Innovative Cost Research Articles

Advancing financial transparency and ethical governance: innovative cost management and accountability in higher education and industry

Advancing financial transparency and ethical governance in higher education and industry is imperative for fostering trust, accountability, and sustainability. This review explores innovative cost management strategies and accountability measures to achieve these goals. In both higher education and industry, financial transparency ensures stakeholders have access to accurate, timely, and comprehensible financial information. This transparency is crucial for building trust among investors, donors, regulators, and the public. Moreover, it facilitates informed decision-making and enhances organizational efficiency. One innovative approach to advancing financial transparency is the adoption of cloud-based financial management systems. These systems offer real-time data accessibility, automated reporting, and customizable dashboards, enabling institutions to track expenditures, revenue streams, and budget variances more effectively. Additionally, blockchain technology holds promise in ensuring the integrity and immutability of financial records, reducing the risk of fraud and corruption. Ethical governance goes hand in hand with financial transparency, emphasizing integrity, honesty, and accountability in organizational practices. Robust governance frameworks establish clear lines of responsibility, codes of conduct, and mechanisms for oversight. In higher education, this involves empowering governing boards with diverse expertise and ensuring academic and financial decisions align with institutional missions. To enhance ethical governance, institutions can implement whistleblower protection programs and conduct regular ethics training for employees. These initiatives promote a culture of transparency and integrity, encouraging individuals to report unethical behavior without fear of retaliation. Cost management plays a pivotal role in financial sustainability and ethical governance. Traditional cost-cutting measures often focus on reducing expenses without considering long-term implications. Innovative cost management, however, emphasizes efficiency, value creation, and sustainability. Activity-based costing is one such approach that allocates costs based on the activities that drive them, providing a more accurate understanding of resource consumption. This enables institutions to make informed decisions about resource allocation and pricing strategies. Furthermore, strategic sourcing and vendor management help optimize procurement processes, negotiate favorable contracts, and mitigate risks associated with third-party relationships. Collaborative partnerships with industry stakeholders can also facilitate knowledge sharing, resource pooling, and cost-saving opportunities. Accountability mechanisms are essential for ensuring that financial resources are used responsibly and in alignment with organizational objectives. Performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) provide benchmarks for evaluating financial and operational performance. These metrics should be transparent, relevant, and aligned with strategic goals. Advancing financial transparency and ethical governance requires a multifaceted approach encompassing technological innovation, robust governance frameworks, strategic cost management, and accountability measures. By embracing these principles, both higher education institutions and industries can build trust, enhance efficiency, and achieve long-term sustainability. Keywords:  Financial Transparency, Ethical Governance, Cost Management, Accountability, Higher Education, Industry

Evolutionary Game Analysis on Cooperative Behavior of Major Projects’ Technology Innovation Subjects under General Contracting Mode

Major projects are the important platform for enhancing a country’s comprehensive national power and strengthening its capacity for independent innovation. Although major projects in China have made remarkable achievements, willingness to cooperate and innovate has not achieved the desired target. In this paper, the evolutionary game model of cooperative innovation behavior of general contractors and subcontractors is constructed by considering reputational factors. Through theoretical derivation, the influence of the distribution ratio of collaborative innovation benefit, spillover technology absorption capacity, and reputation discounting coefficient on innovation behavior is analyzed. Finally, MATLAB software is used to simulate the dynamic evolution process of strategy selection. The results show that (1) a reasonable benefit distribution coefficient can promote the evolution of innovation behavior in a positive direction; (2) both the reduction of innovation cost and the increase of spillover technology absorption capacity can make the innovation subject more inclined to choose the active collaborative innovation strategy; and (3) it is the higher-than-threshold reputation loss that can effectively inhibit the “free-rider” behavior. The research conclusions and managerial implications can provide reference for improving the willingness to cooperate in major projects’ technology innovation.

