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The article deals with the issue of increasing the competitiveness of enterprises and their long-term sustainability based on the efficiency of investment processes. Implementing new approaches to the company's decision-making processes will allow companies to overcome the pitfalls of the market environment created by the post-COVID period and the current energy crisis that has affected the world markets after the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The article aims to verify the application of the methodology for increasing the competitiveness of enterprises based on the use of a model creating a fusion of traditional and sophisticated tools. The analyses carried out are based on the investment decisions of a real company operating in the Slovak Republic's territory in the production and supply of security products. Mathematical modelling and Monte Carlo simulation are based on the company's accounting and operational financial outputs (profit and loss statement, balance sheet). The methodology is based on mathematical modelling through static traditional financial approaches and their verification through sensitivity analysis, regression analysis and Monte Carlo simulation based on distributional distributions of risk factors. The output is the assessment of risk factors and their significance for the criterion value Net Present Value (NPV).

Growth becomes one of the factors influencing a business's ability to obtain financial sources. Anyway, many SMEs still need help finding out finances for their business. The contribution deals with business financing in Slovakia, intending to find out what financing possibilities are not used and to offer a solution for the problematic financing. The paper aims to answer three research questions in business financing from the view of classical and modern financing, from the perspective of territorial structure and from the standpoint of the business's legal form. To find out the actual situation in business financing in Slovakia (selected as a representative of one of V4 countries having similar development), we used questionnaire research from talking companies from different sectors and legal forms of business. Consequent data was obtained from the official database of financial reports in Slovakia. The questionnaire results are used for cluster analysis with the Ward method. The research, orientated to financial source use, proved that internal sources present the most significant rate of business activities financing. The results suggested how to increase the effectiveness of business financing by considering modern financing forms.

A businesses with a green label is associated with resources that are sustainable. This business is linked to the green economy, which can be described as a form of economy that is responsible in relation to the environment and economic growth, and thus complementary. In this type of economy, viable products are created, but also solutions and practices that take the environment into account. It is well known that eco-innovation activities are closely linked to the development of an eco-business. The research sample consisted of 10 countries, namely the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, and Finland, which were selected by purposive sampling. In this article, we look at eco innovations in selected countries, specifically ranking them, where we have divided countries into different levels, from countries that are at the super eco-innovation level, to countries that are in the middle zone, to countries that are significantly lagging in this trend. To classify countries into each level, we looked at the following variables: eco-innovation inputs, eco-innovation activities, environmental outcomes, socio-economic outcomes, and the eco-innovation index itself. Taking these sub-results into account, we determined where countries are, in other words, which level they have reached. We found that there are significant differences between countries. As we conclude, there are several reasons for this, but one of them is the lack of communication, coordination, and synergy between institutions, government, and SMEs, which are the drivers of eco-innovation. The supporting quantitative data collection method was data collection and structured observation, which is more precise and therefore provides more detailed information about the reality under study. For the purpose of this thesis, data were obtained from the Statistical Office of the European Union, that is, Eurostat, which is responsible for publishing pan-European statistics and indicators that allowed us to compare countries. In the survey, we compared the five most recent years for which Eurostat data were available, namely 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The overall score of a European Union member state is calculated as the unweighted average of 16 sub-indicators. It shows how well each Member State performs in terms of eco-innovation compared to the European Union average of 100.

The current level of technological development made it possible to predict upcoming changes, the expected commercial availability of breakthrough technologies and the impact they will have on business organization, manufacturing and labor market. The fourth industrial revolution, driven by automation, digital technology and Big Data, is expected to start in a few years. The number one external risk currently perceived by companies is digital disruption. The aim of the paper is to examine the current trends in terms of technological development and workforce transition for the preparedness of companies and labor market for the upcoming changes. The paper reviews the results of research, indicating the dominant orientation of companies, with regards to the expected digital disruption, trends shaping the fourth industrial revolution and strategies for preparation for the upcoming changes.

Humanity is dependent on natural resources. Use and productivity of these resources plays an important role in energy savings and circular economy. The goal of this contribution is to evaluate productivity of resources in the frame of EU countries. Single analysis deals with data from the publicly available portal database and collected data were processed in the statistical software JMP. The trend of development and analysis of variability and linear dependence helped to create cluster analysis and comparison of the EU countries. The results from the view of average value of the indicator registered the growth, and from the view of variability the statistically important differences were verified for EU member states. Some pairs of indicators recorded positive, while some pairs recorded negative linear dependence. Cluster analysis shows two groups of countries—the first one with positive results, having the lowest tax burden in the case of energy taxes and environment, and the second one with negative results, having the highest tax burden of environmental and energy policy. The results are useful for a proper setting of energy and environmental goals that can increase the effectiveness of resource productivity in the countries studied.

This presented paper focuses on the design and evaluation of the concept of concentrated solar heaters for segmental heat accumulators, which are designed to cover the energy needs of selected communities in terms of food preparation without the need for fossil fuels, which have a negative impact not only on the climate but especially on health. The proposed device is based on the traditional method of food preparation in the so-called earth oven; however, the fire-heated stones are replaced with heat accumulators heated by solar radiation. This approach eliminates the need to change common and long-term habits of food preparation for selected communities. The device connects solar vacuum heat pipes, a solar radiation concentrator, and heat accumulators. The concept was evaluated based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis with the use of a transient simulation of selected operating situations in three geographical locations. The results showed a significant temperature increase of the heat accumulators, where in the most effective case the temperature increased up to 227.23 °C. The concept was also evaluated based on a calorimetric analysis of the system consisting of heat accumulators and food. The resulting temperature in the considered case reached the pasteurization temperature necessary for safe and healthy food preparation.

