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Benchmarking is a process of improving organizational performance by recognizing, comprehending, adjusting, and incorporating the most effective practices and procedures observed either within or outside an organization. Benchmarking creates, primarily in industrial sectors, clearly identified opportunities for the use of processes and resources, and detecting the continuous improvement of their performance. From the point of view of a systemic approach to the management of the efficiency of the performance of industrial organizations based on benchmarking, it is possible to increase competitiveness in interaction with economic improvements. The objective of this study is to assess the potential of benchmarking in a business, with a particular focus on the economic aspect, by a systematic approach, and to propose a model for selecting the research segment, based on an international company operating across multiple countries worldwide. The study concentrates on the technical equipment of quarries in EU countries, where the company operates, employing benchmarking, a benchmark index, and statistical methods. The proposed model was designed in an open way that can be expanded and generalized for other manufacturing and non-manufacturing enterprises. The model is flexible and adaptable to the specifics of other sectors as regards the need to improve management with an emphasis on making management more efficient, and thereby supporting sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy and efficient use of resources gained importance in the context of sustainable development. The paper aims to evaluate the development of landfilling in Slovakia. The next goal is to assess the trend in compared with the EU's situation. The presented research presents a continuation of previous research in the area of waste recycling in Slovakia, pointing to the waste and landfilling, which is deserving of analysis from a long-term perspective. The research is carried out via data collection at the EU level by recording continuously published values. The paper's results are processed in statistical software. Considering regional development, landfilling in Slovakia is followed up according to the geographical units of the entire country. The results shown here show that a higher recycling capacity is required and Slovakia should decrease its level of landfill. Such results can be used in the waste treatment area, protection of the living environment and sustainable development of regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kemerovo region is one of the largest regions for coal mining. The region’s economy is growing every year, but residents of remote communities still use diesel generators (which negatively affects the environment and essentially means poor use of it) or do not have access to centralize electricity. The Advanced Development Programme for Electricity Systems in the region has a limited budget and does not cover all regions. Most of the existing infrastructure has been in use for more than 25 years, which increases the relevance of decentralized generation. Renewable energy not only reduces emissions significantly, but also addresses the challenge of providing energy to rural people. The authors studied the feasibility of installations of solar panels, wind and hydro installations of low capacity in the Kemerovo region. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the use of hydropower plants will provide 6% of rural Residents of Tisul and Tashtagol municipal districts with electricity. Solar panels and collectors can be used in almost any area, but it is economically justified to link their installation with tourism development programs in the region. As far as wind farms are concerned, they are under-powered for objective reasons, and decisions about their use require further research.

The main criterion for the sustainable development of social-andeconomic systems is the efficiency of functioning, taking into account the current environmental conditions. At the same time, favorable opportunities for carrying out activities, performing a certain role, confirming the significance in the future period are created. The analysis of the organization of enterprises’ innovation activities made it possible to establish the main trends in entrepreneurial behavior, to identify the features of innovation implementation, taking into account modern business conditions. As a result of the study, the authors found out the reasons for the low innovation activity at the enterprises in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, identified restrictions on the introduction of new technologies, the promotion of innovative products, the influence of factors on changes in the structure of financing innovations. Based on the opinions of specialists, the article highlights favorable opportunities for sustainable development of the region in the course of technological transformation, its resource provision, taking into account the increase in the innovation potential of organizations with the active assistance of the state to the innovation infrastructure development. The ongoing innovation processes determine environmentally oriented social changes leading to the development of society, contribute to increasing the innovations’ receptivity, the life quality and become the main tasks of sustainable development of the regional economy.

Currently, over 50% of Russia’s coal is mined in Kuzbass region. This is the reason for extreme pressure on natural resources and ecology in the region. At present, more than 100 coal mines and open-pit mines, as well as 54 concentrating plants and facilities are operating in Kuzbass. Wastewater and wastes of concentration plants, which used sludge collectors, contain significant amounts of coal slurry in the form of finely dispersed particles. Filtered cake as a potential raw material is of interest from an economic point of view. This technogenic raw material is a waste of mining production in fact. At the same time, the high humidity, and the complexity of loading and transportation, and the lack of compliance with consumer requirements does not allow full using of this raw material. This article presents some results of experimental research on coal sludge dewatering using geosynthetic materials. The received experimental data allow making the preliminary forecast about possibility of use of geotextile- like materials for coal slurry dewatering with its potential further use.

