Regional Formation and Development Studies

As the global economy grows, so does the demand for energy. Investment in clean energy projects, including geothermal, is increasingly important to help meet these growing energy needs. Clean energy projects are also important for environmental reasons and as part of the battle against climate change. Many clean energy sources in the world are located in developing countries, including emerging market economies. Investors in developing countries are normally faced with higher risks than those investing in high income developed economies. Higher risks in turn reduce capital flows to developing countries. This is particularly true during times of economic and financial crisis. At the same time energy projects tend to be large and capital intensive with long repayment periods. Energy projects also often require partnership between the public and private sectors i.e. public private partnerships (PPPs). Efficient allocation of risks among the different partners in PPPs is important for success, generally results in more profitable projects, and is more likely to benefit all parties involved. This article discusses public private partnerships in the energy sector in developing countries, characteristics of developing countries, the risk faced by investors, the absence of an international regime for investment, and risk mitigation instruments offered by international financial institutions to manage risks.

Vietnam is an emerging market country in South East Asia. Like many countries in the region Vietnam hasadopted a strategy of export lead growth. Recently Vietnam became a lower middle income country but its goal eventually is to reach high income status. Vietnam is a large food producer and exporter. To reach a higher income level Vietnam needs to increase the value added of its products and export more to high income countries. Is it feasible for producers of advanced food processing solutions, including from Europe, to market their products in Vietnam? This article analyses and assesses the seafood and livestock markets. The conclusions show that there are real opportunities for advanced processing solution providers to sell their products in both fisheries and livestock sectors. Growth potential for these providers in the short run seem to be in fisheries sector, while the medium or long term potential, seems to be in the livestock sector.

From 2008 the education action – Latvian Solar Cup – is organized in University of Latvia. In this event, intended for pupils and students, the basics of one of the types of renewable energy – solar photovoltaic – are taught, and pupils from 5th to 12th classes are being taught, and students – those who teach. Lectures about renewable technologies are organized for pupils, and materials are distributed them for homework – to built up just a solar-powered vehicle. First Solar Cup became with an active participation of Czech colleagues (University of Ostrava) and their experience in organizing similar initiatives. Over the next few years the German colleagues from the University of Kassel (Germany) shared with their experience from German Solar Cup activities.

In order to achieve the best results, many businesses in the service sector are seeking to understand the needs of consumers and involve them in the process of new services development as well. The formation of individualized consumer portrait allows business entities to get to know their target clients and identify their needs. Meanwhile, the management symbiosis is made by this involvement process and business entities have a perfect opportunity to improve their services according to suggestions and experiences of consumers. All companies, that allow their consumers to involve in the process of new services development, can create an enabling environment for the easier generation of ideas and testing of conceptual services. Such companies can be prepared for new services implementation in a more effective way as well. According to the opinions and theories of different authors, this article analyzes the impact of consumers on the process of new services development. In order to evaluate the object of the research more closely, the research was carried out from the perspective of the business subject also. In order to carry out the results of this research, the methods of comparative analysis and synthesis were used.

Geothermal and hydropower projects tend to be capital intensive and with long repayment periods. These projects can be challenging, especially in developing and emerging countries in transition often characterized by changing and unpredictable political and business environments. Developing and emerging countries are eligible for support from international financial institutions (IFIs) such as the World Bank Group and regional development banks and can also receive assistance from bilateral donor institutions. PPPs enable pooling of public, private and donor funds for clean energy investment. A well designed PPP can be a venue for scaling up funding for clean energy investment internationally. However, little point exists in forming PPPs if, for example, the private sector partner captures most or all the benefits, or if the government keeps changing the rules of the game resulting in a non-viable project. The focus of this article is on PPPs, potential benefits and challenges for host governments and various partners, including the private sector, bilateral donors, and multilateral institutions such as IFIs. When disputes occur between the private sector and host governments, IFIs can potentially play an important role in resolving disputes and help ensure the fair sharing of the risks and the rewards of the PPP for all the parties involved. The objective of this article is to review some recent theoretical research recently done on PPP, potential benefits as well as some challenges using this model in developing and emerging countries.

Straipsnyje, taikant Kinijos mokslų akademijosModernizacijos tyrimų centro pasiūlytą metodiką, apskaičiuota Lietuvosapskričių pirminė modernizacija 2000–2011 metais. Atliekant skaičiavimus,paaiškėjo, kad ši metodika lengvai adaptuojama ir galimá sėkmingai pritaikytitiriant Lietuvos regionų modernizacijos tendencijas. Nustatyta, kad įgyvendinant pirminę modernizacijąpirmiausia būtina sumažinti žemės ūkio sektorių ir užimtųjų žemės ūkyje dalį.Antra, reikia didinti švietimo aprėptis didinant studentų skaičiųaukštesniosiose ir aukštosiose mokyklose. Tyrimo metu pasitvirtino autorių ex ante formuluota prielaida, kad modernizacijos sąvokos siaurinimas ikiinovacijų yra klaidinga nuostata. Inovacijas derėtų laikyti jau postmoderniomisvertybėmis. Bandymas ieškoti šių postmodernių vertybių tuose teritoriniuosevienetuose, kurie dar tik siekia modernizuotis, lemia neatitikimą tarpvyriausybės kuriamų plėtros strategijų ir vietinių raidos realijų.

