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The Swedish pulp and paper industry (PPI) must increase energy efficiency to remain competitive on the global market, which has experienced entries from countries with cheaper energy and raw material supplies. Interactions among variables for energy use, production, energy management, electricity price and firm characteristics (FC), in different types of mills, i.e., pulp, paper and integrated mills, in Sweden from 2006 to 2015 indicate that correlations among the studied variables were different in different types of mills. This difference between types of mills seemed to originate partly from varying accessibility to production residue that could be used for energy. For all types of mills, variation of electricity prices did not correlate significantly with energy efficiency during the study period. The studied FC were firm's age, number of employees, number of companies in company group, net sales and profit for the year. Energy efficiency was more affected by the variables characterizing energy and production compared to the variables representing FC. This study also suggested presence of possible discrepancies between FC that were perceived as barriers to energy management towards energy efficiency, according to previous studies, and what was shown by the data combining variables representing energy use, production and FC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platform power poses a number of challenges for competition authorities. One concern is that big tech companies may harm competition through the acquisition of emerging companies with a high competitive potential. Such acquisitions may escape ex ante merger control if they do not reach the turnover threshold for mandatory notification. The Commission sought to bridge this enforcement gap with its Article 22 guidance and the Digital Markets Act. This paper evaluates the steps taken by the Commission to increase scrutiny of such mergers. Building on this discussion, the paper examines the AG opinion in Towercast and analyses the residual gap-closing function of Article 102 TFEU. The aim of this paper is to bring the new developments surrounding digital merger control together and assess whether they represent an adequate response to the challenges posed by the digital economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competitiveness is a key requirement for modern companies to survive. Effective corporate governance practices are also fast emerging as a fundamental obligation owed to shareholders and other stakeholders. The connection between competition and good corporate governance is derived from the product market competition hypothesis (PMCH) that projects the idea that operating in competitive markets would increase x-efficiency and decrease agency costs in companies, leading to superior corporate governance. Although a significant amount of work, both theoretical and empirical has been carried out on the efficacy of the PMCH, none of the research has been conclusive. Moreover, there has been no concentrated effort into determining the impact of the PMCH on the specific types of agency problems that are endemic to companies with largely concentrated shareholding structures like India. The paper highlights that a part of the reason behind the waning and unconvincing research on the PMCH (specially in India) has been the focus on competitiveness as an abstract concept or empirical construct, rather than on the regulatory aspect of competition, that is, competition law. This paper examines the connection between competition law and corporate governance, specifically the utility of competition regulation in being used to improve corporate governance in companies. It also considers the effectiveness of competition law in dispelling some of the pervasive Indian corporate governance problems such as tunneling and inefficient related party transactions. Some of the methods that are considered which would have such an impact and thus are recommended by the researcher, are a redefinition of 'dominant position' in the competition law discourse, to include within it pyramidical groups of companies as well as viewing tunneling practices as having an 'appreciable adverse effect' on competition. Doing so would result in numerous efficiencies as competition law could be used to kill two birds with one stone: increasing both competitiveness and good corporate governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Inventory pooling occurs when different actors share their inventories with the aim of reducing costs while improving performances. The paper-making industry requires large amounts of ready to install spares aimed at assuring high availability, but presents the drawback of excessive inventory costs. Pooling inventories, with the support of appropriate IT solutions, can be considered an effective strategy to improve availability while reducing the total costs. In the present work a real-life implementation within an important Italian paper-making district has been successfully carried out. Throughout the study the most recent theoretical models have been adapted after a methodical analysis that has been devoted to allow the identification and of the most significant issues and the building of a wide and solid agreement among the participants. Indeed, this required a thorough investigation, since the involved actors are generally competitors and only agree to pool inventories if this leads to increasing profits for themselves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: This paper aims to assess the short- and long-run effects of the interaction between institutional quality and financial development (FD) on the competitiveness of the WAEMU economy over the period 2007–2018. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology consisted of cross-referencing a synthetic indicator of FD with indicators of institutional quality and then estimating an auto regressive distributed lag model. Findings: The results of the pooled mean group and dynamic fixed effect estimation show a positive and significant impact of this interaction on the competitiveness of the economy in the long run. In the short run, the results are quite similar to those in the long run for the direct effects but different for the crosses. Also, the analysis of country specificity shows that the results are similar to those in the short run since the interaction between FD and institutional quality (political stability and government effectiveness) negatively affects the competitiveness of Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali, and positively affects the competitiveness of Benin and Senegal. Social implications: These results suggest the need for effective policies to improve the quality of institutions to enhance the mobilization of financial resources through FD to ensure the competitiveness of economies. Improving the quality of the political and institutional environment is a prerequisite for economic competitiveness. Originality/value: The paper is in line with the New Institutional Economics that developed in the 1970s. This referential framework is a heterogeneous body of work that encompasses works whose common point is the determination of the role of institutions in economic coordination. Unlike previous studies, which have focused on the contribution of the interaction between institutional quality variables and FD on economic growth, this paper analyzes the effects of this interaction on economic competitiveness. It, therefore, constitutes a contribution to this literature and aims primarily to fill this gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do highly productive researchers have significantly higher probability to produce top cited papers? Or do high productive researchers mainly produce a sea of irrelevant papers—in other words do we find a diminishing marginal result from productivity? The answer on these questions is important, as it may help to answer the question of whether