Common barriers and enablers to the use of non-drug interventions for managing common chronic conditions in primary care: an overview of reviews

BackgroundNon-drug interventions are recommended for chronic condition prevention and management yet are underused in clinical practice. Understanding barriers and enablers to using non-drug interventions may help implement non-drug interventions in primary care. We aimed to conduct an overview of reviews to identify and summarise common barriers and enablers for using non-drug interventions for common chronic conditions in primary care.MethodsWe included qualitative and quantitative reviews that used systematic process or methods to examine barriers and enablers to using non-drug interventions for chronic condition prevention and management in primary care settings. We searched 5 electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, PsycInfo and CINAHL) from inception to September 2022. Two authors independently screened reviews. One author extracted and deductively coded data to Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR) (and where relevant, Theoretical Domains Framework [TDF]). A second author validated 10% of extracted data and coding. Data was synthesised thematically using CFIR and TDF. One author assessed the methodological quality of included reviews using a modified AMSTAR 2 tool, with 10% validated by a second author. We assessed overlap between primary studies in included reviews.ResultsFrom 5324 records, we included 25 reviews, with data predominately from patients. Overall, 130 subthemes (71 barrier and 59 enabler) were identified across 4 CFIR domains (Innovation, Outer Setting, Inner Setting, and Individuals), and all TDF domains. Common barrier and enabler subthemes were identified for CFIR constructs of Innovation Adaptability, Innovation Cost, Innovation Relative Advantage, Local Attitudes, External Pressure, Local Conditions, Relational Connections, Available Resources, and Access to Knowledge and Information. For TDF domains, important barrier and enabler subthemes were identified for Knowledge, Skills, Environmental Context and Resources, Beliefs about Consequences, Reinforcement, and Emotion.ConclusionsWe synthesised reviews to provide new insight into common barriers and enablers for using non-drug interventions to prevent and manage chronic conditions in primary care. The factors identified can inform the development of generalisable implementation interventions to enhance uptake of multiple non-drug interventions simultaneously.Trial RegistrationThis study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022357583).

THE ROLE OF THE ACCOUNTING ASPECT OF INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES OF REGIONAL ENTERPRISES IN ENSURING THEIR ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

In a world of rapid and continuous change and constant competition, innovation is becoming an important element in the sustainable development of companies and regions. A key factor in the success of innovation processes is the accounting aspect, which involves the systematisation, analysis and documentation of innovative changes. The study of this topic is becoming increasingly relevant due to the need to identify and solve problems related to innovation accounting. It aims at combining two strategically important areas – innovative development of enterprises and modern approaches to accounting and financial management. Purpose of the article. The purpose of the publication is to identify the key aspects of the problems associated with accounting for innovation activities at enterprises, as well as to reflect the role of such accounting in ensuring their economic sustainability. Methodology. The methodological basis of the work was formed by general scientific and special research methods: comparison, analysis, generalisation, graphic and tabular. The information base is based on official statistics, company reports and accounts, Internet resources and publications, and the results of the authors' own research. Practical implications. The research examines the problems of accounting for innovation activities of enterprises and makes proposals for their solution. The Ukrainian legislation regulating accounting lacks a coherent methodology for accounting for innovation costs. In order to provide the necessary analytical information on the costs of innovation activity, it is recommended to use accounts of the eighth class, opening sub-accounts of the third, fourth and higher order. Value/originality. The sources of financing and peculiarities of accounting for innovation activities of enterprises are studied, the main of which are the state resources and resources of enterprises and other business entities. Among the non-traditional sources of financing are venture capital funds, business incubators, business angels and crowdfunding.

A comprehensive value-based method for new nuclear medical service pricing: with case study of radium [223Ra] bone metastases treatment

