Economic Strategy Research Articles

Potential for Cooperation between Russia and MERCOSUR under Sanctions

Under the pressure of the unprecedented economic sanctions, the Russian Federation faces the tasks of reformatting its foreign economic strategy, transforming its trade policy, changing supply chains, and expanding cooperation with the partners that maintain economic neutrality, particularly with the countries in Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East. The purpose of this research is to determine to what extent economic sanctions can serve as a factor for activating trade and economic relations between Russia and the countries of MERCOSUR as the most significant potential partners from the Latin American region. The research question of the article is to what extent it is possible to sooth the impact of sanctions on the Russian economy by stimulating trade links with MERCOSUR countries. The article attempts to compare the relative significance of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay as trade and economic partners for Russia at the time of sanctions. The article identifies factors contributing to the growth of potential of mutual trade and economic cooperation and those constraining it; provides an assessment of the current development of trade and investment relations between the parties; calculates indicators to determine the possibility of substituting the lost markets for export-import operations by the new ones.

The Circular Game: The Impact of Gaming on Sustainable Behaviour

The main objective of this paper is to assess the impact of The Circular Game use on participants' sustainable awareness, learning and behaviour. The Circular Game is a strategy board game to learn about sustainability, improve environmental awareness, apply circular economy strategies, and train to design innovative and circular business models. Researchers will analyse changes in participants' sustainable knowledge, awareness, and behaviour before and after participation in the game with ad hoc questionnaires. The results of this analysis will allow us to test whether the emotions generated during the play-based learning process can condition their environmental awareness, learning and behaviour towards greater sustainability in the future. The game can generate emotions in participants and work teams, promote collaborative and green knowledge acquisition, and help bachelor and master students and employees apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations. Similarly, companies and entrepreneurs need a relaxed environment to present their ideas and proposals for improvement. This methodology uses game elements in academic or working environments to stimulate and challenge participants to incorporate sustainable business choices. The Circular Game is a game in which participants compete to be the company that applies the most circular economy strategies in its business model. The groups advance through a circular board where, depending on the squares they land on, they can earn money, invest in circular economy strategies, and add or reduce CO2 emissions. The winner will be the one who has completed all the circular economy strategies set out in the game with the minimum of CO2 emissions. The social impact is substantial as it is a methodology that can be applied in any field, educational or business. The impact will be more significant if the game's objective, to be more sustainable, is translated into the participants' real lives.

Factors Influencing the Quality of Life in Rural Populations in Colombia: A Theoretical Review

The quality of life of rural populations in Colombia is affected by various problems, including poor living conditions related to limited access to basic services, education, health and economic opportunities. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the most impacted dimensions in these rural contexts and to formulate guidelines to address the difficulties faced by their inhabitants. Methodologically, the research is framed within the qualitative paradigm, with a descriptive scope and is based on a review of existing academic literature. The findings emerging from the literature review show that the most affected dimensions are access to public services, infrastructure, employment and education, which has a direct impact on the general welfare of rural communities. It is concluded that there is a need to implement public policies that promote the integral development of these areas, improving their infrastructure, strengthening access to basic services and promoting educational and economic strategies that favor a better standard of living in rural areas of Colombia.

Minimizing perovskite solar cells' lead leakage with a cost‐effective and 160 days stable encapsulant

AbstractPerovskite solar cells' (PSCs) potential lead leakage seriously threatens ecosystems and human health, significantly hindering their commercialization. In this paper, we develope a cost‐effective (less than 2$/m2) and long‐term stable SSP film by mixing sulfonated SiO2 with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Combined with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) forming the encapsulation layer, it can effectively prevent over 99% of lead leakage under simulated adverse weather conditions with different structures of devices (p‐i‐n and n‐i‐p) and modules. Even after 160 days of air storage, the film maintains excellent lead sequestration efficiency. Additionally, it has no negative impact on the performance and stability. This work offers a practical and economical strategy to mitigate the toxicity of perovskite photovoltaic devices, thereby promoting their commercialization.image

Economic openness, physical infrastructure, marketization, public governance, and MNE location strategy: An institution-based view of state mechanism