the increased competition and increased use of indicators for research evaluation and accountability focus has perverse effects or not. We use a Swedish author disambiguated dataset consisting of 48.000 researchers and their WoS-publications during the period of 2008–2011 with citations until 2014 to investigate the relation between productivity and production of highly cited papers. As the analysis shows, quantity does make a difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction of the sulfur emissions reduction directive for maritime transport has become a heavily debated policy issue in Northern Europe from the perspective of the future competitiveness of transport-dependent industries. The scientific value of this study is in its contribution to the scarce literature on the future of pulp and paper industry competitiveness from the tightening environmental regulation perspective, highlighting the complementary role of law-abiding and voluntary regulations. Using a Delphi-foresight method, the study evaluates the effectiveness of environmental regulation by identifying its positive and negative aspects for the future success of the pulp and paper industry, and uses the reduction of sulfur emissions as an example. From a business perspective, the panelists saw tightening regulation as both a threat and an opportunity, and stressed the role of the policy implementation in achieving actual environmental improvement. The strict regulatory measures were generally perceived as environmentally advantageous and more effective in the long term, but a rather divided view was seen in the ability of the sulfur emissions directive to effectively govern environmental sustainability. In discussion, the role of more voluntary alternatives to implementing command-and-control type policy measures is emphasized in complementing government legislation, to gain market benefits from greening the entire pulp and paper supply chain. To conclude, the development of sustainable transportation strategies has the potential to contribute toward long-term competitiveness in the pulp and paper industry, especially if new strategic innovation-oriented cross-sector partnerships develop in the production and use of transportation biofuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies substitution between main categories of imported pulp and paper products and between imported and domestic pulp and paper products in the US market. A restricted translog subcost function approach was employed to derive the elasticity of substitution. The results suggest that Canadian pulp and paper products are competitive and have maintained their competitiveness in the US market, and therefore, the challenges faced by the Canadian pulp and paper industry are not because of the loss of its product competitiveness but are due to other reasons such as declining demand for paper products in the United States. It seems that if the Canadian pulp and paper industry wants to retain its dominant position in the world market place, it will have to create global reach and develop new markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current knowledge-based economy, the abilities of the national research system are a key driver of the country's competitiveness and socio-economic development. This paper compares the scientific standing of the OECD countries and eight other relevant economies. We use a bibliometric indicator of research performance, applied first at the individual level. This approach avoids the distortions of the aggregate-level analyses extant in literature and practice, which overlook the different publication intensities across research fields. We find a strong correlation between research performance and the economic competitiveness of nations and a moderate but significant correlation between research performance and the propensity to spend on research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analytics services provided by marketplace platforms have become increasingly important for sellers seeking market insights. In this paper, we examine a scenario in which an analytics service plays a vital role in enhancing sellers' understanding of market size and improving their decision-making. Using a game-theoretic model, we analyze the pricing strategies of the platform and the adoption strategies of sellers for the analytics service. Our study identifies two distinct effects of analytics services: the competition effect and the accuracy effect. Specifically, the competition effect manifests in opposing ways across different market scenarios, with a competition-intensifying effect in lowdemand markets and a competition-weakening effect in high-demand markets. Consequently, sellers using an analytics service command lower prices in low-demand markets and higher prices in highdemand markets. More interestingly, our results reveal that offering an analytics service could potentially hurt the total market demand, subsequently impacting the platform's revenue from the marketplace service and potentially leaving the platform worse off. Additionally, driven by both the accuracy and competition effects, adopting an analytics service may adversely affect seller profitability and consumer surplus without necessarily improving overall welfare. Moreover, the transaction fee for the marketplace service plays a crucial role in the interplay between the analytics and marketplace services. Specifically, in low-demand (high-demand) markets, as the transaction fee increases, platforms should consider reducing (increasing) the subscription fee to encourage more (fewer) sellers to adopt the analytics service, thereby enhancing overall market demand and increasing revenue from the marketplace service. Our findings also suggest that platforms should refrain from offering analytics services in high-demand markets when the transaction fee is relatively high. Furthermore, policymakers (sellers) should be mindful of the potential negative consequences associated with the adoption of analytics services in high-demand (low-demand) markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The product market competition affects the non-neutrality of monetary policy. This paper quantitatively assesses its impact on the slope of the Phillips curve through the channels of nominal and real rigidity. We build a New Keynesian model using the Kimball aggregator and the Calvo staggered pricing scheme. We show that a more competitive market environment has opposite effects on the slope of the Phillips curve by increasing the real rigidity and lowering the nominal rigidity. We then estimated the model using regional data of China. The Bayesian estimation shows that the response of inflation-output trade-off is larger in the region with a high degree of competition. Counterfactual experiments demonstrate that nominal rigidity has a dominant role and accounts for the majority of the difference in the Phillips curve, while the contribution of real rigidity is relatively minor. Our results highlight the key role of nominal rigidity in determining the inflation-output dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