ImportanceInnovative nuclear medicine services offer substantial clinical value to patients. However, these advancements often come with high costs. Traditional payment strategies do not incentivize medical institutes to provide new services nor determine the fair price for payers. A shift towards a value-based pricing strategy is imperative to address these challenges. Such a strategy would reconcile the cost of innovation with incentives, foster transparent allocation of healthcare resources, and expedite the accessibility of essential medical services.ObjectiveThis study aims to develop and present a comprehensive, value-based pricing model for new nuclear medicine services, illustrated explicitly through a case study of the radium [223Ra] treatment for bone metastases. In constructing the pricing model, we have considered three primary value determinants: the cost of the new service, associated service risk, and the difficulty of the service provision. Our research can help healthcare leaders design an evidence-based Fee-For-Service (FFS) payment reference pricing with nuclear medicine services and price adjustments.Design, setting and participantsThis multi-center study was conducted from March 2021 to February 2022 (including consultation meetings) and employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. We organized focus group consultations with physicians from nuclear medicine departments in Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai to standardize the treatment process for radium [223Ra] bone metastases. We used a specially designed ‘Radium Nuclide [223Ra] Bone Metastasis Data Collection Form’ to gather nationwide resource consumption data to extract information from local databases. Four interviews with groups of experts were conducted to determine the add-up ratio, based on service risk and difficulty. The study organized consultation meeting with key stakeholders, including policymakers, service providers, clinical researchers, and health economists, to finalize the pricing equation and the pricing result of radium [223Ra] bone metastases service.Main outcomes and measuresWe developed and detailed a pricing equation tailored for innovative services in the nuclear medicine department, illustrating its application through a step-by-step guide. A standardized service process was established to ensure consistency and accuracy. Adhering to best practice guidelines for health cost data analysis, we emphasized the importance of cross-validation of data, where validated data demonstrated less variation. However, it required a more advanced health information system to manage and analyze the data inputs effectively.ResultsThe standardized service of radium [223Ra] bone metastases includes: pre-injection assessment, treatment plan, administration, post-administration monitoring, waste disposal and monitoring. The average duration for each stage is 104 min, 39 min, 25 min, 72 min and 56 min. A standardized monetary value for medical consumables is 54.94 yuan ($7.6), and the standardised monetary value (medical consumables cost plus human input) is 763.68 yuan ($109.9). Applying an agreed value add-up ratio of 1.065, the standardized value is 810.19 yuan ($116.9). Feedback from a consultation meeting with policymakers and health economics researchers indicates a consensus that the pricing equation developed was reasonable and well-grounded.ConclusionThis research is the first study in the field of nuclear medicine department pricing methodology. We introduce a comprehensive value-based nuclear medical service pricing method and use radium[223Ra] bone metastases treatment pricing in China as a case study. This study establishes a novel pricing framework and provides practical instructions on its implementation in a real-world healthcare setting.

Producing Green or Brown? A Game of Green Innovation in an Asymmetric Oligopoly

As consensus grows for low-carbon development, innovation becomes vital for green growth, given the substantial technology adoption needed for long-term environmental targets. This paper explores market-driven incentives for green product innovation in an asymmetric duopoly using a game theory approach without relying on direct government intervention. The roles that market dynamics and rivalry have on the supply of green or brown products are explored in simultaneous and sequential scenarios, considering technology costs, demand-creating effects, rivalry gains, and information availability. Results reveal that a fully green market is contingent on low innovation costs, depending especially on the magnitude of demand creation effects. Notably, product differentiation occurs only under extreme cost asymmetry. Recommendations underscore the importance of incentivising low-cost innovations, assessing the impact of product differentiation and diversity, especially concerning lower-income consumers, and proposing measures to improve the transparency of firms’ strategic choices.

Propensity for innovation in textile manufacturing companies at the city of Gaspar/SC, national capital of children's fashion

Objective: to analyze the propensity for innovation in textile manufacturing companies in the town of Gaspar/SC. Methodology: characterized as descriptive, the research uses a quantitative approach. An electronic questionnaire was administered, answered by 35 textile companies based in a Local Productive Arrangement (LPA). Results: the results highlight that, among the implemented innovation typologies, there is a domain of process innovation. Within the main factors that motivate innovation is the adoption of more efficient production methods. The predominant problems/challenges are a lack of qualified labor and the high costs of innovation. Theoretical/methodological contributions: to offer a systematic vision about the theme of innovation applied to a productive arrangement of national relevance. Relevance/Originality: the gathering of data and the discussion on innovation in textile manufacturing companies for children's clothing in a specific Brazilian productive arrangement were not previously done. Social/management contributions: The research provides to company managers of textile confections that their effort on the innovation process generates only incremental innovations, derived from external knowledge provided by suppliers, that generates a dependency to innovate.

Оценка потенциала инновационного развития регионов РФ с применением дискриминантной модели

The article is the result of continuing work on discriminant analysis of innovative development of regions of the Russian Federation. Testing of the previously constructed discriminant model revealed its applicability for an integral assessment of the regions’ innovative potential. The greatest impact on the region’s ranking position exerted by the share of capital expenditures on technological innovation in the volume of gross regional product. This assessment characterizes to greater extent investments in development and depends on both the costs of innovation and the value of GRP.