At a number of large open pit mines in Kuzbass, coal production costs have increased due to the deepening of mining operations. In order to reduce them, separate sections of coal mining at the upper horizons are operating or are being designed for mining at low current stripping ratio. For the same purpose, open-pit mining areas at the fields of existing quarries are operated and designed. Examples of such existing and projected areas are: the “Complex Synclinal” area at the Krasnobrodsky surface mine; the “Prirezka” area at the Chernigovsky surface mine; a number open-pit areas at the underground mines; etc. The main factors complicating the involvement in the development of new sites are: the presence of residential areas, industrial buildings and structures near the boundaries of the mining area; power supply lines, transport communications, which limits or excludes the production of mass explosions in the preparation of overburden for excavation; limited size or lack of areas for external dumps at a short distance from the site (in some cases, it is possible to close the mined-out space of the worked-out quarry field). When designing the development of areas characterized by such conditions, it is necessary to consider the application of new technical and technological solutions.

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The presented article deals with the impact of mining of mineral resources, namely zeolites, to the socio -economic area of regional development. Case study is focused on analysis of macroeconomic parameters of selected indicators for the implementation of the zeolite mining project in the Prešov region. This way we can point out to benefits for the state and the region. In accordance with the applicable legislation are quantified revenues for the municipality (or region) -the form of payments for the mining area, extracted minerals and local taxes and fees, for the state in the form of levies and taxes on employment, corporate income tax, VAT. In conclusion, it summarizes and quantifies the economic benefits of zeolite mining for the state and the investor through the duration of the surface mining of the mineral resource.

This paper points to the development tendencies of selected macroeconomic indicators of raw material policy in Slovakia, which forms an integral part of the national economic policy of the state. It describes in detail selected macroeconomic indicators of exploitation of raw materials, which form the basic platform of functioning of all national economic sectors in Slovakia. It also points out the benefits for the Slovak economy in the form of revenues from mining activities to the state budget, municipal budget and environmental fund. At the end the article summarizes the partial findings from the development tendencies of macroeconomic indicators of raw material policy, which is currently an integral part of the industrial policy of the European Union.

This paper points out the integration of using of modern computer technologies and 3D modeling of montaneous objects, which form an integral part of montaneous tourism. It describes in detail the chronological development of the term “ montaneous “, which currently refers to all areas with interaction ties to primary, secondary and tertiary spheres of mining. At the same time, it points to an attractive form of making available objects, which no longer exists, resp. inaccessible historical montaneous objects using 3D visualization for the general public, which requires not only wider teams of high-quality programmers or graphic designers, but also experts who create historically relevant descriptive texts, diagrams or models, according which is possible their computer processing. Finally, it presents concrete 3D visualizations of historical montaneous objects in the territory of Eastern Slovakia.

The article deals with possibilities of brownfields using after mining and processing of mineral resources in the Slovak Republic, which represent not enough used or unused land, including administrative buildings or mechanical engineering objects. These types of brownfields are often accompanied by environmental burdens in various forms and levels of contamination of individual environmental components. Brownfields, whose degree of degradation and contamination is directly determined by the way of mining and processing of mineral resources, represent the so-called brown investments, which do not benefit the region where the brownfields are currently located. The article points to the current state of existence of environmental burdens as a result of mining and processing of mineral resources, which is also considered negative determinants of their occurrence. Based on the prioritization of negative and positive determinants of the possible use of brownfields after mining and processing of mineral resources, it concludes with a categorization of their possible further use.

One of the promising directions for studying the indicators of sustainable development of the extracting region is the analysis of economic trends, the definition and expert evaluation of their values and their practical approval. The assessment of the whole complex of environmental, economic and social indicators of sustainable development is of obvious importance in monitoring, evaluating and adjusting regional targeted programs, developing concepts and programs for long-term socialand-economic development, analyzing their effectiveness. It will allow, if necessary, to correct specific directions of social-and-economic and ecological development of the region. In extracting clusters, the need for the development of an import-substituting machine building cluster is urgent. For its establishing it is necessary to organize an investment consortium of engineering products’ consumers, an international network of industry innovation, research-and-production and design firms, a regional agency for attracting and protecting investments in import substitution of industrial products, and a set of tax incentives for residents of the import-substituting cluster.