States have adopted a variety of policies to encourage universities to expand research production, with the hope of supporting economic growth and competitiveness. This paper considers whether a state-level initiative succeeded in influencing university-based research outputs among regional public universities. We test whether the Texas Research Incentive Program increased research production at a set of state universities as measured by total research spending, federally-funded research spending, the number of scholarly publications, and the share of publications published in high impact factor journals. Using a novel dataset and difference-in-differences analytic strategy, we found that TRIP adoption was associated with a 19%-25% increase in research expenditures at emerging research universities in Texas relative to a matched set of comparable universities. However, TRIP did not influence federally-funded research expenditures or journal publication outputs. We also show that federally-funded research expenditures influence publication outputs — both in amount and quality — and that number of full-time faculty influences both federal research expenditures and publication outputs. We discuss contributions to the literature on regional public universities, loose coupling, and research production, as well as implications for policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries are experiencing drastic changes due to unprecedented advancements in technology. This advancement has caused changes in users' information-seeking behavior, increased information competitors, and easy access and availability to free information on the internet. It is unfortunate that all this is happening amidst the dwindling financial support libraries receive from their parent organization. These variations, such as the digital shift and remote access, changing user expectations, open access movement, the need for data management and preservation models are causing havoc and disruption to academic libraries; therefore, academic libraries need to justify their position and relevancy. This paper discusses the conundrum academic libraries face and suggests why and how they should adopt entrepreneurial practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution investigates whether the 2014 White Paper on EU Merger Control adds value to the existing debate surrounding non-controlling minority shareholdings. In this respect, it evaluates whether the 2013 minority shareholdings consultation rationale is consistently followed through. This contribution analyses three important novelties put forward by the White Paper: the principles guiding the reform (plugging the enforcement/regulatory gap, observing the reform's proportionality, and its consistency with existing control systems), defining the standards that the transactions prone to investigation must meet ("competitively significant links"), and narrowing down the choices for intervention methods ("targeted transparency system"). The contribution concludes that while the White Paper's proposed amendments generally fit the reform principles scheme, certain problems may still be identified, especially in relation to the necessity of a waiting period for minority shareholdings, and to the benefits and drawbacks of the possibility to intervene ex post on such transactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study critically engages with the 'end of neoliberalism' debates which have peaked following the globally detrimental impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The paper suggests that crises of the pandemic predetermine neither the end of neoliberalism nor its regeneration. It is argued that 'death or resurrection' of neoliberalism is conditioned in the ways through which subjects experience ongoing crises and translate them into particular actions. On that basis, the paper focuses on Turkey's labour regime under pandemic conditions to reveal how the imaginings and political practices of the Turkish state, companies, and (self-employed courier) workers regenerate the enduring principles of neoliberalism – including (global) market competitiveness, deregulation, labour market flexibility, economic individualism, and status-seeking – even in moments of crises. The paper concludes with a brief discussion on the emerging visibility of alternative modes of practices, which potentially involve new possibilities to mobilise towards post-neoliberal politics under crisis-ridden pandemic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competition between platforms supported by digital technology, to a great extent, affects the structure of the whole industry and the fate of individual enterprises in the industry. For related enterprises, it is very important to clarify the influencing factors of platform competition equilibrium. This paper constructs a game model that includes platforms, suppliers, and the final consumers. We analyze the condition and stability of each equilibrium and the impacts of the characteristics of the core and complementary products on the equilibrium by using the method of evolutionary game. Our results show the following: (1) If the two platforms initially have separate advantages in terms of the number of suppliers or consumers, there will be an equilibrium of the coexistence of the two platforms; otherwise, there will be an equilibrium of single platform dominating. (2) The equilibrium of a single platform dominating is more stable than that of the coexistence of multiple platforms. (3) The equilibrium of coexistence is more easily broken by the occasional shock of increasing or decreasing the number of suppliers than by consumers. (4) Platforms with poor core product quality and a high price for core and complementary products can coexist with other superior platforms only if the former has more consumers and suppliers at the beginning of the competition. This paper not only enriches the research content in the field of platform competition, but also provides new ideas for them to develop appropriate competition strategies in combination with their own conditions. Plain Language Summary: The Evolutionary Game of Platform Competition The purpose of this paper is to analyze the equilibrium state of platform competition in a dynamic market from a tripartite perspective of platform-supplier-consumer. This paper constructs a game model that includes platforms, suppliers, and the final consumers. We analyze the condition and stability of each equilibrium and the impacts of the characteristics of the core and complementary products on the equilibrium by using the method of evolutionary game. Our results show the following: (1) If the two platforms initially have separate advantages in terms of the number of suppliers or consumers, there will be an equilibrium of the coexistence of the two platforms; otherwise, there will be an equilibrium of single platform dominating. (2) The equilibrium of a single platform dominating is more stable than that of the coexistence of multiple platforms. (3) The equilibrium of coexistence is more easily broken by the occasional shock of increasing or decreasing the number of suppliers than by consumers. (4) Platforms with poor core product quality and a high price for core and complementary products can coexist with other superior platforms only if the former has more consumers and suppliers at the beginning of the competition. This paper not only enriches the research content in the field of platform competition, but also provides new ideas for them to develop appropriate competition strategies in combination with their own conditions. The limitation of this paper is that it does not consider the possibility of having companies enter or exit the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the continued relevance of competition for utility regulation, especially in the context of Britain. It does so in three steps. First, it considers the context in which RPI-X entered the policy debate and became a central aspect of subsequent utility reforms. Second, it considers the contemporary context of British utility regulation. Third, this paper points to some significant new departures in British utility regulation that might allow for an extension of the emphasis placed on 'discovery' in the initial 1983 report, namely growing emphasis on negotiated settlements and customer engagement. The paper assesses some recent experiences, with a specific emphasis on water regulation in Scotland. The paper concludes by suggesting the scope for competition in designing and setting price controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Agricultural Competitiveness Green Paper of the Agricultural Institute Australia (AIA) that provide strong, independent, balanced and factually based representation and advocacy on a wide range of issues affecting the profession and agriculture generally.

