Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of the Hainan Free Trade Port, a uniquely experimental institutional design, in shaping regional entrepreneurial dynamics in China. Design/methodology/approach Using province-level panel data from 2003 to 2023, the authors used a synthetic control method to evaluate the policy’s effect on new firm registrations. To ensure robustness, they conduct spatial and temporal placebo tests, synthetic difference-in-differences estimations and incorporate staggered adoption designs. Findings The findings show that the Hainan FTP significantly increased new firm registrations. Industry-level heterogeneity analysis indicates that the effects are more pronounced in knowledge-intensive and modern service sectors, pointing to improvements not only in the quantity but also in the quality of entrepreneurial activity. Additionally, the policy enhanced the local fiscal capacity and contributed to the growth of new productive forces. Research limitations/implications First, while it identifies a significant positive impact of the Hainan FTP on entrepreneurship, it does not fully disentangle the underlying mechanisms, such as improvements in institutional quality, talent inflow or financial accessibility. Second, the analysis relies on province-level panel data, which restricts the exploration of firm-level or entrepreneur-specific heterogeneity. Practical implications This study offers practical implications for institutional reform and entrepreneurship policy. It demonstrates how the Hainan FTP boosts both the scale and quality of entrepreneurship, strengthens local fiscal capacity and fosters new productive forces. The findings provide actionable insights for designing free trade port policies, optimizing industrial support strategies and building dynamic evaluation frameworks to guide adaptive governance. Social implications The Hainan FTP showcases the social impact of building a uniquely positioned offshore free trade port, fostering institutional innovation, international connectivity and entrepreneurship-driven development. It serves as a model for balancing openness with local resilience, enhancing China’s global integration while supporting inclusive regional transformation. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to use the synthetic control method to empirically evaluate the entrepreneurial impact of China’s only offshore Free Trade Port. It provides novel evidence on how high-level institutional openness stimulates entrepreneurship, enriching the literature on place-based economic reforms. The study highlights the unique institutional design of the Hainan FTP, which, unlike traditional free trade.

Purpose The construction industry faces a significant challenge because of the lack of digital tools and collaborative platforms for managing recycled materials and fostering a circular economy (CE) throughout a building’s life. This study aims to mitigate the environmental impact of the construction industry by integrating building information modelling (BIM) with CE principles. Design/methodology/approach In this research, Python and Microsoft Visual Studio were used to introduce a bidirectional data-sharing process and integrate material passports (MPs) within the Autodesk Revit framework. A case study was conducted to check the efficacy of the developed prototype in a real-world project of NEOM City. A total of 12 industry experts have validated the developed prototype named BIM-circular economy system (BIM-CES) through a demonstration, followed by a semi-structured interview, and further analysed using importance-performance analysis (IPA). Findings The prototype demonstrated a framework for using wood material-related MP within a BIM model. IPA revealed that BIM-CES effectively addresses key issues of lack of collaboration, technological solutions, technical skills and circular design, ranking high in importance and performance. Originality/value Unlike previous studies that primarily focus on celebrity attributes in the food sector, this research integrates socio-psychological factors, providing a broader perspective on how these attributes influence consumer behaviour.

