Policy Mechanisms Research Articles

Against the backdrop of global economic digital transformation and the rapid flow of creative factors, innovation spaces, as the key carriers of inventive activities, drive high-quality development in urban agglomerations. This study develops a three-dimensional framework of “Spatial Structure–Factor Synergy–Institutional Drivers” to uncover the evolution of innovation spaces and industrial shifts in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration, China. Methodologically, spatial econometric techniques were applied to capture both the overall concentration and spatial disparities of innovation. Spatial Gini and variation coefficients measured innovation clustering, while standard deviation ellipses and location entropy identified spatial linkages among high-tech innovation clusters. Geographically weighted regression models explored spatial heterogeneity in influencing factors, and a policy intensity index was constructed to assess the effectiveness of differentiated policy interventions in optimizing innovation resources. Key findings include the following: (1) Innovation spaces are spatially polarized in a “core–periphery” pattern, yet require cross-regional collaboration. Concurrently, high-tech industries demonstrate a gradient structure: central cities leading in R&D, sub-central cities driving industrial applications, and node cities achieving specialized development through industrial transfer. (2) The driving mechanisms exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity: economic density shows diminishing returns in core areas, whereas R&D investment and ecological quality demonstrate increasingly positive effects, with foreign investment’s role evolving positively post-institutional reforms. (3) Regional innovation synergy has formed a preliminary framework, but strengthening sustainable policy mechanisms remains pivotal to advancing market-driven coordination and dismantling administrative barriers. These findings underscore the importance of integrated policy reforms for achieving balanced and high-quality innovation development in administratively coordinated urban agglomerations like BTH.

As the primary carriers of population aggregation, cities face severe climate risks and challenges. This paper examines whether and how climate adaptation policy can enhance urban climate resilience. Based on panel data from 57 cities in China's typical ecologically fragile region-the Yellow River Basin-from 2010 to 2022, this study employs the Synthetic DID method to evaluate China's Climate Adaptive City Construction Pilot Program (CACCP). The results indicate that the CACCP policy can significantly enhance urban climate resilience, and this conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness tests. The CACCP policy mechanism reveals that green bond instruments play an effective mediating role in promoting urban climate resilience under the CACCP policy. Urban education and public environmental concern have positive moderating effects on the implementation of the CACCP policy, while urban mineral resource dependency has an adverse moderating effect. These findings confirm the effectiveness of climate adaptation policies. It also reveals the financial tools, human capital, cultural values, and economic structural pathways that drive human adaptation to climate change.

The rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) is reshaping both transportation and power systems worldwide. While EVs offer a promising solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, their widespread adoption also presents significant challenges to grid stability, efficiency, and economics due to large-scale charging demands. This paper reviews technical pathways for EV-grid integration, focusing on smart charging, vehicle-to-grid (V2G), and synergies with renewable energy systems. By synthesizing recent studies on microgrids, distribution networks, and transmission systems, the review highlights how controlled charging and V2G mitigate peak demand, enhance grid flexibility, and lower system costs. EVs can also act as distributed energy storage units, enabling higher renewable energy penetration and improved system resilience. However, current challenges remain, including user behavior uncertainties, infrastructure readiness, and policy support. The study concludes that EV-grid integration holds substantial promise for low-carbon transitions, while addressing battery degradation, interoperability standards, and large-scale validation will be critical for its future success.

Obesity is a growing global public health challenge, especially in developing countries. In Indonesia, the prevalence of adult obesity has reached 23.4%, but the control policy remains limited to a promotive-preventive approach without binding regulations. In contrast, Japan implements a Metabo Law policy that combines mandatory screening, clear anthropometric parameters, and a health insurance-based institutional incentive system. This research aims to analyze the success of the Metabo Law policy in Japan and evaluate its potential adoption or adaptation in the context of Indonesia and other developing countries. This research used a qualitative literature review approach by examining obesity policies in Japan, India, Thailand, the Philippines, Brazil, and Indonesia. The analysis was carried out thematically based on scope, intervention mechanisms, financing, institutional structure, and socio-cultural context. The Metabo Law succeeded in reducing the prevalence of metabolic syndrome through a regulative and population-based approach. Compared to developing countries, Japan's policies excel in terms of national coverage, institutional accountability, and funding sustainability. However, the success of the Metabo Law was greatly influenced by the context of Japanese collectivism and an integrated national health system, which are not yet fully present in developing countries. The adoption of policies such as the Metabo Law needs to be contextually adjusted. Indonesia can draw inspiration from such policy structures and mechanisms, especially in building a national screening system, strengthening regulations, and developing institutional incentives.