Purpose: This study aims to shed light on the experience of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in balancing three main pillars: the environmental criteria, the reduction of CO2 emissions and the economic growth. Based on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) framework, it will assess the causal relationship between economic indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, trade openness and energy use and environmental indicators such as CO2 emissions. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis relies on a period of 40 years (1981–2020) where data is extracted from the World Bank database. This study uses the unit root test for time series stationarity, the optimal lag length test, the "Johansen" test for co-integration and the vector error correction model. Findings: The paper concludes to two major findings. On a short-term basis, CO2 emissions and economic indicators are negatively correlated, whereas on a long-term basis, there is no association between CO2 emissions and economic indicators in the UAE. Research limitations/implications: The research ends with important recommendations. It illustrates the importance of rationalizing the use of primary resources and the necessity to embrace successful and efficient policies in the energy production. Practical implications: More specifically, UAE is urged to address the problem of CO2 emissions in the electricity sector and increase awareness of the use of environmentally friendly processes in the transport and industrial sectors. While setting their economic agendas, UAE are encouraged to meet environmental criteria and invest in renewable energy projects such as "Shams 1", the largest solar power plant outside of Spain and the USA. Originality/value: The current study is significant in its research on the environmental impact of economic development, trade openness and energy use policies in the UAE. It uses CO2 emissions as an environmental proxy and evaluates the environmental policies adopted in the UAE to reduce its impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the intensification of global economic competition, innovation has become one of the core elements of vigorous development in various regions. Improving the innovation ability of cross-regional central cities is the main factor influencing whether a region can achieve economic and social development. In this paper, an innovation primacy index system is designed according to the links of the innovation value chain, and the innovation advantages and empirical effects are comprehensively analyzed by using the point-to-point method, entropy weight method, gravity model and two-way fixed effect model. Based on the data of 8 cities in the core area of the Huaihai Economic Zone from 2010 to 2020 in China, Xuzhou's innovation primacy ranks first in the core area of the Huaihai Economic Zone, which accords with its status as the central city of the region. Its index has been rising, and its development trend is also good. However, the overall innovation ability of the core area of the Huaihai Economic Zone is unbalanced; the overall economic foundation is not solid enough. In terms of knowledge innovation, R&D innovation and industrial innovation, the industrialization level, around the activation of Xuzhou city vitality, enhances the Xuzhou innovation radiation drive, leading to a decrease in the Huaihai Economic Zone. Finally, some corresponding suggestions on innovation primacy have been proposed for the city of the Huaihai Economic Zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some studies suggest that resource-rich countries tend to allocate talent and investment toward the resource sector and away from manufacturing or agriculture reducing the competitiveness of these other sectors. Because mining overwhelmingly employs men, when other sectors shrink so do employment opportunities for women (Ross, 2008). This could significantly affect core social structures. Using plausibly exogenous variation in natural resource wealth due to giant oil discoveries and an event study design, this paper finds that giant oil discoveries are associated with relatively worse female outcomes as measured by higher male/female population ratios, higher teen birth rates, and lower educational attendance of tertiary education among women relative to men. However, the impact on health outcomes tapers off within 8 years. Additionally, during periods of increasing oil prices, there is no significant evidence of such effects possibly due to an income effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Towards the end of the Cold War, the vocabulary of global power, space and economy received a qualitative update. Amongst the terms rapidly gaining prominence since the early 1990s has been the notion of geoeconomics, the coining of which has frequently been attributed to the strategist Edward N. Luttwak. In his interpretation, it signified a transition away from Cold War ideological and military geopolitical competition towards commerce and market‐based geo‐power. Over the past three decades, a 'geoeconomics boom' set in, characterised by think tanks and a varied body of politico‐economic literature making extensive use of the term. Conventionally treated as a neologism, the provenance and earlier iterations of geoeconomics, some dating back more than a century, have been largely ignored by both celebratory and critical accounts. In this paper, we trace and contextualise these earlier instances, leading us to the Geopolitik era in Germany and references to geoeconomics in the United States in the decades after WWII. We thereby offer a critical genealogy of geoeconomics, conceptualised as an object of definitional struggle. Proponents of the term sought to position it variously as a tool of national economic cohesion and competition or as a way of understanding and harnessing shifting global power relations, whilst others sought to subsume geoeconomics to geopolitics. These past struggles track forward into ongoing dialectical tensions between geoeconomics and geopolitics as competing but related geostrategic visions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of important trends in health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) for 2024. It highlights key topics such as the need for alternate metrics of benefit and harm in health economics, patient preference research, the use of real-world evidence in healthcare decision-making, equity in healthcare distribution, challenges in low- and middle-income countries, the economics of prevention, and the evaluation of medications for rare conditions. The article emphasizes the need for research and innovation to address these trends and improve healthcare outcomes globally. The text also discusses the uncertainty surrounding the cost-effectiveness of orphan drugs and explores outcomes-based contracting as a potential approach to pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement. It provides insights into what makes a high-quality HEOR paper, including the importance of clinical context and the challenges of securing useful peer review. The authors of the text are experts in the field of HEOR with extensive experience and knowledge in their respective areas of expertise. [Extracted from the article]