Drawing from the institution-based view of Mike W. Peng and related scholarship in economics, international business, and public administration, this study seeks to explore: what formal institutional factors in a host country drive multinational enterprises’ location choice by way of greenfield foreign direct investment? To answer this question, this study offers a state mechanism perspective in an emerging economy context, thus underscoring that the host country’s formal institutions, such as economic openness and good governance, are key determinants. Our proposed model reasons that countries with improved economic regulations, superior physical infrastructure provisions, and transparent and effective public governance systems, combined with the marketization of public goods and services, are very attractive for multinational ventures. In so doing, institutional transformation and economic achievements pertaining to aspirant economies like China are discussed. Finally, this study concludes with several practical implications. The novelty of this study is to design a state mechanism model and hypothesize key national and subnational-level formal institutional factors that strikingly influence multinational firms’ location strategy by explaining the host country’s attractiveness for foreign direct investment.

Challenges Experienced by Women in Accessing Loan from Women Development Fund in Arusha: A Case of Arusha District Council

Various economic empowerment programs and strategies have been introduced to improve the welfare of marginalized groups, particularly women. One such initiative is the Women Development Fund (WDF) in the Arusha District Council, Tanzania, which was established to provide financial support to women in the region. However, despite its aims, women often face significant challenges when trying to access loans from the fund. This study aims to explore the specific challenges women encounter when seeking loans from the WDF in Arusha District Council. A sample of 60 women beneficiaries was selected as respondents for this study. Data collection methods included household surveys, with community development officers serving as key informants through interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered and analyzed, with findings presented in frequency tables and percentages. The results revealed that women beneficiaries faced multiple challenges in accessing loans. Loan delays were the most frequently reported issue, followed by other obstacles such as excessive bureaucracy, low risk-bearing capacity, sexual harassment, financial bribery, and erotic bribery. These barriers hinder women’s ability to secure the financial resources needed to improve their economic standing. Based on these findings, the study recommends that local government authorities, including the Arusha City Council, implement feedback mechanisms to address loan processing issues and support women beneficiaries more effectively. Additionally, women themselves are encouraged to improve their financial literacy and understanding of financial products and services, particularly those related to WDF loans, to increase their access to and success with such programs.

Estimating the impact range of circular economy actions for buildings on basic material demand in the European Union: A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches

A circular economy in buildings can contribute to reduce the demand for emission-intensive basic materials and thus, to achieve the climate targets of the European Union. However, quantifying the impact on material demand is challenged by the unpredictability of the future. We combined qualitative and quantitative approaches to improve the understanding of such future developments. In detail, expert interviews were conducted to identify influencing factors and to collect estimates for modelling prospective material demand. The results indicate that the adaption is driven by existing and new policies, climate change as well as demographics. This is contrasted by barriers, such as the economic non-viability, the limited availability of substitutes, and the mismatch of supply and demand as well as building regulations. Moreover, the type of influencing factor reflects the maturity of individual strategies related to a circular economy. The estimated impact of circular economy actions on annual material demand for buildings varies between −42 % and +25 % in 2050 compared to a reference development. However, there are not only differences between but also within individual actions. In brief, the maturity of the circular economy actions is reflected by the range of impact on material demand. The novel combination of the qualitative influencing factors and the quantitative modelling results reveals an interrelationship between the drivers and barriers and the impact on material demand. This underlines that the prospective exploitation of these potentials can be actively influenced by adapting the policy framework conditions. This is particularly relevant for less renowned circular economy strategies and actions that are characterized by high potential and high unpredictability. The presented results lay the foundation for a more systematic consideration of material reduction potentials related to a circular economy in prospective scenarios of buildings in the European Union.

Circular Economy Models in Renewable Energy: Technological Innovations and Business Viability

The transitions from fossil-based energy to renewable energy are deeply connected with circular economy solutions for business development and innovation. This paper aims to evaluate to what extent innovation in renewable energy can be used to advance circular economy strategies, with emphasis on the business aspect. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis, the research analyzes case contributions of a number of RES projects that apply CE principles. It also focuses on the main issues which specialists encounter while implementing these models and considers their economic feasibility. The results show that circular economy principles present renewable energy firms with tremendous potential for enhancing resource use efficiency and financial performance. This research provides practical recommendations aimed at the stakeholders in terms of constructing a more sustainable energy system. In doing so this research adds novelty by identifying the technological factors as advocates for implementing circular economy models to support business outcomes within the renewable energy industry.