Purpose Provided that Egypt is the world’s largest wheat importer, the conflict between its primary suppliers presents significant challenges to its trade stability and food security. This paper aims to investigate the impacts of the Russia–Ukraine (RU) war on Egypt’s trade dynamics, with a particular focus on wheat imports over the period 1995–2023. Design/methodology/approach The study uses the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) model to estimate the relationship between macroeconomic variables and Egypt’s trade performance, as well as agricultural determinants and wheat import dynamics. Findings The empirical results show that Egypt’s GDP growth rate and its exchange rate have negative and statistically significant impacts on both the growth rate of imports and total trade with Russia and Ukraine. Conversely, Egypt’s inflation and the GDP of Russia and Ukraine show a positive and significant effect on Egypt’s imports and total trade. This indicates Egypt’s vulnerability to both domestic inflationary pressures and foreign economic activity. Importantly, the inclusion of a war dummy variable capturing the RU war shows a negative and significant impact on Egypt’s total trade and wheat imports, underscoring the geopolitical shock’s disruptive effects. Research limitations/implications The findings offer critical insights for policymakers to enhance trade resilience, diversify import sources and strengthen domestic agricultural capacity in the wake of global trade disruptions. Practical implications The findings imply that Egypt should implement comprehensive policy reforms in wheat pricing mechanisms, introduce targeted incentives to enhance private sector efficiency in agricultural production, and foster the adoption of innovative and sustainable farming practices. Social implications Social implications extend to reducing food insecurity in Egypt, containing food inflation through improved supply stability, and advancing inclusive growth by ensuring equitable access to affordable staple commodities. Originality/value This study offers a distinctive contribution by examining Egypt’s short-term adaptive responses to the Russia–Ukraine war–a period characterized by exceptional disruption in global wheat markets. It provides empirical insights into how Egypt, an import-dependent economy navigated concurrent external shocks, including trade blockages, logistical constraints, and unprecedented price surges, thereby revealing the mechanisms underpinning trade resilience under crisis conditions.

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationship between export diversification and economic growth by diving into Harmonised System (HS) six-digit level of disaggregation which provides greater details regarding the composition of India’s export product mix. Design/methodology/approach Using data from 1991 to 2023, the study uses Theil index to measure the magnitude of diversification in export basket and employs an Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to unveil the long run relationship between export diversification and economic growth in India. Findings The results provide evidence that export diversification enhances growth both in the short and long run and also acts as a shield against concentration and induced volatility. Further analysis indicates that both human capital and labour force growths are conducive to economic expansion while inflation and FDI has detrimental effects. Research limitations/implications The study period starts in 1991 because data on FDI prior to that period is unavailable as the liberalisation of Indian economy formally initiated in 1990–1991. However, the study also brings out the relevance of export diversification as a source of sustainable economic development and the growth promoting as well as risk mitigating character in the context of India. It also calls for policies to enhance human capital and labour force and the means of combating inflation and to best use FDI for economic growth. Originality/value The study contributes to the existing knowledge through various ways: First, unlike previous studies which uses Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) index which is exposed to various limitations, the present study uses Theil index and considered HS six digit level of product classification to account for greater details while measuring diversification. Second, the long run relationship between economic growth and export diversification is modelled using the Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach and effect of export diversification on economic growth is also moderated controlling various economic growth influencing variables such as, gross capital formation, labour force participation, human capital, FDI and inflationary effect.

Purpose This paper aims to examine the multifaceted impact of China’s belt and road initiative (BRI) on firm innovation. It investigates how enhanced connectivity, economic cooperation and improved resource access under BRI contribute to the innovation capacity of businesses. Design/methodology/approach Taking firms engaged in the BRI framework as the research object, the study uses an empirical analysis to assess the influence of BRI on firm innovation. The analysis focuses on two channels through which BRI operates: optimizing the financing environment and enhancing human capital. Findings The empirical results reveal that BRI significantly promotes firm innovation. It suggests that BRI-driven policies effectively alleviate financial constraints and facilitate access to new markets and resources, thereby spurring innovation in technology, products and services. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on international cooperation and firm innovation by providing novel empirical evidence on the role of BRI in advancing firm innovation. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers seeking to stimulate innovation through global economic initiatives.