Open innovation in a smart city context: the case of Sejong smart city initiative

PurposeQuite often than not, a new industry can be created, thanks to the countless entrepreneurs and innovative activities across the globe. Smart city (SC) is one such industry and a living lab using the key roles of the digital platform that enable a seamless flow of information and knowledge for innovation within the SC. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how SC can be a new regional industry engine through an “open collective innovation system” as its new concept. In particular, SC provides efficient transaction costs and knowledge flows. Eventually, SC can be an innovation hub for entrepreneurship through openness.Design/methodology/approachTo frame the research goals, the authors used qualitative research methodologies based on grounded theory. In particular, the author used inductive reasoning to generate arguments and conclusions about the future of an SC as a new growth engine in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. Numerous documents and prior literature were used for the preliminary conceptualization of an SC. Interview data were then coded for reasoning in an open collective innovation system based on “openness”.FindingsSC maximizes efficiency in practicing innovation. In the perspective of innovation costs, SC can minimize transaction costs, specifically the information processing costs, through data openness. In this context, transaction costs can be considered an economic equivalent of friction in a physical system. So, as the friction is low, some movements of an object on the surface are likely to be easy. SC is optimized for innovation activities through an “open collective innovation system”. In terms of innovation networks, an SC results in an innovation efficiency derived from both the network and the spatial agglomerations in physical and cyberspace. The efficiency-based SC itself overlaps knowledge creation, dissemination and absorption, providing an open innovation (OI) ecosystem.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper remarkably extends that SC can be an “open collective innovation system model” and a new conceptualization. Eventually, SC will play a crucial role in developing regional industries as a new growth engine. To operate as a new growth engine fully-fledged, the SC is needed to accumulate innovative assets such as the critical mass of residents, numerous firms, etc. However, this study has some limitations. First, difficulties in any analytic approach to SC resulted from their many interdependent facets, such as social, economic, infrastructural and spatial complex systems, which exist in similar but changing forms over a huge range of scales. Also, this research is at a quite an early stage. Thus, its theoretical stability is weak. So, this paper used the qualitative methodology with a grounded theory. Another limitation is in the research methodology. The limitation of using grounded theory adapted by this work is that the results of this study may not be generalizable beyond the context of this study. This non-generalizability occurs because ours is an inductive approach to research, meaning that the findings are based on data collected and analyzed. As such, the results of this study may not be applicable to other contexts or situations. In addition, the analysis of data in the grounded theory is based on researcher’s subjective interpretations. This means that the researcher’s own biases, preferences and assumptions may influence the results of the study. The quality of the data collected is another potential limitation. If the data is incomplete or of poor quality, it can cause researcher’s own subjective interpretations.Practical implicationsFindings of this study have some practical implications for enterprises, practitioners and governors. First, firms should use value networks instead of value chains. Notably, the firms that pursue new products or services or startups that try to find a new venture business should take full advantage of SC. This taking advantage is possible because SC not only adapts state-of-the-art information technology (e.g. sensor devices, open data analytics, IoT and fiber optic networks) but also facilitates knowledge flow (e.g. between universities, research centers, knowledge-based partner firms and public agencies). More importantly, with globalized market competition in recent years, sustainability for firms is a challenging issue. In this respect, managers can take the benefits of SC into consideration for strategic decisions for sustainability. Specifically, industrial practitioners who engage in innovation activities have capabilities of network-related technologies (e.g. data analysis, AI, IoT and sensor networks). By using these technologies in an SC, enterprises can keep existing customers as well as attract potential customers. Lastly, the findings of this study contribute to policy implementation in many aspects. At first, for SC to become a growth engine at regional or natural levels, strong policy implementation is crucial because SC is widely regarded as a means of entrepreneurship and an innovation plaza (Kraus et al., 2015). To facilitate entrepreneurship, maker spaces used for making the prototypes to support entrepreneurial process were setup within universities. The reason for establishing maker spaces in universities is to expand networking between entrepreneurs and experts and lead to innovation through a value network. One of the policy instruments that can be adapted is the “Data Basic Income Scheme” suggested by this research to boost the usage of data, providing content and information for doing business. Also, a governor in SC as an intermediator for the process of the knowledge flow should initiate soft configuration for SC.Social implicationsThis work makes two theoretical contributions to OI aspects: (1) it explores dynamic model archetypes; and (2) it articulates and highlights how SC with digital technology (i.e. in the AI, IoT and big data context) can be used to create collective knowledge flow efficiently. First, the findings of this study shed light on the OI dynamic model. It reveals important archetypes of new sub-clustering creation, namely, a system that underpins the holistic process of innovation by categorization in amongst the participating value network (Aguilar-Gallegos et al., 2015). In innovation studies, scholars have particularly paid attention to a cluster’s evolution model. In the process of innovation, the “open innovation dynamic model” suggested by this study illustrates sub-clustering that happens in value networks by taking the benefits of SC. Eventually, the evolution or development of sub-clusters can bring in a new system, namely, an OI system. Second, the findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the role of digital technologies in promoting knowledge flow. The usage and deployment of digital technologies in SC may enormously and positively influence innovative activities for participants. Furthermore, the rising of digital economy, in the so-called platform business, may occur depending on advanced technologies and OI. In doing so, the findings can further tow innovation research through juxtaposition between SC and innovation research (Mehra et al., 2021).Originality/valueThis paper shows that the function of an SC not only improves the quality of life but also acts as an engine of new industry through an open collective innovation setting using dynamic and ecological models.