The Role of Praja Mangkunegara’s Political Values in Shaping the New Order Regime

The Javanese culture, particularly the values of Mangkunegaran, played a significant role in shaping policy and political stability during the New Order era. This influence is evident through the involvement of the Suharto family, who had ties to Mangkunegaran, and the application of military values and Mangkunegaran political symbols in his government. However, despite frequent discussions on the influence of Javanese culture, few studies have specifically explored the contribution of Mangkunegaran values to political and military policies during the New Order period. This research employs a qualitative-explanatory method to delve deeper into the relationship between political elites and the development of political values within the framework of governance. The findings reveal similarities between Mangkunegaran’s economic strategies and Suharto’s development policies, as well as the use of political symbols and military principles that reinforced his regime's legitimacy. These findings enrich the understanding of how traditional values can influence modern political policies and provide insights into the importance of cultural values in creating political stability.

Rethinking Nanoparticle Synthesis: A Sustainable Approach vs. Traditional Methods.

This review portrays a comparison between green protocols and conventional nanoparticle (NP) synthesis strategies, highlighting each method's advantages and limitations. Various top-down and bottom-up methods in NP synthesis are described in detail. The green chemistry principles are emphasized for designing safe processes for nanomaterial synthesis. Among the green biogenic sources plant extracts, vitamins, enzymes, polysaccharides, fungi (Molds and mushrooms), bacteria, yeast, algae, and lichens are discussed. Limitations in the reproducibility of green protocols in terms of availability of raw material, variation in synthetic protocol, and selection of material due to geographical differences are elaborated. Finally, a conclusion is drawn utilizing green chemical principles, & a circular economy strategy to minimize waste generation, offering a promising framework for the synthesis of NPs emphasizing sustainability.

Innovative Leadership for Social Impact: A Study of Benin’s Accounting, Finance and Economic Strategy

This study delves into the innovative leadership strategies employed in Benin to drive social impact and economic growth. Despite global economic challenges, Benin has emerged as a model for leveraging innovative leadership to address socioeconomic issues. Through a combination of surveys and semi-structured interviews with policymakers, business leaders, and community stakeholders, this research explores the core elements of Benin’s accounting and economic strategy. The study employed qualitative analysis methods to process the data, identifying transformative policies and initiatives that have spurred sustainable development and social progress. The findings reveal that Benin’s success is attributed to robust leadership frameworks, inclusive decision-making processes, and strategic implementations. Specifically, the research highlights how visionary leadership has effectively contributed to accounting and economic resilience, poverty reduction, and improved quality of life for citizens. Additionally, the study underscores the critical role of accounting leadership in fostering inclusive growth and provides actionable insights for policymakers and leaders aiming to replicate Benin’s success in other contexts. By adding to the academic discourse on accounting leadership and economic development, this study offers practical implications for enhancing accounting socioeconomic outcomes through innovative accounting leadership strategies.

Using Bone Char as a Renewable Resource of Phosphate Fertilizers in Sustainable Agriculture and its Effects on Phosphorus Transformations and Remediation of Contaminated Soils as well as the Growth of Plants