Purpose This study aims to explore fresh insights into risk spillovers and linkages between the Shanghai Composite Index and Chinese sectoral equity markets. Design/methodology/approach Using the wavelet-time-varying parameters-vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) approach, this study explores fresh insightful risk spillovers and linkages between the Shanghai Composite Index and the Chinese sectoral equity markets. The sample period covered the major US global crises, the Chinese market volatility and the COVID-19 stress subsamples. Findings This study identified health-care and building materials sector as the biggest dynamic spillover receivers in various crises, whereas the Shanghai Composite Index is the major risk transmitter. Moreover, the health-care and construction industries have the largest spillover receivers, and the Shanghai Composite Index is the main risk transmitter of short- and long-term volatility. The authors interface the Shanghai Composite Index as the primary and significant risk spillover transmitter to all sectors, which reduces their returns. The Shanghai Composite Index and Chinese sectors, excluding health care and pharm-bio, have declining demand supply and adjusting the risk–return patterns in the markets for investors during the outbreak of COVID-19. Furthermore, the health-care and construction material sectors had a greater negative effect and received the most significant risks from the Shanghai and Chinese sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research limitations/implications This study has significant implications for investors, speculators, market analysts and policymakers. Originality/value This study uses the wavelet-TVP-VAR approach to analyze risk spillovers between the Shanghai Composite Index and Chinese sectoral markets, with a focus on key crises, such as the US global crises, the Chinese market volatility and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose The agricultural sector in South Africa has gained traction in recent years, with increasing emphasis on expanding international presence, particularly in the export market, including BRICS countries, in which South Africa and China are members of intergovernmental organizations that want to increase their influence in the global economy. The rising demand for forage has brought renewed attention to the export of Lucerne hay to China, prompting an empirical study on South Africa’s competitive advantage and market demand analysis for Lucerne hay in the Chinese market. This study aims to explore potential opportunities in the global market that South Africa could capitalize on. Design/methodology/approach To evaluate the competitiveness of Lucerne hay exports from South Africa, the study measured the revealed comparative advantage and competitive advantage employing the Balassa and Vollrath indices. To analyze the demand for South African Lucerne hay imports in China from 2019 to 2023, the study applied an Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) to examine the demand parameters and elasticities. Findings South Africa exhibited a comparative advantage and a comparative disadvantage in the export of Lucerne hay. The AIDS model revealed that South Africa’s market share in China is not influenced by its own or competitors’ Lucerne hay export prices. Furthermore, China considers the USA and Australian Lucerne hay to be complementary, with demand increasing despite the rise in price and with own and cross-price elasticities for South African Lucerne hay remaining unresponsive. However, additional Chinese expenditure on Lucerne hay imports would benefit South African Lucerne hay suppliers. Thus, given the existing market conditions, South African Lucerne hay exports cannot be enhanced through price changes but through an increase in export supply as Chinese imports are expected to shift from dependence on the USA. Research limitations/implications The findings provide valuable insights for South African policymakers to enhance decision-making regarding promoting Lucerne hay exports to the Chinese market. While adding to the scientific literature and expanding empirical knowledge, it also serves as a reference point for analyzing trade competitiveness and demand for new and nontraditional agricultural markets within the BRICS. The study provides a policy entry point for South African policymakers to support export-oriented initiatives that align with South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP) goals while capitalizing on the BRICS relationship. From China’s perspective, the research sheds light on the interconnections between its Lucerne hay market and other emerging export markets, with a particular focus on South Africa. This approach yields significant policy implications and contributes to the existing body of knowledge in this field. Originality/value Numerous studies have explored China’s demand for various commodities and South Africa’s export and marketing strategies, but this research offers a unique contribution. The trade of Lucerne hay between South Africa and China has seldom been subjected to empirical analysis. Moreover, this study introduces a novel estimate of import demand elasticities for Lucerne hay.

Purpose This study aims to assess the effect of Aid for Trade (AfT) inflows on poverty in 60 developing countries and whether this effect depends on the effectiveness of these recipient countries’ governments in better allocating these inflows. Design/methodology/approach The analysis has applied the quantile regression (QR) approach on an unbalanced panel data set of 60 developing countries over the period 2009–2018. Findings The findings showed a positive and significant overall correlation between AfT and poverty. This favourable effect, however, only applies to the non-least developed countries (LDCs). However, under a more effective governance environment, the aggregate AfT inflows appeared to reduce poverty levels for the full sample of countries, particularly for the LDCs. Originality/value This study is considered the initial empirical investigation of the relationship between AfT and poverty using the QR approach, and whether this relationship depends on the government effectiveness of these nations. The QR approach enables determining if this effect is more significant in recipient nations with higher rates of poverty (LDCs) than in recipient nations with lower rates of poverty (non-LDCs).