Innovation in rural development and how it has influenced the increase in the quality of life of the rural population has always been a challenge. Innovation can be addressed through the interventions implemented within the measures and intervention areas of the rural development programs and through certain types of projects. New products, practices, and processes represent engines for innovation and diversification of agricultural activities, as well as for improving the competitiveness of the rural economy. The policy tool to support local needs, in reducing economic and social imbalances and urban-rural disparities and promoting innovation is the LEADER approach that encourages small-scale innovative actions in all aspects of rural life (economic, social and environmental). With the help of the information taken and analyzed from the websites of institutions with a role in the elaboration, management, implementation, and control of rural development programs in Romania, projects were identified that encourage innovation through the activities of local action groups at the LEADER rural area level, financed during 2014 – 2020, the beneficiaries of these projects, the value of the contracts and their impact on the rural population. Following the analysis, we want to see which type of projects the innovation took shape and if they helped the evolution of the rural community concretely

Travelling is a fundamental activity for personal development, giving opportunities for exploring, learning and enrich the cultural knowledge. Especially for young travellers, the use of a backpack becomes a challenge due to its weight, limited space and the need of transporting only the essentials. In the same time, the reduce mobility and the insufficient comfort are elements that can cause the traveller experience. The project aims to reduce those obstacles by developing an innovating product which combines two of the most chosen electronics in travelling backpack: an iron and a hairdryer, integrating them into a compact, easy to carry and light device. This product not only saves space but also meets the need for comfort and convenience during travel. In technical terms, this project contributes to an ecological design process by reducing the materials used in manufacturing and minimizing the resources required for those products, individually. In a global context, where sustainability is crucial, the proposed project considers not only the immediate needs of users but also the protection of the planet’s resources for the future.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) represent a significant clinical challenge in neurosurgery, necessitating well-defined protocols to streamline management and improve patient outcomes. Effective protocols are vital in ensuring consistency, reliability, and safety in treatment processes. As medical innovations advance, the role of intellectual property (IP) in the development and utilization of these protocols becomes increasingly prominent. IP rights protect the intellectual investments of researchers and healthcare providers, fostering innovation and ensuring the dissemination of high-quality, evidence-based practices. This study aims to explore and evaluate the current neurosurgical protocols for the management of traumatic injuries and assess the importance of IP in this context. By examining how IP influences the creation and adoption of medical protocols, we seek to understand its impact on clinical efficacy and the broader implications for patient care in neurosurgery. This dual focus provides a comprehensive view of both the practical and legal considerations in the management of TBIs.

This article explores the evolution of negotiation practices in 2024, focusing on the integration of traditional and contemporary methods to address the complexities of a rapidly changing global landscape. Traditional negotiations, once defined by formal structures, hierarchical power dynamics, and slow decision-making, are giving way to contemporary approaches that prioritize flexibility, collaboration, and advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data. In response to these shifts, this paper presents a hybrid negotiation model that combines the rigor and structure of traditional techniques with the adaptability and innovation of modern strategies. The hybrid model not only allows negotiators to balance stability with rapid responsiveness but also addresses ethical and sustainability concerns that have become critical in today's global negotiations. By analyzing key factors such as globalization, technological change, and emotional intelligence, this study offers practical insights for negotiators navigating both local and international contexts. This integrated approach ensures more effective and ethical negotiations, fostering long-term partnerships and mutual success.

This paper presents a risk assessment and action plan for the sanitation worker position using the INCDPM method. This method prioritizes risks based on their severity and allocates resources effectively for labor protection. For the sanitation worker position, 40 risk factors were identified. The overall risk level calculated is 3.40, categorizing it as a job with an acceptable risk level. The identified risk factors are broken down as follows: 35% are factors specific to the contractor, 10% are workload-related, 30% are related to the means of production, and 25% pertain to the work environment. This risk assessment enables a comprehensive view of occupational safety at each workplace, facilitating preventive measures according to Romanian and European Union health and safety legislation..