Cross-border malaria control programs have become indispensable components of regional and global health strategies aimed at achieving malaria elimination. These initiatives emphasize cooperation among countries sharing porous borders where human mobility, environmental factors, and socioeconomic disparities facilitate sustained transmission. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, established in 2002, remains the principal funding mechanism supporting these efforts, having disbursed over US$21.7 billion to more than 150 countries. Recent innovations, particularly Geographic Information Systems (GIS), mobile health (m-health) applications, and decision-support systems are revolutionizing the detection, monitoring, and control of malaria in endemic regions. GIS technology facilitates spatial mapping, vector surveillance, and environmental modeling, allowing for evidence-based decision-making in malaria control programs across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Likewise, m-health applications enable timely reporting, real-time case management, and improved coordination among health workers, particularly in remote and border communities. Community engagement and education remain central to malaria elimination success, fostering local ownership and compliance with preventive interventions such as indoor residual spraying (IRS), insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), and early diagnosis initiatives. Furthermore, monitoring and evaluation frameworks have evolved to capture dynamic indicators beyond morbidity and mortality, focusing instead on transmission foci, parasitological confirmation, and imported case tracking. However, challenges persist in sustaining funding, harmonizing policies, and ensuring cross-border coordination. The future of malaria control depends on integrating sustainable practices, strengthening research and development, and mobilizing domestic political will to complement international support. Effective cross-border malaria control will require adaptive policy mechanisms, regional data-sharing platforms, and sustained commitment to innovation, ultimately driving the global malaria eradication agenda toward 2030. KEYWORDS: Cross-Border Malaria Control, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Fund, Mobile Health (m-Health) Innovations, and Regional Health Collaboration.

The article explores the socio-political activities of Yurii Shukhevych regarding the commemoration of participants in the struggle for Ukraine’s independence in the 20th century. The study applies a set of research methods, with particular emphasis on historical reconstruction and analytical interpretation, which made it possible to characterize and generalize Yurii Shukhevych’s decommunisation policy through a series of measures aimed at honoring participants in the struggle for Ukraine’s independence in the 20th century, especially members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The article reveals the development of Yurii Shukhevych’s socio-political activities on his path to becoming a Member of Parliament of Ukraine in 2014, when he headed civic organizations. It also outlines the features of his attempts to gain parliamentary mandates and the outcomes of these efforts. The central focus of the study is Yurii Shukhevych’s socio-political activity during his tenure as a Member of Parliament of Ukraine. His vision of the importance of commemorating participants of the 20th-century struggle for independence within the framework of decommunisation policy and the formation of a national-patriotic direction in Ukrainian state-building is analyzed in detail. The article examines his efforts to establish a legislative framework to define the status of fighters for Ukraine’s independence, as well as to ensure their social guarantees through the introduction of legislative changes and the drafting of legal acts for their implementation. The direct contribution of Yurii Shukhevych to the development of this policy is demonstrated, along with an overview of scholarly debates on the impact of the adopted acts on restoring historical memory, ensuring social justice, and other components of decommunisation policy mechanisms. The article also characterizes Yurii Shukhevych’s civic and organizational activities during his parliamentary work on the adoption of legislation, reveals the content of the laws he initiated, and identifies prospects for further research on the legacy of Yurii Shukhevych’s socio-political activity.

An analysis of scope, topics, methods and categories of drug policy research published in the International Journal of Drug Policy.