Although the concept of the circular economy as a term was first mentioned in 2015, when the "Action Plan for the circular economy" was adopted at the European level, it is still not possible to speak of a sufficient knowledge base in this area. The Action Plan (COM (2015) 614) can be seen as an initial strategic document that sets out a concrete and ambitious roadmap for implementing the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. However, the European Green Agreement cannot be left out in this context either (COM(2019) 640). It is seen as a new growth strategy to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society with a modern, competitive, resource-efficient economy, with net greenhouse gas emissions expected to be zero by 2050 and economic growth independent of resource use. A new EU circular economy action plan - Towards a cleaner and more competitive Europe was also adopted in 2020 (COM(2020) 98). The main priority areas are measures focusing on the value chains of key products electronics and ICT (information and communication technologies), batteries and vehicles, plastics, textiles, packaging, construction and buildings, food, water and nutrients measures covering all links in the value chain from production to consumption, repair and refurbishment, waste management up to the return of raw materials back to the economy and their use in the production cycle in the form of secondary raw materials. The transition to a circular economy also includes a revision of the European waste directives: on waste, on packaging and packaging waste, on landfills, on batteries and accumulators and used batteries and accumulators, and on waste electrical and electronic equipment. In order for all of this to be possible, it is necessary to know the amount of waste produced by individual sectors, which is also dealt with in our article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most important raw material needed for food production is phosphorus (P), which cannot be replaced by other elements. P is listed as a Critical Raw Material (CRM) for the European Union (EU). It is an element essential for human nutrition and is used for fertiliser production. The key importance of P for human life is evidenced by the fact that if there were not enough P in fertilisers, we would only be able to feed 1/3 of the world's population. Unfortunately, in Visegrad Group (V4) countries, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Hungary, there is a lack of mineral deposits of phosphate rock. Therefore, there is a strong need to cover the demand for the P by importing from countries of varying stability, both economic and political, such as Russia, China, or Morocco. It is risky; if the borders for deliveries of goods are closed, it may be impossible to meet the needs of P. On the other hand, V4 countries have large secondary P resources in P-rich waste, which are lost due to P is not recovered on an industrial scale. The paper presents the importance of P raw materials in V4, the revision of primary and secondary P sources that can be used in agricultural systems, as well as the structure of import and export of P raw materials in these countries. In addition, examples of good phosphorus recovery practices in the V4 countries are presented. They include a list of initiatives dedicated to the sustainable management of P resources, and examples of P recovery projects. Implementation of P recovery for internal P-rich waste in V4 could ensure the safety of food production in this region. Such and similar initiatives may contribute to faster independence of the V4 countries from the import of P raw materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raw materials policy of the Slovak republic is currently in stage of the stagnation due to complex conception and outdated data (not updated from 2003). Nowadays there is an effort of the state to develop a completely new concept of the raw material policy using best available techniques in the given field. Paper is based on the study case of assessment of regional impacts of mining and processing the gold ore to public finance derived from real contitions of the Slovak republic region. Results achieved originates from the models for the assessment of the project of mining as well as from the model of environmental and social impact assessment. The main aim of the contribution is to increase the effectiveness in raw materials using with regard to environmental and social impact of the assessed region which could be implemented to the raw materials policy on the national level.

The ceramic pipe is an object of the archaeological collection of the Slovak Museum of Nature Protection and Speleology in Liptovský Mikuláš. It was found during a rescue archaeological research when reconstructing historical building of the museum, originally built in the middle of the 18th c. as a Jesuit monastery. Only the richly decorated cylindrical head of the pipe has been preserved. Coming from a surface collection and because it is only a fragment without a signature, the producer and the year of production could not be identified. The ornament on the head is embossed and consists of floral, geometric, and figural decorations. Three ovals with portraits of three different men are depicted in the middle part of the head. Uniformed clothing and hairstyling suggest that men were of a high rank, with an affinity to the army. The letters below each portrait could be monograms. Based on these facts, we assume that it is a portrayal of the members of the Holy Alliance – the coalition between the monarchists of Austria, Russia, and Prussia, which was created to restrain liberalism and secularism in Europe in the wake of the devastating French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. The treaty was signed after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 by representatives of Austria, Russia, and Prussia. We assume that the portraits of Emperor Francis I of Austria, Tsar Alexander I of Russia, and King Frederick Wilhelm III of Prussia are depicted on the pipe. We compared the portraits on the pipe with the faces in the oil painting “Die Heilige Allianz” (Holy Alliance) by an unknown author from 1815. Somatoscopic and somatometric methods were used to evaluate morphological features and the proportionality of faces. Based on the results, we are inclined to believe that the portraits on the head of the pipe most likely represent the above-mentioned monarchs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]