The purpose of this research is to identify the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Malaysia based on PFP methodology from the Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI). As one of the top performing economies in Asia, the Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI) score of Malaysia stood in the ‘middle rank’ from 2012 to 2016 (ranked 46th out of 96 surveyed countries). The analysis has revealed that Malaysia has two strong pillars that are unique to the country, namely ‘human capital’ and ‘process innovation’. There are seven other pillars that did not perform well, namely, technology absorption pillar, high growth, risk capital, cultural support, product innovation, start-up skills, and internationalisation. In order to improve these areas, the Malaysian government needs to enact ‘supportive regulation’ for entrepreneurs, such as promoting entrepreneurs in external events, tax holidays, a less complicated business permit application process, ease of access to bank loans, and business training.

Straipsnyje nagrinėjamas labai specifinis, lietuvių mokslininkų netyrinėtas dokumentinio žanro tipas – lietuviškas etnografinis filmas. Remiantis etnografijos ir kinematografijos kūrimo principais analizuojamas etnografinio filmo savitumas, aptariama lietuviško etnografinio filmo istorinė raida, išskiriamos lietuviško etnografinio filmo kategorijos, nusakomos jų savybės. Dėl audiovizualinės kalbos etnografinis filmas laikomas unikalia ir savita vaizdinių kultūroje bei visuomenėje reprezentavimo priemone. Pastaraisiais dešimtmečiais naujosios technologijos ir jų inspiruoti kūrybiniai sprendimai keičia etnografinio filmo suvokimo ribas, kartu keisdami ir etnografinio filmo reprezentacinę vertę bei prasmę. Šiame straipsnyje sąvoka filmo reprezentacinė vertė vartojama kaip siekis paveikti filmo žiūrovą kameros užfiksuota kultūra, skatintant joje apsilankyti. Straipsnio tikslas – įvertinti lietuviškų etnografinių filmų reprezentacinę vertę ir prasmę, kurios analizuojamos iš etnologų pozicijos. Straipsnio tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad šiuolaikinis lietuviškas etnografinis filmas sparčiai vystosi, jo gamyba intensyvėja, tačiau daugėja ir nekokybiškos produkcijos, kuri yra tik režisūrinės tikrovės versija, montažas, suponuojantis klaidingą Lietuvos kultūros reprezentaciją.

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama finansų krizių sąvoka, aptariami finansų krizių skirstymo teoriniai aspektai. Nustačius, kad finansų krizių klasifikavimas ir skirstymas pagal panašius požymius leistų jas geriau suprasti ir palengvintų jų poveikio ekonomikai analizę, sudaryta finansų krizių tipų klasifikacinė lentelė. Apibendrinamojoje finansų krizių tipų klasifikacinėje lentelėje pateikiami finansų krizių tipai, nurodomos pagrindinės jų kilimo priežastys, pristatyti pagrindiniai poveikio ekonomikai rodikliai bei išvardyti istoriniai šių finansų krizių tipų pavyzdžiai. Tyrimo metu nustatytos trys Lietuvos ekonomiką neigiamai paveikusios finansų krizės – „Bankų krizė“ (1995), „Rusijos finansų krizė“ (1998) ir „Globali finansų krizė“ (2008), apibrėžtos jų kilimo priežastys. Akcentuojant darnaus ekonominio vystymosi prielaidas Lietuvoje ir siekiant tyrimų pagrindu kurti regioninę politiką, šios finansų krizės suklasifikuotos pagal sudarytą tipologiją.

The aim of the article is the analysis of the innovative activity in the balanced development of regions and organizations in Poland and the EU. A state is responsible for the level of innovativeness transferring finances for the research and development as well as implementing proper financial and legal instruments stimulating innovative endeavours of enterprises according to the applied economy politics. An enterprise is the basic objective of the innovative politics in Poland and the EU as well as implementing innovativeness with the benefits for economy. Enterprises, especially the smaller and medium ones, try to cooperate within innovativeness with the companies from the same branches, other branches in the country and abroad, with universities, B+R institutions, including laboratories, intermediary companies in a transfer, financing innovativeness, with scientific and technical parks, local authorities representatives as well as other representatives of an innovative environment. Those include also advisor companies, organizers of fairs, exhibitions, conferences, seminars and trainings. In Poland, the finances of innovativeness is done mainly by the companies themselves and the development of intermediary companies within transferring the EU’s funds as well as the financial or credit ones that are the suppliers of the capital, e.g. venture capital.