Digital sovereignty has emerged as a critical geopolitical concept defining national autonomy in the digital realm, while competitive intelligence serves as an essential tool for understanding technological competition dynamics. This comprehensive review examines the intersection of digital sovereignty frameworks and competitive intelligence methodologies in analyzing global technological dominance patterns. The analysis synthesizes diverse theoretical approaches, policy mechanisms, and intelligence gathering techniques across various national contexts and technological sectors. This examination identifies significant advancements in integrated assessment methodologies that combine regulatory frameworks, technological capabilities, economic indicators, and strategic intelligence systems. Key findings indicate that hybrid competitive intelligence approaches, particularly combinations of open- source intelligence (OSINT) with economic espionage detection and technological trend analysis, yield robust predictive models for technological dominance patterns with improved accuracy compared to single source approaches. Advanced technologies including artificial intelligence driven intelligence analysis, blockchain-based sovereignty verification, and quantum-resistant security systems are transforming large-scale competitive intelligence capabilities, enabling real-time strategic assessment. However, significant gaps remain in standardization of sovereignty metrics, integration of cultural factors, and ethical frameworks for intelligence gathering. This review provides evidence-based recommendations for future research directions and practical implementation strategies for policymakers and intelligence professionals seeking to navigate the complex landscape of technological competition and digital autonomy.

Purpose This study aims to explore the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the evolving landscape of sustainability reporting within the European Union (EU). It focuses on the indirect but significant implications of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) for SMEs, particularly through their integration into value chains and the multilevel sustainability enforcement system established by the EU. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a doctrinal legal analysis of the CSRD and related EU regulations, combined with a systematic review of current academic and regulatory literature. Particular attention is given to the proportionality principle and the role of digital technologies in facilitating or hindering compliance by resource-constrained SMEs. Findings This research finds that while the CSRD offers SMEs potential benefits, such as enhanced competitiveness, investment readiness and alignment with future regulatory expectations, it also presents significant challenges. These include limited ESG expertise, data collection burdens and difficulties in aligning with evolving reporting standards. This paper highlights how digitalisation, though promising, requires tailored implementation to support SME capacities. It also emphasizes the enabling role of public authorities, larger corporations and industry associations in fostering SME compliance. Originality/value This paper contributes to emerging scholarship by reframing SMEs as critical actors in EU sustainability governance. It offers original insights into how legal, technological and policy mechanisms intersect to shape SME reporting practices, and it proposes specific recommendations for ensuring that proportionality and digital enablement are integrated into future sustainability reporting frameworks.

Bronchiectasis is a chronic airway disease marked by recurrent infections, progressive inflammation, and declining pulmonary function. While pharmacologic therapies remain central to management, nonpharmacologic strategies-particularly nutrition and physical activity-are underutilized, despite growing evidence. This review examines the role of nutritional support and physical activity in managing bronchiectasis, highlighting their impact on frailty, systemic inflammation, and functional outcomes. Frailty is increasingly recognized in bronchiectasis, particularly in patients with comorbid nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTM-LD), where prevalence may exceed 40%. Malnutrition, low body mass index (BMI), and sarcopenia are associated with poorer lung function, increased hospitalizations, and mortality. Meanwhile, physical inactivity-measured by low step count and prolonged sedentary time-is a strong predictor of exacerbation risk and healthcare utilization. Evidence supports the use of high-calorie, protein-rich diets and resistance-based exercise training to improve muscle mass, immune function, and quality of life. Synergistic effects are observed when nutritional interventions are combined with pulmonary rehabilitation. However, barriers to implementation remain, including a lack of access, under-referral, and limited emphasis on guidelines. Nutritional and physical activity interventions offer measurable clinical benefits in bronchiectasis and should be integrated into routine multidisciplinary care. Future research should prioritize the validation of frailty screening tools, the implementation of effective strategies, and the development of policy mechanisms to expand coverage for dietetic and rehabilitation services.