Study on Business Administration Problems and Countermeasures of Rural Enterprises in the Context of Rural Revitalization

The general requirements of the rural revitalization strategy pay more attention to the overall development of rural areas and have richer connotations. Industrial prosperity means promoting industrial development, attracting a large amount of capital, advanced technology and talents into the countryside, promoting the industrial development of the countryside by mobilizing the production enthusiasm and creativity of farmers, forming a vibrant rural industrial system, and realizing the modernization of the countryside and the modernization of agriculture. In the context of rural revitalization, business administration innovation in rural enterprises has become an important way to enhance the comprehensive strength and core competitiveness of enterprises. However, enterprise business administration innovation also faces a series of problems and challenges, such as the lack of innovative elements in enterprise culture, imperfect talent training mechanism, high cost of technological innovation, and insufficient sense of win-win cooperation among enterprises.

Does excess capacity strengthen firms' dependence on the polluting path? Evidence from Chinese iron and steel firms

AbstractThis paper studies the relationship between firms' excess capacity and their environmental behaviour by matching the environmental data of China's major iron and steel firms with the Chinese Industrial Enterprises database. The findings are as follows. (1) A firm's excess capacity leads to myopic decisions, and firms will pay more attention to short‐run economic benefits at the cost of long‐run environmental benefits, which strengthens their dependence on the polluting path. (2) The dependence is positively correlated with the transformation barriers, and either a higher innovation cost or a higher possibility of regulatory capture in local official governance would lead to greater dependence on the pollution path. (3) Mergers & acquisitions (M&As) may hopefully cut such dependency, but only cross‐provincial M&As led by central state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) can effectively alleviate the “pollution effect” of excess capacity, while intra‐provincial M&As led by local SOEs fail to achieve such a goal.

Integrating role of green buildings in achieving carbon neutrality in an era of climate emergency

AbstractThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently stated that a swift ecological transition in transport, energy, and construction is required to reach the global emission reduction target. Around 40% of global emissions come from residential and commercial buildings. Therefore, this study developed a green building adoption model based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, which encourages firms to implement these novel green building technologies. For this, a survey of 333 respondents from Pakistani construction firms was conducted, and Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling approach was applied to validate the study's hypotheses. The findings showed that green building adoption provided invaluable insight by showing the strong associations between green building environmental concern, green building performance expectancy, green building effort expectancy, green building social influence, and green building innovation cost with green building behavioral intentions. Likewise, the findings also showed that green building behavioral intentions play a significant mediating role between the adoption of green buildings and its factors. The findings from this study suggest that intentions to engage in green building activities have a strong direct and mediating effect on green building adoption. Furthermore, the moderating effect of firm size demonstrated the significant differences between small, medium, and large firms size. Based on the study’ findings, the green building adoption model provided novel insights for governments and concerned stakeholders, including construction firms, to adopt green buildings for carbon neutrality in this era of climate emergency.

