of the editorial boards of several journals. His professional experience includes quantitative analysis, technical and financial analysis, banking, business consulting, project evaluations, international business, international finance, and maritime economics. He has a long track of publications in several journals, collective volumes, and chapter books. Among them a publication as a chapter book in the World Scientific Handbook in Financial Economics Series, Vol. 5, dedicated to the memory of Late Milton Miller, Nobel Prize winner in Economics in 1990. Parallel to his academic career, he has performed as Bank Director for 12 years, Ministerial Advisor for 6 years, Public Servant for 4 years, and independent consultant for a long time. [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3526-4930]
Ginta Tora, Mag.hist., Mag.sc.admin., University of Latvia, has participated in several research projects and conducting research related to quality of higher education in several aspects, involvement of students at risk in vocational education, the impact of education on social processes, aspects of social inclusion, several aspects of silver economy, cooperation with social partners and their role in the development of qualified specialists, and has participated in research related to knowledge triangle and innovations in education.
Acknowledgement
Part of this work was supported by a grant from the Romanian Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitalization, the project with the title “Economics and Policy Options for Climate Change Risk and Global Environmental Governance” (CF 193/28.11.2022, Funding Contract no. 760078/23.05.2023), within Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) - Pillar III, Component C9, Investment I8 (PNRR/2022/C9/MCID/I8) - Development of a program to attract highly specialized human resources from abroad in research, development and innovation activities
- Prelims
- Chapter 1. Introduction – Navigating Economic Waters: Development and Resilience in EU Member States
- Chapter 2. Globalisation, Economic Integration, and Labour Market Dynamics within the European Union
- Chapter 3. Does the Quality of Governance Have the Power to Attract Foreign Investors? Evidence from the EU-13 Member States
- Chapter 4. Regional Economic, Social, and Healthcare Disparities Among the European Union Member States
- Chapter 5. An Empirical Assessment of the Impact of EU Digital Policies on Economic Growth
- Chapter 6. Productivity and Competitiveness: Future Challenges
- Chapter 7. International Trade: Single European Market
- Chapter 8. Financial Sector Development in New EU Member States
- Chapter 9. The Leading Industries in the New EU Member States and Their Contribution to Increasing the EU’s Export Potential
- Chapter 10. Managing Climate Change Risks and Environmental Challenges Towards Sustainable Development within the European Union
- Chapter 11. Quality of Life in the European Union
- Chapter 12. Digitalisation and Productivity Improvement
- Chapter 13. The Labour Market, Human Capital and Migration: Ageing and Stratification of Society
- Chapter 14. Future Challenges on the Way to the Full Convergence
- Chapter 15. Higher Education Institutions’ Responses to Digital Transformation within the European Union: Skills Development and Smart Specialisation
- Chapter 16. Conclusions
- Index