As carbon emissions in China continue to rise and the cost advantage in the global value chain diminishes, enterprise transformation and upgrading has emerged as a new engine for economic growth. By implementing low carbon incentive policies, the government aims to spur corporate self‑innovation and phase out obsolete capacity, thereby boosting resource use efficiency and curbing environmental pollution. This paper examines the impact of China’s low carbon incentive policies on enterprise transformation and upgrading, with a particular focus on the role and mechanisms of urban environmental policy in this process. Employing a multi-period difference in differences approach, we analyze how the low carbon city policy affects the transformation and upgrading of Chinese listed firms. The results show that the low carbon city policy significantly enhances enterprise transformation and upgrading at the 1% level: participation in the low carbon city policy raises the composite index of enterprise transformation and upgrading by 0.012. We further explore the moderating role of enterprise green development level by incorporating it into our model of low carbon city policy effects. The findings reveal that firms exhibiting higher green total factor productivity, as well as those adopting green innovation and green management practices, display stronger adaptability to the low carbon city policy. Finally, both heterogeneity and dynamic analyses indicate that, over the medium to long term, the low carbon city policy continues to promote enterprise transformation and upgrading. In sum, the low carbon city policy not only provides exogenous momentum for enterprise transformation and upgrading but also interacts synergistically with firms’ green development to guide them toward more efficient and sustainable transformation and upgrading.

Under the background of globalization and a knowledge-based economy, private education, as an important part of China's education system, plays a key role in expanding education supply and meeting diversified demands. Through comparative analysis, this study systematically analyzes the characteristics and operation mechanism of private education financial investment policies in developed countries and summarizes their successful experiences. The study finds that private education in China is currently facing challenges such as a shortage of funds and an imperfect financial investment mechanism, which constrain its high-quality development. In contrast, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and other developed countries have formed a more mature financial support system for private education, including legal protection, diversified input mechanisms, a performance evaluation system, and a social participation mode. Based on this, this paper proposes that China should improve the financial policy system of private education, including sound legal protection, optimizing the financial input model, establishing a performance evaluation mechanism, encouraging the participation of social capital, and granting private schools a moderate degree of autonomy to build a government-led, multifaceted and synergistic support pattern, and to promote the high-quality development of private education.

The 2020 National Education Policy (NEP) is a revolutionary vision for inclusive and equitable education, emphasising universal access to superior learning opportunities. It has recommended substantial improvements to the education system, emphasising the comprehensive development of learners from early childhood through higher education. This study analyses the provisions of the National Education Policy 2020 concerning Persons with Disabilities (PwD) to fill a research gap and analyse the policy's mechanisms, financial sustainability, and socio-cultural obstacles to assess the feasibility of achieving equity and access for millions of persons with disabilities in India. This research examines the immediate obstacles encountered by persons with disabilities and also cultivates a culture of inclusiveness, and opportunities that creates advantages for them. By exploring these factors, this study provides a comprehensive insight in a descriptive analytical approach into how the policy influences the educational landscape for individuals with disabilities. The NEP 2020 promotes equitable education for individuals with disabilities, integrating technology and personalized learning. Training and resource centres enhance educational outcomes. However, underprivileged regions lack adequate infrastructure and resources. Collaboration among governments, institutions, and organizations is crucial for implementing NEP 2020, ensuring access to digital and assistive technology. Policy document analysis limits this theoretical critique. It does not collect statistics on NEP 2020 implementation, efficacy, or student and educator experiences. Its findings are analytical rather than evidential in nature.

