Maritime transport and ports are among the most important linkages between global economies, handling more than 90% of internationally traded goods. Economic importance of maritime transport imposes significant implications on the social and environmental performance of port regions. The paper aims to create composite indices as relevant, scientific-based tools used in comparing and monitoring various aspects of sustainability across 37 sea port regions in seven countries on the European side of the Mediterranean, covering a five-year period from 2014 to 2018. The model encompasses Eurostat and OECD annual NUTS2 level data covering economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Two important indicators of maritime transport activity, maritime transport of freight and maritime transport of passengers, are included within the group of economic indicators. To create composite indices, the multicriteria decision making (MCDM) framework was used as an integrated approach of entropy in the weighting segment, and the Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment of Evaluations (PROMETHEE) as an aggregation method. The results highlight GDP per capita and population density as indicators of the greatest relative importance when it comes to port regions sustainability. The ranking results indicate that, despite the fact that Attica is the best ranked region in terms of overall sustainability, the largest number of top rated port regions are in Italy, Spain and France.

High-quality digital infrastructure is the basis of almost every sector of a modern and innovative economy and society. As a part of the overall competitiveness concept, digital competitiveness is a multidimensional structure that encompasses various factors of the process of digital transformation through the ability of learning and application of new technologies, technology factors that enable digital transformation, and digital readiness factors that assess the preparedness of an economy and citizens to assume digital transformation. The paper aims to propose a methodology for measuring digital competitiveness using a composite index approach including a variety of various indicators. To assess the digital competitiveness of European countries, a multi-criteria analysis was applied in a two-stage procedure integrating CRITIC and TOPSIS as weighting and aggregation methods. The sample includes thirty European countries and the research is based on thirteen indicators provided in the database Eurostat Digital Economy and Society. In addition, a ranking of sample countries according to digital competitiveness is presented. Finally, a cluster analysis was conducted to examine relations between digital competitiveness and several economic performances such as GDP pc, labour productivity and employment rates. The results indicate that Nordic countries have achieved the highest digital competitiveness, while most Eastern European countries still lag behind.

Contemporary global challenges such as climate change, resource depletion, ecosystem degradation, and social inequities require comprehensive and integrated approaches to achieve sustainable development. While existing development and sustainability paradigms address specific aspects of sustainability, they often fall short in driving systemic transformation and ensuring long-term resilience. In response to these limitations, the concept of the regenerative economy emerges as a holistic framework that integrates ecological restoration, social equity, and economic vitality. This study conducts a systematic literature review of 84 scholarly articles to synthesize and cluster existing research within the regenerative economy domain. Utilizing a Large Language Model (LLM) for zero-shot classification, the analysis identifies seven primary clusters-Sustainability and Environmental Impact, Climate Change and Energy, Urban and Built Environment, Economic and Industrial Systems, Education and Social Impact, Technological Innovations and Systems, and Policy, Governance, and Standards-further subdivided into 21 subgroups. Each cluster encapsulates key themes and interdisciplinary approaches essential for advancing regenerative economy practices. The findings highlight the interconnectedness of various sustainability dimensions and underscore the necessity of integrated governance, innovative technological solutions, and inclusive policy frameworks. By mapping the current state of regenerative economy research, this study provides a structured overview that facilitates deeper understanding and informs future strategic initiatives aimed at achieving a resilient and prosperous sustainable future.

In this paper we empirically test the importance and the effects of labour taxation on employment in Croatia. The motivation for this analytical inquiry stems from the fact that Croatia is one of the countries with the lowest employment rates in the European Union while at the same time it has relatively high labour tax burden compared to peers and ranks among the countries with most negative perceived effects of taxation on incentives to work. As fiscal policy is the main economic policy instrument in Croatia, it is important to analyse whether fiscal measures can directly affect labour market performance. Our results show that tax policy has significant effect on employment in Croatia which has important policy implications.

The last global economic crisis set fiscal consolidation as one of the most relevant goals of economic policy. At the same time, efforts are necessary to increase economic growth rates, particularly by increasing quantity and quality of public investment. However, the lack of fiscal space and other impediments make these goals hard to attain. On the contrary, in many countries data show negative dynamics of quantity and quality of public investment. In terms of energy efficiency investment, trends are positive. However, the pace of investment significantly underperforms the goals set. We argue that one of the major reasons is the lack of financial innovation and project selection methodology. For this reason, projects have still been mainly financed under traditional procurement models. Surprisingly, most countries do not exploit the advantages of alternative models of financing which do not affect public debt level, significantly reduce fiscal deficits and reduce fiscal risks. This article argues that a multi-criteria approach used at the initial stages of project preparation increases the potential for project realisation and the overall quantity and quality. In order to provide empirical evidence, we use information on energy efficiency streetlighting projects and present a case of a traditional versus alternative financing models.

As cities confront rising populations and mounting environmental pressures, waste is rapidly transforming from a logistical liability into a strategic economic resource. In this article, we investigate the evolving nexus between waste and urban economic systems by analyzing over 2000 scientific publications sourced from Web of Science and Scopus. Using advanced semantic embedding and network analysis, we identify seven major research communities at the intersection of digital innovation, circular economy, and smart urban infrastructure. Through PageRank-based influence mapping, we highlight key contributions that shape each thematic cluster—ranging from AI-powered waste classification to blockchain-enabled traceability and IoT-driven logistics. Our results reveal a dynamic and interdisciplinary research landscape where waste valorisation is not only a sustainability imperative but also a driver of urban economic renewal. This study offers both a conceptual map and a methodological framework for understanding how cities can embed intelligence, efficiency, and circularity into waste systems as part of a broader transition to regenerative, data-informed urban economies.