AbstractRecycling slaughterhouse waste such as bone and converting it into bone char is a promising environmentally friendly, low-cost strategy in a circular economy and an important source of phosphorus. Therefore, this review focused on the impacts of bone char on the availability, dynamics, and transformations of phosphorus in soils as well as plant growth and utilizing bone char in remediating contaminated soils by heavy metals. Bone char is material produced through bone pyrolysis under limited oxygen at 300–1050 °C. Bone char applications to the soils significantly increased phosphorus availability and plant growth. Agricultural practices such as co-applying organic acids or sulfur or nitrogen fertilizers with bone char in some soils played an important role in enhanced phosphorus availability. Also, co-applying bone char with phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms enhanced plant growth and phosphorus availability in the soils. Applying bone char to the soils changed the dynamics and redistribution of phosphorous fractions, enhanced fertility, promoted crop growth and productivity, reduced heavy metals uptake by plants in contaminated soil, and decreased heavy metals bioavailability. Bone char has shown positive performance in remediating soils contaminated by heavy metals. Bone char proved its efficiency in sustainable agriculture and practical applications as an alternative source of phosphate fertilizers, it is safe, cheap and helps in remediating contaminated soils by heavy metals. Using bone char as a slow-release fertilizer is potentially beneficial because it reduces the hazard of excessive fertilizing and nutrient leaching which have negative impacts on the ecosystem.

Humanistic place leadership, cultural enhancement, and change in industrial districts

Drawing inspiration from the works of Fiorenza Belussi on multiple paths of development in local productive systems, the essay contributes to the ongoing debate on factors facilitating such transformations, focusing primarily on industrial districts (IDs) as open learning systems. With specific reference to the Italian context, this paper recalls the delicate balance between socio-cultural and economic elements within IDs transitioning towards new paths of development, crucial for facing the current technological and societal challenges. e essay proposes to look at the possible diffusion of humanistic management (HM) and cultural enhancement of economic strategies, as new triggering factors against lock-in conditions and tendencies toward degradation during phases of ID transformation. HM prioritizes the well-being of individuals and ethical decision-making, aligning with a broader societal purpose. Cultural enhancement, rooted in a common heritage, supports place identity, and suggests bases for multiple specializations. e convergence of HM and cultural enhancement within IDs may offer to renewed place-leaderships levers for strategies of transition pointing to sustainable paths that align with broader societal goals in an era of disrupting challenges.

Dramatic Enhancement Enabled by Introducing TiN into Bread-like Porous Si-Carbon Anodes for High-Performance and Safe Lithium Storage.

Doping modifications and surface coatings are effective methods to slow volume dilatation and boost the conductivity in silicon (Si) anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, using low-cost ferrosilicon from industrial production as the energy storage material, a bread-like nitrogen-doped carbon shell-coated porous Si embedded with the titanium nitride (TiN) nanoparticle composite (PSi/TiN@NC) was synthesized by simple ball milling, etching, and self-assembly growth processes. Remarkably, the porous Si structure formed by etching the FeSi2 phase in ferrosilicon alloys can provide buffer space for significant volume expansion during lithiation. Highly conductive and stable TiN particles can act as stress absorption sites for Si and improve the electronic conductivity of the material. Furthermore, the nitrogen-doped porous carbon shell further helps to sustain the structural stability of the electrode material and boost the migration rate of Li-ions. Benefiting from its unique synergistic effect of components, the PSi/TiN@NC anode exhibits a reversible discharge capacity up to 1324.2 mAh g-1 with a capacity retention rate of 91.5% after 100 cycles at 0.5 A g-1 (vs fourth discharge). Simultaneously, the electrode also delivers good rate performance and a stable discharge capacity of 923.6 mAh g-1 over 300 cycles. This research can offer a potential economic strategy for the development of high-performance and inexpensive Si-based anodes for LIBs.

Circular economy strategies in sedimentary phosphate mine reclamation: Development of technosol from phosphate waste rock