A Novel Approach to Determine Multi-Tiered Nearly Zero-Energy Performance Benchmarks Using Probabilistic Reference Buildings and Risk Analysis Approaches

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) mandates European Union Member States (MS) to conduct cost-optimal studies using the national calculation methodology (NCM), typically through non-calibrated asset-rating software. Nearly zero-energy building (NZEB) levels must be derived for each chosen Reference Building (RB), which are generally defined using deterministic parameters. Previous research proposed an innovative cost-optimal method that replaces ‘non-calibrated deterministic RBs’ with ‘probabilistically Bayesian calibrated reference building (RB)’ to better handle building stock uncertainties and diversities when deriving benchmarks. This paper aims to develop a framework to address two research gaps necessary for the successful application of the innovative cost optimal method: (1) providing objective criteria for defining NZEB benchmarks and (2) propagating uncertainties and financial risk for each defined benchmark. A robust approach for defining NZEB benchmarks according to four different ambition levels (low, medium, high, and highest) was developed by objectively considering distinct points from multiple cost-optimal plots employing different financial perspectives. Risk analysis is then performed for each defined benchmark by propagating risk from the posterior calibration parameter distributions to visualize and statistically quantify the financial risk, including robust risk, that the private investor could face for reaching each derived benchmark ambition level. The innovative cost-optimal methodology that incorporates the developed framework was applied to a hotel RB case study. The results showed that the developed framework is capable of deriving distinct benchmarks and quantitatively uncovering the full financial risk levels for the four different renovation ambition levels. The current cost-optimal method was also performed for the hotel case study with the RB defined determinitically and using the non-calibrated NCM software, SBEM-mt v4.2c. It was found that the financial feasibility and energy-saving results per benchmark are significantly more realistic and transparent for the proposed innovative cost-optimal method including a better match between the simulated and metered energy consumption with a difference of less than 1% in annual performance. Thus, the performance gap between calculated and actual energy performance that is synonymous with the EPBD methodology, as reported in the literature, is bridged. The case study also showed the importance of the risk analysis. Performing the cost-optimal analysis for a Bayesian calibrated RB using the mean value of the posterior calibrated parameter distributions without propagating uncertainty produced highly optimistic results that obscured the real financial risk for achieving the higher ambition levels of the NZEB benchmarks. Consequently, the developed framework demonstrated a time-bound tightening approach to achieve higher energy performance ambitions, improve risk transparency to private investors, and facilitate more targeted policies towards a net zero-carbon status. Thus, the proposed method considering parameter uncertainty and calibrated RBs is instrumental for devising robust policy measures for the EPBD, to achieve a realistic and long-lasting sustainable energy goal for European buildings.

Contract selection for collaborative innovation in the new energy vehicle supply chain under the dual credit policy: Cost sharing and benefit sharing

The dual point policy is an important policy in the field of China's new energy vehicle industry, various factors such as point trading prices and technological innovation costs were included in the profit game model to explore the effects of cost contract model and revenue contract model on the optimal profit of new energy vehicle supply entities after collaborative decision-making. Research has found that the dual credit policy for China's new energy industry has a promoting effect on collaborative innovation among entities in the new energy vehicle supply chain; Compared with decentralized decision-making situations, the integration of cost sharing contracts or revenue sharing contracts can more effectively stimulate the innovation vitality of new energy battery suppliers and enhance their technological innovation level; Under the cost sharing contract and the benefit sharing contract, the optimal profit after collaborative decision-making between new energy vehicle manufacturers and new energy battery suppliers is greater than the optimal profit during decentralized decision-making, while the optimal profit of new energy vehicle supply chain entities under the benefit sharing contract is slightly higher than the optimal profit of new energy vehicle supply chain entities under the cost sharing contract.

An innovative cost taxonomy: identifying and classifying costs of technology solutions

An innovative cost taxonomy: identifying and classifying costs of technology solutions

Environmental reclamation of limestone mining sites in Italy: Financial evaluation, challenges and proposals for sustainable development

Currently the environmental restoration of former extraction sites of limestone materials to be used in construction sector is still an open issue, challenging the opportunities for a more sustainable development of local communities.The present study evaluates the multiple causes underlying the abandonment of former limestone quarries and the lack of their reclamation as well as proposals to promote their environmental restoration.We primarily frame the issue in both the European and Italian regulatory framework. Then, the present study applies an innovative Cost Revenue Analysis to a case study of a generic environmental restoration project of a former extractive limestone site. Such analysis deepens on investment and operating costs, revenues, Net Present Value and Revenue/Costs ratio. Results show that restoration activities, performed in agreement with current regulations, involving the creation of terraces in embankments by means of excavation materials from external construction sites or even acting directly on the existing quarry, are currently discouraging for entrepreneurs, since they do not generate enough revenues to cover the costs of restoration. As a result, we suggest some solutions to strengthen the current regulatory and political framework, to make the restoration activities more convenient in financial terms. Such solutions would be also beneficial for the society and environment.