Cadmium and mercury are widespread and non-biodegradable pollutants of great concern to human and animal health. In this study, the influence of exposure to low doses of cadmium and mercury on Wistar rats was investigated. The experiments aimed to identify suitable markers of chronic intoxication with heavy metals in rats. The subjects were 48 naive young rats (24 females and 24 males), four weeks old, grouped randomly into three distinct groups—control group, group exposed to cadmium and group exposed to mercury. The control group received sham treatment—clean untreated water. Cd exposed group received water containing cadmium chloride dihydrate and Hg exposed group received water with mercury dichloride. Both cadmium and mercury were administered to experimental rats in drinking water in concentrations exceeding the maximum acceptable concentration of these metals 500 times, i.e., 0.5 mg Hg and 2.5 mg Cd per liter of water. The results were evaluated quarterly during the experiment (52 weeks). Selected physiological parameters (life span, body weight changes and intake of food and water), reproductive parameters (number of births (litters), number of born pups and number of raised pups) and toxicological parameters (average daily dose, total dose received and the amount of toxic metal received) were studied. The results of the experiments indicate differences between both individual groups and between males and females, which confirmed that these parameters are essential in such experiments of chronic exposure to subtoxic doses of heavy metals.

The application of the latest management methods becomes today, during the ongoing European integration processes, a requisite for the success of the business within the environment of international markets. In this paper, the authors pay attention to the expansion of the organizational knowledge base with an application of a new management method. They are dealing with assessment of the organization performance, the issue of its effectiveness and the increasing economic efficiency, on an example of a selected mining company as a case study. In order to detect weaknesses in the company reviewed and to offer suggestions for improvement, which may move the company towards prosperity, the authors carried out the performance assessment by using the EFQM Excellence Model 2010. The aim of this paper is to introduce the business performance assessment model in terms of the European standards that will allow the use of latest management methods in the environment of both the Slovak and European companies.

Goal of the contribution is to explain evaluation of economical environment that firms must respect during their business activity.External environment of mining firm includes except others technological development, economical situation, legislative by the wayof regulation, but in last time also stimulations from the government, competition behavior and other. Contribution is dealing also withenergetical effectiveness in the frame of economical evaluation applied in conditions of Slovak republic.The renewable energy sources are domestic sources of energy that help to enhance the safety of energy suppliesand the diversification of energy sources. The renewable energy is proved to be commercially viable for a growing list of consumersand uses. The renewable energy technologies provide many benefits that go well beyond the energy alone. More and more,the renewable energies contribute to the three pillars of the sustainable development in the economy, environment and the society.

The elimination of the risks endangering the health and life of the employees should be the main task of every employer.A necessary step for handling this task is identification of all dangerous steps referring to particular activities of companiesand specification of sources of risks engaged to every identified danger including recent as well as planned safety actions accordingto Work Code and low No. 126/2006 Z. z. of NR SR about safety and protection of health at work. Therefore employers have to acceptefficient actions in order to decrease the occurrence of risks to the lowest possible level..An outline for identification of dangers and risks as well as an evaluation of methods for risk management of work-peopleprofessions is proposed in this contribution.

The greatest potential for the future development of renewable energy in the region lies in biomass. It is comprised of materials of plant and animal origin, fit for an energy utilisation. Slovakia is considered to have ideal natural conditions for developing the biomass energy, it is definitely among countries that are rich in biomass. But the environmental awareness in Slovakia is still low and many people consider biomass as a fuel used by nature enthusiasts and environmentalists.A successful project implementation, in which people can see in practice that pellets are a competitive and a cost-effective heating fuel, might be a “first step” overcoming the people’s mistrustfulness.A real development of renewables will only be possible on the assumption of effective supportive legislative and economic measures such as: incentive purchase prices, soft investment credits in the construction of installations, country-wide support schemes, promotion of domestic manufacture of equipment, tax reliefs and strong research support.

Countries of the European Union have stated transition to carbon-neutral economy until the year of 2050. Countries with a higher share of coal-fired power generation currently have no solution to end their combustion and use clean, emission-free energy immediately. The solution to this problem in the energy industry appears to be the increased use of natural gas, which significantly reduces CO2 emissions. In this article, we investigated the possibility of using coal in situ, using UCG (underground coal gasification) technology. We focused on verified geological, hydrogeological, and tectonic information about the selected brown coal deposit in Slovakia. This information has been assessed in research projects in recent years at the Technical University. From the abovementioned information, possible adverse factors were evaluated. These factors affect the rock environment around the underground generator by UCG activity. As part of the process management, measures were proposed to eliminate the occurrence of pollution and adverse effects on the environment. In the final phase of the UCG technology, we proposed to carry out, in the boreholes and in the generator cavity, water flushing and subsequent grouting. The proposed are suitable materials for solidification and stabilization. Results of this article´s solutions are crucial in the case of usage of this so-called clean technology, not only in Slovakia but also worldwide.

The article highlights the investigation of the relationships between measured quantities during the atmospheric geochemical survey of contaminated soil and the environmental burden of the industrial establishment in eastern Slovakia. Statistical data processing was undertaken from the measured values of pollutants. The basic statistical characteristics of the monitored indicators were defined here. With the help of regressive and correlative analysis, dependency was confirmed between examined values, further expressed by a mathematical relationship. We analysed variability of the measured variables due to the influence of changed input quantities by the non-parametric Wilcox test. The statistical data processing helps us to identify the dependency between the measured values and improves valorization of the pollution of a given environmental burden. This was due to the handling of organic pollutants and the production of basic organic and inorganic chemicals stated for other industries. Chemical analysis of soil air helps us to determine the extent and amount of soil contamination by pollutants. Individual pollutants have their own characteristic properties and their negative effects on biota, the environment and humans are different.