The modernization, efficiency, and decarbonization of the energy supply systems are among the new challenges to be faced in the coming decades to achieve the targets and objectives dictated by European strategic policies. Despite the countless benefits related to renewable energy sources (RES) integration, this brings key challenges to the power system, such as the risk of imbalance between energy generation and demand, sudden changes in flows in transmission lines with a need for expensive and time-consuming upgrades, and the withdrawal of conventional generation systems with consequent demands for new solutions and innovation to support grid services. A potential solution to limit the huge intermittence and fluctuation in power generation from RES is Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology integrated with thermal energy storage. The aim of this paper is to discuss the potential benefits related to the use of CSP technology by presenting innovative industrial solutions developed in the Italian SOLARGRID Project, namely the hybridization of CSP–PV systems and the solar thermo-electric system developed by MAGALDI, the parabolic trough collector of Eni, and the new linear Fresnel reflector configuration of IDEA S.r.l. These plant and component solutions are developed for improving the technical performance of CSP technology and reducing the levelized cost of electricity, thereby fostering an effective and massive deployment and encouraging the creation of new business models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the history of the newspaper industry and attributes the current crisis to managerial short-run decisions from 1985 to 2004. It attributes reduced local market growth to declining circulation and maximized advertising prices. Reasons cited for the decline in circulation include clustering or buying newspapers within the same region to cut costs and reduce competition, lower quality newspapers because of lack of investment in the newsroom and rising costs of advertising.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the way competitiveness is measured matters, as well as to analyze the relationship between tax burden and economic competitiveness using a variety of model specifications. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses statistical models aimed at finding the relationship between taxes and different measures of economic competitiveness, such as gross domestic product per capita, employment and a third-party competitiveness index. Other variables are also considered, and statistical procedures such as lag specifications and "white period" errors are used to address problems of endogeneity and serial correlation. Findings: The models find no robust relationship between taxes and competitiveness. Certain models find correlations between the tax burden of specific income groups with economic competitiveness, but these vary in direction and are difficult to interpret. This follows past research, which shows different results depending on the period analyzed, measure of competitiveness and other variables used. Originality/value: This paper looks at many of the different measures of competitiveness, control variables and periods that are used in the previous literature and shows how any changes to these model specifications cause inconsistent results. This paper highlights that, because results can vary greatly depending on the model, researchers and policymakers must be careful when drawing any conclusions from relationships between taxes and economic competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the efficiency of converting natural resources into social benefits is an important issue for sustainable development in today's world. Based on this background this paper applies the super-efficient SBM model with non-expected output to measure the ecological welfare performance (EWP) of Chinese provinces from 2005–2019, and explores the relationship between government competition and EWP under different assessment systems. The research results show that government competition under economic performance assessment is self-interested and short-sighted, which can negatively affect ecological welfare performance in the current period as well as in the next four years. In contrast, government competition under the environmental assessment system promotes EWP in both the current and long term, balancing short-term and long-term benefits. The results of the spatial GMM found that government competition under economic performance appraisal can deteriorate EWP in local as well as surrounding areas, but government competition under the environmental assessment system can achieve an increase in local ecological welfare performance and the spillover effect is not significant. To alleviate the limitations of a single appraisal system, this paper incorporates both economic and ecological appraisals into the multidimensional appraisal system. When the weights of both are between 1:9 and 3:7, the government competition under multidimensional performance appraisal can promote both current and longer-term EWP, and achieve its own ecological welfare performance without affecting the surrounding areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the European Commission's guidance paper (GP) and the relevance and effectiveness of reforming Article 82 through a soft-law tool, and whether the GP demonstrates an effective means of compliance for Germany. The EU aspires to launch GP's features that will analyze concepts such as consumer welfare, anti-competitive foreclosure, and consumer harm. It discusses how the GP could be professed from the viewpoint of German competition law and policy, and the kind of transitional regime required for an effective completion of its main analytical concepts. It notes that it is therefore important to come up an overall balance between both the efficiencies and competitive-harm policy when enforcing Article 82 despite all the criticism.

This paper seeks to bring to the attention of regulatory economists and policymakers the existence of some approaches to utility regulation that have hitherto received little or no attention in the economics literature. It begins by noting that regulatory actions have discouraged certain kinds of retail contracts in the UK that are offered in Nordic countries, almost extinguished retail competition in Ohio, and distorted the market for merchant interconnectors in Australia. In contrast, Argentina secured an efficient appraisal and implementation of transmission expansions by empowering users and severely limiting the role for regulation. Some US and Canadian jurisdictions have fostered the emergence of negotiated settlements that exhibit considerable innovation, and greater benefits for all parties than would have been possible with the conventional regulatory approach. These examples of the actual regulatory world can inform the work of theorists and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the competition law regime in Vietnam and international economic integration. Topics include law reform within Vietnam, the enactment of the Vietnamese Law on Competition (VLC), and the authority of the Vietnamese Competition Administration Department (VCAD). Information is provided on abuse of dominant positions and exclusive dealing.