The impact of imperfect financial markets and stock holdings on corporate innovation: Evidence from China

According to previous research on developed countries, companies engaged in more corporate innovation are likely to have larger stock holdings. Companies are more likely to reserve stock holdings in a transitioning economy like China due to the prevalence of financial market flaws. This research suggests stock ownership and banking ties to the government as two alternative credit financing channels that Listed Chinese companies may employ to mitigate the effects of market imperfections by attracting foreign investment. Financial limitations can be efficiently mitigated through external finance facilitation channels (EFFCs) by lowering debtors and businesses have different levels of knowledge. However, the EFFC effect is diminishing due to the improved market environment brought about by China's ongoing financial reform. This research, therefore, considers potential avenues for reducing the EFFC effect, with practical policy implications for reforming China's financial markets to lower corporate innovation costs.

Implementation of industrial enterprises’ green innovation strategy under technology spillover

ABSTRACT In recent years, advanced emerging technologies have paved the way for new opportunities in green innovation strategies within industrial enterprises. This research aims to examine the impact of technology spillover on the strategic management of industrial enterprises’ green innovation initiatives and evaluate the role of government intervention. By employing an evolutionary game model and simulation approach, we identify a direct relationship between industrial enterprises’ strategic choices in green innovation and the degree of technology spillover. With significant technology spillover, industrial enterprises demonstrate an increased tendency to access innovation resources and technical support, leading to a preference for breakthrough green innovation strategies. Enhanced innovation capabilities and a higher innovation cost elasticity coefficient help reduce the risks associated with breakthrough green innovation, further amplifying the positive effects of technology spillover on such initiatives. Moreover, when the government provides considerable cost subsidies and incentive funds, industrial enterprises show a stronger predilection towards breakthrough green innovation strategies. This research adds to the body of knowledge concerning technology analysis, strategic management of green innovation, and the sustainable progression of industrial enterprises.

Research on the diffusion of green innovation behavior based on complex network evolutionary game

AbstractThe strategic choice of green innovation subjects and the evolution of green innovation networks have a two‐way feedback effect. This study aims to construct a comprehensive framework for analyzing the evolution of green innovation networks from micro to macro levels. The gravity model demonstrates the structural complexity of green innovation networks. Additionally, an evolutionary game model based on green innovation networks is constructed to discuss the network's diffusion mechanism of green innovation behavior and its influence on network characteristic indicators. The research findings reveal that (1) the green innovation networks in China exhibit a continuous growth trend but the connectivity of urban nodes varies significantly; (2) the green innovation network's marginal nodes are the “vulnerable groups” in the evolutionary game and the active green innovation strategy cannot be completely spread; and (3) the cost of passive green innovation and the demand for green consumption are the internal and external driving forces that promote the spread of the active green innovation strategy in the network. Finally, this study concludes with several suggestions, including the establishment of a mechanism to promote green innovation reform with the city, industry, and enterprises as the node, fulcrum, and focus, respectively. Additionally, it suggests increasing domestic demand for green consumption. These findings and suggestions can provide a reference for the development of green innovation in other countries or regions.

Cement and concrete decarbonisation roadmaps – a meta-analysis within the context of the United Kingdom

Decarbonisation is the most urgent issue facing the cement and concrete industries, with an aim to reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. In response to this, several decarbonisation roadmaps have been published in recent years, to explore routes for how different decarbonisation strategies can be used to achieve this aim. However, there is a lack of understanding around the similarities and differences between these roadmaps. In this study a meta-analysis of nine cement and concrete sector roadmaps was conducted, with a detailed focus on five roadmaps covering Europe emphasising their applicability within the context of the United Kingdom. Whilst there are some similarities amongst roadmaps in terms of the decarbonisation strategies which are consistently recommended, there are also key differences. Industry roadmaps oriented towards cement-based strategies, whilst non-industry roadmaps were more inclusive of concrete-based strategies. The significance of this study is to highlight the difficulties faced by policymakers and investors in choosing which strategies to prioritise, when there is still considerable uncertainty in the roadmap literature. Recommendations are made for a greater focus on consideration of the construction sector practices which provide more autonomy to practitioners to adopt and implement concrete-based strategies and dematerialisation in future iterations of industry roadmaps, and more research into the capital and operating costs of technological innovations