This study examines how innovation within business models in the healthcare sector is reflected in sustainability reporting, particularly focusing on the impact of recent crises, including the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This research focuses on Medlife S.A., a public listed Romanian healthcare company, and on its first sustainability report issued in 2023, covering its 2022 performance. The report highlights the group’s efforts to implement a sustainable business model during the pandemic, addressing key challenges such as innovation, digitalisation and environmental sustainability. The findings reveal that the innovation is emphasized through research conducted to combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus and through the adoption of digital technologies including telemedicine and robotic surgery. However, gaps remain in the use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, and the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), which could further enhance sustainability efforts. This study contributes to the literature by providing insights into how business model innovation and sustainability reporting are interconnected during periods of crisis, emphasizing the need for healthcare companies to adopt emerging technologies to improve sustainability outcomes.

The scientific paper presents in a concrete and elegant way an analysis of how the poor quality and insufficiency of the current road infrastructure in Romania negatively influences road safety. The existing road infrastructure in our country is built and developed on the basis of roads built in the 1950s and 1960s, largely modernised, but still insufficient in terms of high speed roads. Specialists in the field consider that average traffic speeds on the existing road infrastructure at that time are largely influenced by a number of factors that are exclusively related to it. A high density of localities and the roads that cross them, the topography, the climate, traffic jams, the defective way of action of the authorities, sometimes the lack of horizontal and vertical signalization, the obstacles encountered at every turn, the non-conforming, undersized design or construction of traffic lanes and other elements of infrastructure, current legislation with many interpretations, heavy, heterogeneous and congested traffic, all of which make traffic participants unsafe and stressful and generate serious road events or accidents, resulting in human casualties and significant material damage. At national level, these are just a few of the most important issues negatively affecting infrastructure. In order to remove these negative, nonconforming aspects, which do not add value to the modern society it serves, it is imperative that major investments are undertaken in a relatively short time to develop a modern, sustainable and durable road infrastructure. In this way, those interested can find out the current state of research in the field, as well as data and figures on the number of road accident fatalities caused by the poor state of road infrastructure in Romania. The road safety management carried out on the current road infrastructure and the degree of sustainability provided by the authorities is then presented. At the end of the paper, conclusions in the field are presented

In Romania, especially at county level, school dropout rate in primary and secondary education, school dropout rate in high school and professional education, as well as unemployment rate, differ significantly from one county to another, the values being in some cases quite increase. Starting from these findings, the paper predicts the results of the comparative analysis of the evolution and transformations recorded by the educational infrastructure, and students per teacher in pre-university education, parallel to the school dropout rate and unemployment rate in 2022 versus 2012. The obtained results highlight the fact that the educational infrastructure and students per teacher in pre-university education do not have a significant influence on the school dropout rate and unemployment rate, the decrease being mainly the result of the standard of living and economic and social development at the local and county level.

In the digital age, where users' attention is an increasingly rare commodity, cookies have become an essential tool not only for optimizing online experiences, but also for the psychological manipulation of users. These small data files are used strategically to stimulate the brain's reward system as well as to avoid cognitive dissonance, a phenomenon that occurs when there is a conflict between users' expectations of the reality of their online interactions. By offering a personalized experience and constant rewards, the cookie policy helps to keep users connected in the digital space, preventing them from encountering dilemmas or unpleasant situations that could cause them to reconsider their commitment to the respective platforms

In recent years, the bioeconomy has become a significant force driving sustainable growth within the European Union (EU), seamlessly integrating the use of biological resources with economic development and innovation. This study examines how private sector research and development (R&D) investments influence growth in the EU's bioeconomy, focusing on key factors such as value added, biomass consumption, and biomass transformation. By employing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models on a dataset spanning a decade and covering EU member states, the analysis reveals that R&D investments substantially contribute to economic performance, positively affecting both value added and biomass consumption. However, the research also points out inefficiencies in biomass transformation technologies that currently diminish their economic impact. These findings highlight the crucial importance of ongoing R&D investment to spur innovation and enhance the sustainability of the bioeconomy. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for targeted policies that support technological advancements in biomass transformation, balanced regulatory frameworks for biomass consumption, and increased collaboration between public and private sectors to foster innovation in bio-based industries