Purpose: This research is associated with the real-time parameters of wide- and narrow-body aircraft to recognize the quantitative relationship framework. This paper aims to find the superiority of aircraft design technology which triggers the reduction in specific fuel consumption (SFC) and economic competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach: The real case study is performed with 22 middle-of-the-market (MoM) aircraft. This paper develops a fuel burn mathematical model for mid-size transport aircraft by a multi-linear regression approach. In addition, sensitivity analysis is performed to establish the authentication of the fuel burn model. Findings: The study reveals that the MoM aircraft would be the future aircraft design in terms of better fuel economy and carbon footprint. From the multi-regression analysis, it is observed that the logarithmic regression model is the best fit for estimating the SFC. Moreover, fineness ratio, aspect ratio, gross weight, payload weight fraction, empty weight fraction), fuel weight fraction, payload, wing loading, thrust loading, range, take-off distance, cruise speed and rate of climb are observed as the suitable parameters which provide the best fitness value as 0.9804. Originality/value: Several existing literature reveals that a few research has been performed on the MoM aircraft with wide-body configuration. Moreover, mathematical modelling on the fuel consumption was insignificantly found. This study examines several parameters which affect the fuel consumption of a wide-body aircraft. A real-case study for design configurations, propulsive systems, performance characteristics and structural integrity parameters of 22 different MoM aircraft are performed. Moreover, multi-regression modelling is developed to establish the relation between SFC and other critical parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 18 July 2022, the Council gave its final approval of the Digital Market Act's final text. Notwithstanding the amendments following the initial proposal published by the European Commission on 15 December 2020, the main objectives of the DMA have remained untouched and separate from the objectives pursued by competition rules. In the interim, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued its preliminary rulings on the bpost and Nordzucker cases, with particularly relevant consequences concerning the application of the double jeopardy principle. The potential remedies and obligations imposed on the main digital platforms both under Articles 5 to 7 of the DMA and under competition law rules will overlap and create a risk of incoherent enforcement, especially on the side of the European Commission. Against this background, the paper strives to draw out the narrow enforcement gap left for competition authorities. In addition, the paper highlights a number of alternatives open to competition authorities when enforcing competition law rules on digital markets, namely the segmentation of its enforcement efforts depending on the type of service concerned in each case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently adopted Digital Markets Act (henceforth: DMA) addresses the behaviour of so-called gatekeepers by imposing a list of prohibitions and obligations on these platforms. Despite the potential of the initiative, it remains questionable how the DMA fits in the regulatory landscape. The DMA is – at least formally – not a competition law instrument but also differs from sector-specific regulation. This begs the question of how the DMA fits in the broader regulatory context. This paper aims to address this issue by assessing to what extent the DMA is different from "traditional" competition law and sector-specific regulation respectively. The unclarities regarding the position of the DMA in the broader regulatory context result in various difficulties, amongst others relating to the institutional set-up. The second part of this paper addresses these institutional difficulties resulting from the concurrent application of the DMA and "traditional" EU competition law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the implications of the second sentence in Tudor Harts statement about inverse care – that its operation was strongest when exposed to market forces. In the Australian context, we briefly review some available evidence for inverse care in three groups – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and those living in remote and socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. We then discuss the extent to which these examples can be attributed to the operation of supply-and-demand within Australia's hybrid fee-for-service system in general practice. Our analysis suggests disparities in workforce supply and the ability of disadvantaged groups to seek preventive and proactive care are critical factors. These, in turn, suggest the need to fund general practice to be responsible for proactive and preventive care of disadvantaged population groups alongside broader structural reforms in workforce, education and taxation. This paper examines the implications of the second sentence in Tudor Harts statement about inverse care – that its operation was strongest when exposed to market forces. Examples of inverse care can be found in the disparities access to primary health care in Australia, which can be attributed to both supply-and-demand factors in Australia's hybrid market model of health care. Correcting these requires changes to the funding and workforce models, as well as specific actions at the service and community level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identify seven global value chain (GVC)-related challenges faced by the least developed countries (LDCs) of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. The LDCs face some of the most rudimentary challenges related to trade participation and competitiveness. The challenges identified in the paper have been empirically validated using Fuzzy AHP modelling to decipher the priority weights. The findings reveal that 'infrastructural and logistical constraints' is the most imperative challenge followed by 'limited FDI inflows' and 'inadequate development of SME clusters. The remaining challenges include: inadequate aid-for-trade, dismal LDC participation through the RTA/FTA route, lack of robust industrial policy, constraints in value chain upgradation, limited FDI. The study is beneficial for industry and provides useful inputs for policy-making. It helps in ascertaining optimal resource allocation for the purpose of enhancing trade competitiveness and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of social platforms and human activities, people are now interested to solve their problems with the help of the social crowd-powered system. So, crowdsourcing has become a promising way of solving problems in a distributed manner within a specific time. Crowd workers pick up a task (simple or complex) and solve it with competing interest or collaboratively and receive an incentive (as monetary or non-monetary). In paid crowdsourcing platforms, crowd workers solve complex tasks and get