Proper management of mine waste plays a crucial role in minimizing environmental impacts. One potential solution to tackle this problem involves transforming mine waste rock into soil to facilitate the process of mine restoration. The aim of this study was to assess the mineralogical, chemical, and physical characteristics of technosol derived from phosphate mine waste dumps. Following this evaluation, a novel rehabilitation strategy was proposed. For this purpose, a total of 32 samples were systematically collected across a 4 ha area of technosols, which had been established in accordance with the waste rock soil rehabilitation strategy involving geomorphic reshaping. According to the findings, phosphate mining left the soil with a sandy texture, resulting in a degraded soil structure with severely unfavorable crop growth conditions, notably poor stability, and low water retention. The chemistry of the studied soils was characterized by the dominance of CaO (29.02 wt%± 1.01) > SiO2 (27.61 wt% ± 0.61) > P2O5 (11.34 wt% ± 0.23) > MgO (5.97 wt%±0.16). Mineralogically, the samples were mainly formed by quartz, dolomite, calcite, apatite, and clay minerals. The prevalence of dolomite played a significant role in enhancing the accessibility of Mg as an essential nutrient and the occurrence of apatite in the soil resulted in the presence of P2O5. However, the abundance of Ca was linked to three major minerals: calcite, apatite, and dolomite. X-ray fluorescence analyses demonstrated that the concentrations of Fe2O3, K2O, and SO3 did not exceed 2 wt%.Organic matter, represented by SOC <0.2% and N < 0.02%, demonstrated an extraordinary deficiency in the study area. The analysis of element bioavailability confirmed that the soil was rich in Ca (10383,26 mg/kg), Mg (278,47 mg/kg), Zn (12,82 mg/kg), and Cu (3,7 mg/kg) but deficient in other essential nutrients such as P, K, S, Mn, and Fe. Our research results provide a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing existing mine rehabilitation practices applicable to both pre- and post-rehabilitation phases, leveraging automated mineralogy and circular economy principles. Notably, we propose a rehabilitation strategy to be implemented prior to the geomorphic reshaping phase, which is intended to reduce costs and efforts associated with soil reconstitution.

Distributed dynamic economic dispatch of biogas-wind-solar-hydrogen multi-microgrid system considering individual selfishness

This paper proposes a biogas-wind-solar-hydrogen multi-microgrid system to address the issues of poor economy and reliability, as well as the waste of wind and solar energy, in single energy-based isolated microgrid systems. The study considers the coupling constraints of multiple time scales and establishes a dynamic economic dispatch model. Furthermore, a consensus-based distributed dynamic economic dispatch strategy is proposed. To tackle the challenge of unified economic dispatch caused by the interaction among multiple microgrids in the joint operation of the biogas-wind-solar-hydrogen multi-microgrid system, a microgrid selfishness impact model and elimination strategy are developed. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed distributed dynamic economic dispatch strategy considering individual selfishness in the biogas-wind-solar-hydrogen multi-microgrid system.

Institutional Trust and Economic Coping Strategies in Response to Sanctions: The Case of Russia and Iran

Sanctions have become an established feature of the economic landscape in Russia and Iran and may lead to economic insecurity and distrust of political bodies among citizens. However, few studies have investigated the way individuals adapt to these sanctions and whether their coping strategies are linked to their trust in institutions. To address this gap, we conducted a comparative study between Russians and Iranians, examining their economic coping strategies (ECS), including traditional ways of storing value, modern investments, cost-cutting measures, extra work, and resorting to social and material resources in response to sanctions and their relationship with institutional trust. Utilizing a cross-sectional research design, we administered surveys and obtained sample sizes of 364 and 311 in Russia and Iran, respectively. Our findings revealed that Russians exhibit higher institutional trust and lower levels of employing ECS compared to Iranians. Furthermore, we observed that lower institutional trust is associated with a greater overall use of ECS among Russians but not Iranians. When analyzing each coping strategy individually, we found that Russians with lower institutional trust tend to rely more on extra work, cost-cutting measures, and social and material resources, while in Iran, we observed this relationship for cost-cutting measures and modern investments. We concluded that in Russia, the financial insecurity induced by sanctions may have impacted institutional trust of those low-income individuals that were pressed to use certain strategies, while in Iran, the link between cutting expenses, modern investments, and institutional trust may be better explained by reduced life satisfaction and cultural factors. Given the role of institutional trust in well-being, it is crucial to protect at-risk segments of society from the adverse effects of financial challenges on their institutional trust.

