There is a high demand for energy production, which is dependent on energy consumption and input. This demand affects socioeconomic development and quality of life. However, the lack of an innovative formal, legal, and organizational structure regarding public space in the European Union (EU) is problematic; one solution could be preparing and implementing grid services as part of distributed energy solutions (based on local and regional renewable resources), and involving local public, private, and profitable entities. Autonomous energy regions (AREs) are a response to this type of problem, as they can contribute to the creation of organizational and legal tools that counteract the marginalization of crisis areas, where undesirable socioeconomic phenomena intensify (and the conditions and management of the natural environments deteriorate). Investments in energy infrastructure based on distributed energy (mainly renewable energy sources) will be a tool for socioeconomic changes in affected areas. In terms of practical considerations in the energy field (i.e., keywords, barriers to energy consumption, and access to it), it is important to formulate recommendations regarding the creation, management, identification, and designation of autonomous energy regions (AREs) in the EU. In this case, postal questionnaires and a taxonomic method (Hellwig’s method) were used. It is worth emphasizing that the creation of AREs is a modern requirement in connection with global CO₂ emissions. Sustainable low-emission economies, according to the conducted research, may be introduced to the entire European Union. The lack of proposals for direction of regional development, in terms of autonomous energy regions, was indicated in this paper. There is a need to formulate specific recommendations regarding the possibility of creating and managing autonomous energy regions (AREs) in the European Union. Fortunately, there are natural, organizational, and social opportunities to begin this process. For example, local authorities may become leaders in creating a network of connections in emerging AREs, and communities might willingly make the effort to co-create AREs.

Purpose: The research provides an analysis of factors influencing the competitiveness of manufacturing companies. Design/Methodology/Approach: A review of the scientific literature from the area covered by the study was conducted. The study was conducted on a random sample of companies operating in the Silesian Province. The analysis of the survey data was carried out in two stages. In the first stage the relations between competitiveness and potential factors influencing its level in the companies were checked using the chi-square independence test. In the second stage, the analysis of correspondence between pairs of variables for which the dependence was confirmed. Findings: Analyzing the combined chart of points representing row and column profiles, we conclude that there are relatively more companies that are rather competitive among those that have maintained unchanged levels of relations in the last 5 years. On the other hand, there are more companies with poor competitiveness among those that have worsened their relations with suppliers in recent years. Practical Implications: The results can be used in efforts to improve the performance of the manufacturing sector in Poland through the development of competitive strategies based on the growth of relationships with suppliers regardless of the number of people in the company. Originality/Value: This study is an original study of manufacturing and supplier relations entrepreneurs. It serves the purpose of improving competitive activities in terms of improving business performance.

The use of hydrogen exists in various sectors in Poland and Germany. Hydrogen can be used in industry, transport, decarbonisation of the Polish steel industry and as one of the low-emission alternatives to the existing coal applications in this sector. Limiting climate change requires efforts on a global scale from all countries of the world. Significant economic benefits will be realized by stimulating the development of new technologies to deal with climate change. The scenarios show an increasing demand for industrial hydrogen in the future. The key is to replace gray hydrogen with green, and to convert industrial processes, which will create additional hydrogen demand. The condition for the development of a green hydrogen economy is access to adequate installed capacity in renewable energy. Germany will become the leading market in the era of energy transformation in the coming years. The implementation of the hydrogen assumptions in Poland is possible, to a greater extent, by the efforts of entrepreneurs.

Congestion extends the time of the journey for both people and goods. Therefore, transport solutions should be optimized. Management scientists and technical scientists worked together in order to develop a proprietary solution to increase efficiency in terms of productivity improvements for intelligent transport systems. The most fundamental functions of management have been paired with a detailed analysis of city traffic. The authors developed a method for determining the order of vehicles at traffic lights and connected it with vehicle-to-vehicle communication and GPS signals. As a result, a novel method to increase the throughput of intersections is presented. This solution generates a sound signal in order to inform the driver that the preceding car has started moving forward. The proposed solution leads to the shortening of the reaction time of the drivers waiting in a queue. This situation is most common at red lights. Consequently, the traffic simulation shows that the discharge of queues at traffic lights may be quicker by up to 13.5%. Notably, that proposed solution does not require any modification of the infrastructure as well as any additional devices for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication at the road intersections. To conclude, proper implementation of the proposed solution will certainly contribute to efficiency improvements within intelligent transport systems, with the potential to reduce traffic jams.