Purpose This paper addresses metadata incoherence of corporate sustainability reporting in Saudi Arabia and UAE. The study examines how blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies can promote standardization, reliability and transparency of sustainability metadata, particularly in increasingly digitally maturing economies. Design/methodology/approach According to technology–organization–environment (TOE) and institutional theory, this paper examines a conceptual model that includes seven hypotheses regarding metadata consistency, digital governance, transparency of AI, interaction with stakeholders, and sustainability reporting quality. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and multi-group analysis (MGA), this paper examines regulatory arrangements, organizational readiness, and relations with stakeholders to see how metadata outcomes are affected within industries. Findings Findings conclude that metadata optimization with AI significantly enhances consistency and interoperability but is reliant upon digital capacity and governance maturity. Heterogeneity of sectoral practices, regulatory landscapes and adoption of AI between the UAE and Saudi Arabia affects metadata quality. Mediation and moderation analysis also shows that governance mechanisms and stakeholder engagement are significant to realize sustainable reporting practices with AI and blockchain technologies. Practical implications The report calls for industry-specific regulatory policy and digital government mechanisms for facilitating AI integration in corporate sustainability reporting. Policymaking, business leadership and technology entrepreneurship have a role in collaborating on efforts to develop industry-specific AI policy strategies for staying in compliance, enhancing data integrity and constructing digital reporting ecosystems on a foundation of trust. Originality/value This regionally focused, evidence-informed study offers practical suggestions for balancing global sustainable development targets with digital reporting systems. The study gives a contextualized examination of Gulf economies' adoption of AI and blockchain to encourage sustainability governance.

Abstract A prominent structural feature of many developing countries is the presence of a large shadow or informal economy, which often serves as a form of insurance during economic downturns. Despite this understanding, the impact of the informal economy on inflation and output dynamics in these countries remains poorly understood. This study investigates the extent to which monetary policy can stabilize economies with a large informal market. First, we use VAR analysis to provide new evidence indicating that the labor informality rate increases in response to contractionary monetary policy. Second, we explore the transmission mechanism of monetary policy through a two-sector New Keynesian (NK) model that incorporates endogenous firm entry. This analysis allows us to examine the role of informality in sectoral reallocation, inflation, and output dynamics. Our findings suggest that, under a reasonable calibration of the model, the presence of a flexible, informal sector results in a lower sacrifice ratio in response to a tightening of monetary policy. This suggests that informality enhances the effectiveness of monetary policy.

This review investigates the potential for reforming European Union development aid policies to serve as strategic investment incentives that promote sustainable mining operations in Africa, moving beyond traditional donor-recipient models toward mutually beneficial economic partnerships that secure critical mineral resources for Europe while fostering African economic independence. Existing literature on EU-Africa development aid primarily focuses on humanitarian assistance and governance reforms, with insufficient attention to how aid policies could systematically incentivize European mining investments in African mineral sectors. Current research lacks comprehensive analysis of policy mechanisms that could transform development aid into investment-driven tools for sustainable resource extraction partnerships. This review employs qualitative analysis through systematic review of scholarly articles, policy reports, and case studies from Scopus and Web of Science databases. The research examines sources published within the past decade, analyzing EU development projects in African mining sectors, contemporary aid policies, and their effectiveness in supporting sustainable mining activities and economic outcomes for both European and African stakeholders. Results indicate that effective policy reforms should integrate economic incentives with environmental safeguards, transforming aid into both investment foundations and sustainability instruments. The review identifies four critical reform areas: dual incentive frameworks combining fiscal benefits with sustainability requirements, performance-based funding systems replacing traditional aid models, large-scale infrastructure and education investments, and enhanced governance mechanisms ensuring transparent, accountable mining operations that benefit local communities while securing European mineral supply chains.

The article substantiates that in modern conditions of military aggression, where enormous damage has been caused to the agricultural sector, proper legal support for the state’s agri-food policy as a necessary component of the state agrarian policy becomes particularly relevant, in particular, determination of its priorities and objectives, financial, economic, institutional and functional principles of its implementation and realisation, etc., is of particular relevance. Ukraine’s agri-food policy is changing in line with the challenges of today and with due regard for the doctrinal developments which have proved their practical value and focus on protecting the human right to food (to eat), and also with due regard for the European integration obligations of our country. It is proved that agri-food policy today is an indispensable component of the State agrarian policy, which is implemented both at the national, domestic, regional and international levels. The goal of agri-food policy is to meet the needs of the population for food, and industry for food raw materials. The need to guarantee food security as a component of national security requires an appropriate legal framework that will create the necessary tools and mechanisms of agri-food policy, allow for the formation of a strategy for ensuring food security and guaranteeing citizens’ rights to food, etc. At the same time, legal regulation of agri-food relations in special periods, in particular, under martial law, requires special approaches. The author analyses the legislation in the field of the State’s agri-food policy under martial law in terms of the need to ensure food security, and on this basis, the author identifies its features and conducts the author’s classification by subject matter. Among the features of legislative acts in this area are the following: the urgent nature of their adoption due to the need for a prompt response to wartime challenges; different subject matter focus due to the complexity of relations in the field of food security and different legal force; mostly programmatic nature of these acts and high dynamism of legislation.