Key factors influencing sustainable population growth: A DEMATEL-ANP combined approach

This study highlights the importance of sustainable social demographic growth. It uses a model that combines the Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) with the Analytic Network Process (ANP) to examine key factors affecting this growth and their interactions. The analysis focuses on six critical factors: economic development, education and gender equality, health services, environmental sustainability, immigration policies, and technological advancement. Experiments using government and international organization databases include comparative experiments with deep learning prediction models, ensemble learning models, Causal Inference Models, complex network analysis models, and agent-based models. Comparison metrics cover accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score. The results indicate that, with a data volume of 4000, the optimized model achieves an accuracy of 0.973, precision of 0.981, recall of 0.969, and an F1 score of 0.89, demonstrating the model's superior performance. The DEMATEL method analyzes the direct relationships among the factors. The results show that economic development and technological advancement have impact scores of 3.91 and 3.43, respectively, indicating their strong influence on other factors and their role in promoting sustainable demographic growth. Education and gender equality, health services, and technological advancement each have impact scores of 3.39, meaning they are significantly affected by other factors and are sensitive in the growth process. Finally, the ANP method is used to calculate the weights of each factor, determining their relative importance in sustainable social demographic growth. The results highlight that economic development level and technological advancement and innovation are core factors influencing sustainable social demographic growth, with significant direct and indirect impacts on other factors and a crucial role in the overall system. These findings provide a scientific basis for formulating relevant policies and interventions, particularly in prioritizing and strengthening economic and technological development strategies. This study offers valuable insights for research in demography, sustainable development, and social policy formulation.

Economic growth by catch‐up nations in an age of neo‐protectionism and smart automation

AbstractThe global economic landscape has recently undergone significant changes, marked by the rise of neo‐protectionist policies and the emergence of a new techno‐economic paradigm driven by smart automation technologies such as artificial intelligence and robots. Advanced nations have increasingly used neo‐protectionism and smart automation technologies to address their structural problems. These policies will inevitably trigger changes in global supply chains and trade networks. This could undermine the competitive advantages of catch‐up nations, and an economic growth strategy centred on foreign direct investments. While these changes in the global economy may have negative impacts on the economic progress of some catch‐up countries, they may open new windows of opportunity for others. This article examines the challenges and opportunities for catch‐up nations in an era of neo‐protectionism and smart automation technologies.

Two-stage low-carbon economic dispatch of an integrated energy system considering flexible decoupling of electricity and heat on sides of source and load

Under the goal of "double carbon", in order to further enhance the level of new energy consumption and solve the problem of restricting the flexibility of the system by "ordering power by heat" of combined heat and power (CHP) units, a low-carbon economic planning strategy with flexible decoupling of electricity and heat is proposed, by introducing a new type of electric-thermal coupling equipment on both sides of the source and load. Firstly, Consideration of the low-carbon and environmentally friendly characteristics of green ammonia production and ammonia-doped combustion technologies, a wind power(WT) – power to ammonia(P2A) - CHP units - thermal power (TH) units joint operation strategy is proposed on the source side. This strategy realizes the conversion of abandoned wind to green ammonia to ammonia coal hybrid generation, the decoupled operation of CHP units and promotes the consumption of wind power and the low-carbon operation of the system. Secondly, A dynamic incentive demand response model is developed to meet the demand of high proportion distributed PV in situ consumption on the load side. The dynamic incentive price guides the distributed power-to-heat load to change the response capacity, tracks the abandonment of wind and light, realizes the flexible conversion of power and heat load, and cooperates with the source side to promote the coupling operation of electric pyrolysis. On this basis, consider the flexible decoupling capability of electric-heat coupling equipment on both sides of the source and load to establish a two-phase low-carbon scheduling model for the day-before and day-after phases. In the day-ahead phase, the source-side electric-thermal-ammonia joint operation strategy is considered, and the electric and thermal energy supply plans are adjusted centrally; In the intra-day phase, the flexible adjustment range of power-to-heat devices and the heat load inertia on the load side are taken into account, and the electricity and heat planning strategies are adjusted in a distributed-centralised manner in conjunction with the source side. Finally, through the simulation of different cases, the results show that compared with the traditional electric heating system, the total cost of the system considering the scheduling strategy proposed in this paper decreases by ￥826,900, the carbon emission decreases by 1.2t, and basically realises the consumption of wind power and distributed photovoltaic power output. The proposed scheme reduces carbon emissions, promotes the consumption of wind power and distributed photovoltaic output, and is able to reach the goal of low-carbon economic dispatch.