The work discusses issues of the infrastructure, its instruments, and specifics of infrastructure in Polish and Slovak rural areas. The aim of this article is to analyze the level of technical infrastructure development in rural regions of the Małopolskie Voivodeship in Poland and the west part of Slovakia—Trnava self-governing region (Trnava region) as two regions with a similar position regarding regional competitiveness index. Following the topic, after identification of strengths and weaknesses of mentioned regions, the opportunities, and threats of sustainable development of infrastructure in rural areas have been analyzed using the SWOT method. The development of sustainable, reliable, and functional infrastructure does not only refer to the chosen regions of Poland and Slovakia but also other regions in the European Union. Sustainable infrastructure is a factor stimulating social and economic progress as one of the most important determinants of sustainable development and regional competitiveness. The authors notice a particular lack in the sustainable development of infrastructure in the field of water and sewerage management together with the supply of water. Therefore, this article tries to complete the gap in research focusing on the concept of a more systematic approach to technical infrastructure improvement in the context of sustainable development, and strategy of cooperation.

A study of the efficiency of the energy companies that are listed on the Polish capital market, which will be the object of the analysis in this paper, is focused on assessing the degree of accomplishment of their basic financial objectives, namely, the maximization of their market values. The main research methods that are used in the article are methods for analyzing and evaluating the literature (in order to present the current scientific achievements in the field under study) and descriptive statistics and mathematical statistical methods for analyzing the interdependence of the phenomena (used to characterize and compare the analyzed energy-sector companies, as well as to quantify the determinants of the value-creation efficiency of these companies). This article is focused on the conditions and problems that are related to the decision-making processes that are aimed at increasing efficiency in the area of building enterprise-value. These require the use of tools for efficiency measurement that enable management to quantify and assess changes in an enterprise’s market value and the efficiency of its creation. Within the conducted research, it has also been proven that this is the market perspective that is of key significance from the point of view of the criteria of making financial management decisions. The market perspective reflects the expectations of the majority of company stakeholders, to the fullest. The study showed that the allocation of capital in the listed energy companies during the period of 2014–2020 was subject to a relatively high risk of losing the economic value of the invested capital. In terms of asset value, dividing the studied group of companies into portfolios of two groups of companies additionally showed that the volatility of the market and equity returns for the smaller companies was higher than it was for the larger companies.

Purpose: There is an emphasis that planning sustainable development is conditioned by external and internal factors. The basis for such planning is a range of an area research which can distinguish the groups of similar units and quantify their stages of development. The aim of the article is to present the author's methodological proposal in the field of management and development planning, taking the opinions of the commune inhabitants. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper presents the application of changes in planning the sustainable development, in the context of a stable economy. In present conditions, there is a lack of problem identification, especially social and economic. The proposed procedure of methodology on the basis of inhabitants' opinions of the communes of Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship situated in protected areas, such as landscape parks and regions of protected landscape is an element of a wider research problem. At present this problem has and is going to have a more significant meaning, the participation of local communities in creating their own development. Findings: The problem has already had and will continue to have a growing importance, because it will no longer be possible to prevent the participation of local societies in creating their own development. Practical Implications: The realisation of sustainable development will require a total change of the orientation of all the parties interested, according to the social and economic problems (basic principles). Originality/Value: In the majority of the recommended planning procedures, there is a possibility of economy improvement and contribution to the improvement of social and economic welfare.

Produkcja i wykorzystanie polistyrenu spienionego (EPS) odgrywają ważną rolę w przemyśle chemicznym. Jednak opakowania otrzymywane z EPS nie spełniają wymogów określonych w przepisach o ochronie środowiska, a sam proces ich produkcji nie jest opłacalny. Dlatego zaproponowano innowacyjne rozwiązanie, które minimalizuje ryzyko negatywnego oddziaływania na środowisko opakowań wykonanych z EPS oraz zmniejsza koszty produkcji. W tym celu zaproponowano zmniejszenie objętości opakowań polistyrenowych wykorzystywanych w przemyśle poprzez zastąpienie ich innowacyjną poduszką powietrzną z polietylenu.