Smart contracts are scripts on the top of the blockchain technology. They represent a form of automation by what the layers of intermediaries can be reduced or even completely replaced. Accordingly, blockchain smart contracting systems decrease transaction and enforcement costs as well as process time. Moreover, we argue, blockchain and smart contracts can facilitate cross-organisational collaboration and their underlying business processes. Hence, they are able to support the integration of entrepreneurs and SMEs into trans-national supply chains by reducing high entry barriers and weakening the dominating position of big players. This paper discusses the research questions how blockchain smart contracting can facilitate the implementation of collaborative logistics structures and how the integration of SMEs into sustainable maritime supply chains can be safeguarded. The research bases on expert interviews and case studies. The results showcase the potentials of using blockchain smart contracting in the environment of trans-national and multimodal supply chains.

Despite high competition among big EU ports, such as Rotterdam, Hamburg, or Valencia, acting as Core Ports in the Trans-European Transport Core and Comprehensive Network (TEN-T), this paper addresses the marginalized decision-making capability for environmental and digital transition immanent in the Small and Medium-Sized Ports (SMSPs) ecosystems in the EU. Irrespective of topical research, little is said about SMSPs ecosystem sustainability robustness and how SMSPs can pursue the transformative way. Here, management and strategic port decision levels are rather patchy and disconnected from the operational port performance. SMSPs are bound to limited resources and low cognitive, organizational, or institutional proximity, compared to their bigger counterparts. This situation provides a lot of room for critical demarche, since in the TEN-T Network, there are 225 Comprehensive and only 104 Core Ports, the majority qualifying, thus, as SMSPs. This research aims at reducing this research-to-practice lacuna by improving limited managerial capacity of SMSPs on environmental responsibility and digital efficiency. Using an ecosystem concept and aggregated empirical data in three EU macro-regions—the Baltic Sea Region, the Adriatic-Ionian Sea Region, and the Mediterranean Sea Region, three specific decision-making tools are suggested for managerial applications to facilitate and reinforce transition in SMSPs for environmental responsibility, social equity, and economic efficiency.

Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues is a peer-reviewed journal which publishes original research papers and case studies

Recent research shows increasing efforts to unfold the potential of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) for regions in order to pursue new sources of innovation, competitive edge and to manifest sustainable and inclusive growth paths driven by creativity. Due to its strong commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, on the global level, the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) has become a role model in sustainable development. Yet, individual BSR countries face challenges in the implementation of those goals. In this light, by building on the intermediate results (2017–2020) of two EU Interreg projects—Creative Ports and CTCC—this research reveals CCIs’ potential for sustainable development avenues. The investigation is based on case study methodology underpinned by empirical data gathered from participating Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and topical experts met during the projects’ implementation and study visits. The present multi-project applied research reduces the research-to-practice gap pertaining to the so far underestimated role of CCIs for supporting traditional SMEs in the implementation of their sustainable ideas. Once engaged into cross-sectoral collaboration with traditional SMEs, CCIs become important brokers—sustainable innovation drivers and enablers within regional ecosystems through contribution to environmentally responsible, socially equitable and economically feasible solutions for the business they work with. Thus, on the one hand, CCIs support SMEs in their transition towards more sustainable managerial performance. On the other hand, CCIs overcome disconnection and increase their recognition through new collaboration opportunities, thus providing them with new capitalization avenues on the regional and international level.

Sustainable tourism is one of the key sectors in the South Baltic Sea Region (SBSR), which belongs to the role model for sustainability—the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). In this context, resilience, recovery and sustainability become key common threads calling for new approaches mitigating negative impacts, upscaling resilience capacity and boosting recovery in the post-pandemic era. The present work aims at revealing conceptual and practical pathways for policy makers and businesses in revitalizing sustainable tourism in the region by emphasizing cultural and creative industries (CCIs) as strong contributors to sustainable development and economic ecosystems, such as tourism. Tourism is also one of the key thematic areas of the smart specialization strategies (S3) in the SBSR. However, there is almost no link between CCIs’ potential for sustainable and resilient tourism and their contribution to the co-design and co-creation of S3. CCIs are rather absent agents in quadruple helix networks supporting S3 policy implementation. The literature on this topic is still premature, and represents a clear gap in knowledge. By virtue of these circumstances, the present research investigates how CCIs contribute and reveal new linkages between local assets, potential markets and societal challenges by engaging them as proven sustainable innovation and transition brokers in transnational quadruple helix partnerships following S3 policies in accordance with the sustainable development goals (SDGs), thus supporting sustainable and resilient tourism. Moreover, this paper aims at advocating for development of rural and peripheral regions, thus reducing the so-called “rural marginalization”. In addition, this paper also supports ongoing recent discussions on related vs. unrelated diversification policy within the S3 realm.

The creative industries are recognized as one of the most perspective sectors of the economy with high potential to both contribute to local and regional prosperity and employment generation. Globally, the cultural and creative industries (CCIs, or culture and creative sector) became a large part of the economy in the first decade of the 21st century. They made a 3% contribution to the global economy. They generate US $2250 billion and create 29.5 million jobs worldwide. In parallel to economic benefits, the cultural and creative sectors also deliver benefits to people. They foster sustainable urban development, creativity, and culture. Furthermore, they support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Creativity and culture also have significant intangible value. They promote social inclusion and encourage dialogue and understanding between people. Culture is both a driver and an enabler of sustainable human development. It empowers people to take responsibility for their own development and boosts innovation and creativity, which can drive inclusive and sustainable development. The presence of CCI in a particular area is an important factor of competitiveness, image, and economic development. This paper presents the results of a study on the determinants of the development of creative industries in the Baltic Sea Region. The summary of the main results of the study focuses on the economic importance, innovation in creative enterprises, and the needs of organizations to grow. It shows that creative industries, which are characterized by rather small entities and elastic work organizations, acquire new ideas and approaches primarily through the mobility of independent employees. Since creative industries make a decisive contribution to the competitiveness of the national innovation system and enhance sustainable growth at the same time, it concludes with implications and challenges for regional innovation policies to improve the framework conditions for creative industries. This article presents the conclusions of research that was conducted in four countries of the Baltic Sea Region (Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, and Poland). The research was conducted by using a Computer Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) survey. A total of 682 correctly completed questionnaires were obtained. The results were subjected to statistical inference, in which the technique of detecting hidden interdependencies between the examined phenomena using the V-Cramer method was also applied. The main aim of this article is to verify the state of the creative industry in the Baltic Sea Region. And the research hypothesis is that the organizations of creative sectors are doing well in turbulent circumstances, and, by doing so, they continually enhance the realization of sustainability goals.