remunerations through prior bidding or prior announcement of fee decided by the requester (task provider). For decomposable tasks, a single winner may not provide a significant solution to the requester due to the insufficient knowledge. So, we induce collaboration in competitive crowdsourcing markets to better handle decomposable-type tasks. In this paper, we propose an envelope game-based mechanism that ensures if the tasks are decomposable then the workers will be encouraged to collaborate with their subtasks and share their remunerations. This mechanism also increases the chance of receiving more number of cost-effective solutions. Thus both the requester and crowd workers get benefits from the system. The effectiveness of the proposed mechanism is evaluated through empirical analysis on simulated environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tensions in the EU-China relationship have hampered cooperation in various sectors, including a set of transnational security issues where engagement with China is unavoidable but nevertheless profoundly challenging. The EU maintains a "tripartite" strategy, originally outlined in its 2019 Strategic Outlook, seeing China as a "partner", but also as an economic "competitor" and a "systemic rival". China's former State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has described the European approach as suffering from "cognitive dissonance". As a result, and as demonstrated by the failure of the 2022 EU-China Summit, the two parties are now operating within two different frameworks, and constructive cooperation has become increasingly difficult. By working with Qin Yaqing's concept of "relationality", this article aims to contribute to a better conceptualisation of the ways in which the EU and China can work with each other to tackle global issues. Challenging the literature that tries to explain the shift in EU-China relations by focusing on individual actors, this research's approach focuses on the relations between actors. Adopting this ontology of relations, this research paper analyses how, in the EU-China relationship, relations between the two parties contribute to creating their own identities and motivate their actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China manifests as a major player in the international arena with economic and military power. It seeks to establish a multi-polar world order that would be an alternative to the unipolar system on which the United States alone sits. As a result, China is becoming a strong economic competitor to the United States. The Chinese economic power hided by state funded institution are offering an alternative to the current international world order hided by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the Palestinians can benefit from the economic expansion of China. Thus, can the Palestinians shift their economic reliance on China to achieve an independent Palestinian economy? The Palestinians should rely on both the historical relationship and strengthening their economic ties with China. This paper will analyze the economic assistant -foreign aid sources-that Palestinians receive to determine whether it is possible to shift the economic reliance on China. The paper concluded that China cannot be a better alternative to the United States and the European powers. Nevertheless, it should play a parallel role to the United States. This will aid the Palestinians in achieving their legitimate goal of establishing an independent Palestinian economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the smart economic development (SED) patterns in Europe in relation to competitiveness. Motivational focus corresponds to global events: the fourth industrial revolution, transition to a low-carbon economy, economic shocks (such as the 2008 financial crisis, Brexit or the coronavirus pandemic), which requires rethinking development policies, targeting competitiveness increase and reducing imbalances in economic development. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis includes self-organising neural networks cluster analysis and correlations, comparative analysis of SED indicators structure and cumulative index estimation with World Economic Forum (WEF) global competitiveness index. The panel data set of 19 years from 2000 to 2018 for 30 European countries. Findings: Overall, cross-country examination suggests that European countries of higher competitiveness illustrate higher estimates in SED. The key determinants are juridical fairness, social responsibility, competence building, intelligence and welfare employment to develop smart patterns for reaching higher competitiveness. Research limitations/implications: The limitations relate to the particular sample of European countries and gathering statistical data and a methodology of the SED index calculation. In addition, the paper contains a macroeconomic environment focus on competitiveness estimation. Further research may be improved with micro and mezzo environment incorporation at a cross-country analysis level. Practical implications: By linking well-known terms of competitiveness and economic development with a concept of smartness, new approaches to policymaking emerged. The methodology presented in this paper has implications for territorial cohesion policies, competitiveness and branching strategies. The combination of SED sub-indexes and WEF GCI might aid a more accurate ex ante measurement. Social implications: The findings are essential for fostering a smart approach in economic development for long-term competitiveness. Originality/value: This paper provides original empirical evidence about the relationship between SED and competitiveness and adds new knowledge that smartness becomes a way for building countries' competitiveness by identified two profiles of SED patterns by development stages, namely, integrated to economic development and institutional-based which is divided to focus and balanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Credit rating agencies (CRAs) play an essential role in efficiently allocating capital in the financial system. However, several researchers have highlighted shortcomings of CRAs, leading to drastic consequences such as the 2008 financial crisis. The paper focuses on the competition among CRAs as one of the critical drivers of issues plaguing the credit rating industry. The paper uses quantitative and regression techniques to check the impact of competition on a firm's credit rating. The paper utilizes firm-level financial and credit rating data from India. The paper uses dual ratings to check whether competition leads to rating inflation and shopping practices in the credit rating industry. The paper finds that CRA inflates a firm's credit rating due to competition from other CRAs. Rating shopping is also evident in the credit rating industry, driven by competition between CRAs to gain new clients. The paper's findings also indicate that increased competition for large-size firms business leads to CRAs showing leniency when rating such firms. The results raise the need for regulators to actively monitor and control the competition among CRAs to