The 3GPP network slicing standard allows mobile operators to provide differentiated services using the common 5G infrastructure when using User Equipment Route Selection Policy mechanisms. The modern versions of URSP are still largely static and do not provide any contextual flexibility to deal with dynamic application needs, enterprise guidelines, and efficiency aspects of energy consumption. To overcome these limitations, the Dynamic Intent-Aware URSP Framework introduces intent recognition, hierarchical policy coordination, and sustainability-conscious metrics to URSP descriptors through the use of artificial intelligence. The framework facilitates cross-slice adaptation and service-level agreement assurance with descriptors of URSP that are extended to represent the user intent, enterprise policy, and energy-efficiency requirements. Simulation outcomes show that the quality-of-service stability, compliance with service-level agreement, and energy saving are higher than the baseline URSP approaches. The contribution bridges the gap between intent-driven networking and 3GPP-defined slicing architectures to progress autonomous service delivery in next-generation networks.

Purpose The study aims to answer three academic questions: (1) What are the policy mechanisms and the roles of local government in different entrepreneurship stages? (2) What are the boundary conditions under which the market and administrative logic work well in the entrepreneurial growth process? (3) What factors have contributed to the symbiotic evolution of entrepreneurship from a few pioneers to mass entrepreneurs? Design/methodology/approach Given the entrepreneurship process's longitudinal nature and complexity, an embedded longitudinal research design was adopted. This study focuses on back-home migrant worker entrepreneurship in rural China from 2010 to 2022 and selects nine sample enterprises in different entrepreneurship stages in three industries. Data were collected from interviews and archives and then coded, applying the grounded theory approach. Findings The main findings are: (1) The mechanisms of entrepreneurship policies and the roles of local government vary during the different stages of the entrepreneurial process. (2) Either insufficient incentives or excessive intervention by local government will lead to the failure of the mechanisms of entrepreneurship policies. (3) Successful entrepreneurs will attract and help more migrant workers engage in entrepreneurial activities through the three mechanisms of boosting the local economy, constructing favourable institutions and reshaping personal societal roles, thus achieving the symbiotic evolution of entrepreneurship. Originality/value This study's core contribution is to propose a mid-range theory based on the entrepreneurial process, which portrays the mechanism of the entrepreneurial policy portfolio and the dynamics of the role of local government. The study examines the boundary conditions for the substitution or complementarity between the two institutional logics in the entrepreneurial process and its complexity and temporal dynamics, elucidating the symbiotic evolutionary mechanism through which entrepreneurship transitions from individual pioneers to mass entrepreneurship. The study also expands the domain of institutional entrepreneurship research.

Global warming has become a major challenge facing human society, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions being its primary driver. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) represents a promising technology for mitigating CO2 emissions from industrial and energy sectors. However, challenges such as high energy consumption, lengthy construction cycles, significant costs, and inadequate policy and market mechanisms hinder the widespread adoption of CCUS technology. This paper reviews the potential, applications, and related policies of CCUS technology, highlighting current research progress and obstacles. First, it provides a comprehensive overview of the CCUS technology framework, detailing developments and engineering applications in capture, transport, enhanced oil recovery, and storage technologies. Through global case studies and analysis, the review also examines advancements in CCUS infrastructure and technology strategies, along with operational experiences from major global projects. Second, it delves into the mechanisms, applications, and challenges of CCUS-related technologies, which are crucial for advancing their industrial deployment. It also outlines policy measures adopted by different countries to support CCUS technology development and large-scale deployment. Finally, it projects future directions for CCUS technology and policy development.