ensure the accuracy of credit ratings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses relations between South Africa and Southern Rhodesia from 1939 to 1948. The article begins in 1939 when the outbreak of the Second World War brought mixed fortunes for the two neighbours. For Southern Rhodesia, which relied mainly on imported manufactured goods from the United Kingdom, the war induced shortages resulting in huge domestic demand. Shortages stimulated calls for local industry to fill the vacuum. Consequently, an import substitution industrialisation (ISI) drive developed. In addition to the ISI, South Africa, which had a comparatively established secondary industry by the time the war broke out, increasingly became an essential source for Southern Rhodesian imports. This, however, was not without its challenges. Southern Rhodesia's economic interest groups often raised complaints against South Africa's economic competition and its threat to the Rhodesian economy. Nonetheless, Pretoria and Salisbury worked closely and found ways to ease the challenges. By 1948, the end date of the paper, Southern Rhodesia and South Africa's relationship had resulted in the signing of a Customs Union Agreement. Thus, the article demonstrates, thematically and chronologically, that relations between the two countries evolved through cooperation and competition during the Second World War until the onset of Apartheid in South Africa and the Customs Agreement. The paper relies on primary material from the Zimbabwean and South African archives comprised of correspondences of Customs Agreements negotiations, economic policies and relations, and Parliamentary debates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy keeps the global economy alive, while also being extensively exposed to various climate change impacts. In this context, severe business competition (e.g., the building sector) and the unwise use of natural resources and ecosystem services (e.g., fossil fuel energy sources) seem to sharpen the relevant effects of climate change. Indicatively, contemporary issues at the interface of building energy performance and environmental quality levels include consequences from global warming, the increasing release of carbon dioxide to peak electrical loads, power grids, and building planning, and energy demand and supply issues. In light of such concerns, the present review paper attempts to disclose the multifaceted and multidisciplinary character of building energy use at the interface of the economy, the environment, and society against climate change. This review highlights energy efficiency concepts, production, distribution, consumption patterns, and relevant technological improvements. Interestingly, the reviewed contributions in the relevant literature reveal the need and necessity to alter the energy mix and relevant energy use issues. These include developments in climate-proof and effective systems regarding climate change impacts and shocks. Practical implications indicate that the sustainable development goals for clean energy and climate action should be followed if we wish to bring a sustainable future closer and faster to our reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper advances understanding of multiplier-accelerator interaction in European countries in the 21st century. More than eight decades from the contributions of Keynes and Samuelson, multiplier-accelerator interaction has spawned rich and interesting literature. In this study, we examined the relationship between investment, consumption, and economic growth for European Economic Area (EEA) countries, with data observed between 2000 and 2021. We found evidence for both multiplier and accelerator effects. However, for most European economies, the multiplier effect is stronger than the accelerator effect, helping to explain the profile of economic cycles. These results present two emerging policy implications. First, investment made in Europe reacts to the rates of economic growth observed in recent periods. Investment dynamics have long been highlighted as promoters of economic growth and competitiveness. Economic agents use investments to improve their strategic position as agents of long-term socioeconomic development. Second, the estimated effects are not uniform over time; investments react in the same direction as the economic growth observed in the previous years. This nonlinearity of effects obliges all decision-makers to duly anticipate these reactions as well as obliges the academic community to further study the subject. The existence of spatial competition in the distribution of investments leads to strategic behaviours by which competing countries ensure long term national competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on development has long underscored the importance of knowledge-based assets and innovation for economic growth and competitiveness. This paper explores an apparent paradox: why did Argentine regulators initially demur in approving the commercialization of genetically-modified (GM) wheat, one of very few products innovated by the country's biotech sector? The answer lies in risk mitigation, but the risks Argentine regulators sought to avoid were not the environmental and health risks typically associated with GM products. Rather, they worried about possible disruptions to agricultural trade if exports were found to be contaminated by an unapproved GM product. I define the kind of risk that Argentine regulators sought to minimize as structural risk—that is, risk issuing from structural constraints a country faces given an unfavorable or dependent position in trade relations. By illuminating how risks emanating from structural constraints particular to Southern states shape regulatory frameworks, this analysis advances our understanding of the Regulatory State of the South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is receiving unprecedented momentum and is projected to meet a sizable share of the final energy demand in the future. The coupling between the hydrogen and power systems can help integrate volatile renewable energy, reduce curtailment, and realize long-term energy storage. Different coupling modes are being proposed, yet quantitative comparisons are absent. To fill this gap, this paper firstly summarizes the system composition of potential power–hydrogen coupling modes and analyzes their advantages and disadvantages. Then, a model for power–hydrogen coordinated planning optimization is proposed for quantitative analysis. Southern Xinjiang is chosen as a representative of the northwestern area in China, which has plentiful renewable resources and a relatively small local load at present, for a case study. Through result analysis, it is found that the mode of power–hydrogen coupling at the source side, either for in situ utilization or for long-distance transport via pipelines, shows better economic competitiveness. The discussion provides suggestions and a reference to policymakers for formulating infrastructure or industry plans in advance to better accommodate the rapidly developing renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]