The main objective of the paper is to present the development of digital economy and society in the Countries of the European Union in the light of the digital convergence of these markets. The analysis was based on the data on the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) from 2015 and 2020. Empirical studies have been conducted in two stages. First, basic measures of time series dynamics were used to determine the dynamics of changes in index values. On the other hand, in order to classify countries in terms of similarity of value and structure of the DESI, a cluster analysis was used as one of the basic methods of the so-called unsupervised statistical grouping. The studies presented confirm that the levels of indicators and the dynamics of changes in their value at the level of the synthetic DESI indicator, and in the five underlying areas of analysis, vary despite the fact that almost all are pro-growth, including for isolated clusters of EU-28 countries. When analyzing the DESI synthetic index and its components, it was concluded that there is generally an increase in convergence between the EU-28 countries in terms of the level of development of the digital economy and society, as well as in four components: Connectivity, Human Capital, Use of Internet Services and Digital Public Services. The Integration of Digital Technology area was the only one where increasing polarization of results was observed. The added value of the paper is to fill the research gap in research on the digital convergence of markets in the Countries of the European Union.

Research background: Digitalization and the associated digital divide are crucial issues impacting socio-economic development globally. Extensive research has examined digitalization and the digital divide in EU countries, but there is a lack of understanding regarding comparisons with studies conducted in Western Balkan countries. This study investigates digitalization trends in research from the past five years in both regions, focusing on efforts and factors contributing to the digital gap. Purpose of the article: The study analyzes research on digitalization from 2018 to 2023 in the EU and Western Balkans. It explores factors causing the digital divide and efforts in digitalization, aiming to guide future research and policy for digital inclusion and sustainable development. Methods: The study employs a meticulous data selection process, choosing Scopus as the database for its extensive coverage of diverse journals. A total of 1119 articles from EU countries and 277 from Western Balkan countries are selected for bibliometric analysis, adhering to PRISMA guidelines. Findings & value added: The research reveals a growing interest in digitalization-related issues, demonstrating the multidisciplinary nature of ongoing research. It points out the distribution of publications on digitalization in the EU and Western Balkans countries. The EU focuses on digital technologies, economic growth, and sustainability, while Western Balkan countries focus on COVID-19 impact and digitalization in education and business. The research compares digitalization efforts in the EU and Western Balkan countries presented in the literature, pointing to new dimensions of the digital divide studies. It discusses how socio-economic contexts affect digital transformation and stresses the need for tailored policy approaches for digital inclusivity. These insights are of great importance for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working towards global digital development and bridging the digital divide. The study lays the groundwork for future research and policy considerations, considering limitations like potential bias in databases and search criteria.

The energy sector has been a pioneer in the use of information and communication technologies for many years, and has undergone enormous changes in recent years as a result of the transition resulting from the fourth industrial revolution. In the paper, we examine and analyse relevant studies and their findings in order to show the current status of research on three selected aspects of digitalisation in energy sector enterprises. The paper sheds light on the diverse drivers influencing the digitalisation processes of energy sector companies. It also provides an overview of business models that are or will soon be implemented in the energy sector thanks to opportunities offered by digitalisation in response to observed trends in the energy market. Finally, it illustrates open research challenges and future dilemmas related to various aspects of energy sector digitalisation. The paper was prepared using the critical literature review method. It covers a large volume of the most recent and relevant literature referring to the three major research areas mentioned above. The literature review allowed us to identify the drivers influencing the digitalisation of energy companies and distinguish between those specific to this sector and those relating to all businesses as a part of the more general phenomena of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. We also show how the digitalisation-based business model innovation presented in the literature empowers new energy producers and consumers through business models. We have also identified the most frequently indicated challenges and dilemmas in the digitalisation of energy companies related to the risk of the destabilisation of the energy market due to decentralisation, new requirements placed on the competences of energy sector workers, the new culture of interaction between energy suppliers and consumers, and the digital security of data used in the energy system.

This publication discusses the issue of small industrial business companies’ competitiveness in the context of managing competitiveness for the purpose of achieving a specific market position and gaining competitive advantage. The objective of this work is to analyse and present the specificity of competitive activities in small business entities and competitiveness management and to identify changes in their competitive position in the different long-term periods analysed. The theoretical part of the work presents a literature review of small business companies’ competitiveness and sustainable management of competitiveness. In this part of the article, the authors present the definition of competitiveness, competitiveness management, and sustainable competitiveness management and present their own model approach based on mind mapping. The study used statistical methods such as taxonomy structure, the Kruskal–Wallis test for independent analyses, and Friedman’s one-way analysis of variance for dependent data. The empirical part presents the authors’ research into the competitive position achieved and declared by companies classified as manufacturers of furniture. The research was divided into two parts: part one refers to qualitative research based on 10 micro businesses; part two presents quantitative research among SMEs. In total, the study covers 304 enterprises, divided into groups by size: 117 micro entities, 100 small entities, and 87 medium companies. The analysed period takes into account the long term, within the years 2008–2020. The main findings of the empirical research are as follows: the competitiveness of small business companies is determined by their qualitative features as well as by the adopted management system, and the sources of competitive advantage in the particular groups of SMEs are not highly diversified by size, with a larger number of medium entities attributing their competitive advantage to qualitative rather than quantitative measures. The achievement of this research objective has allowed for the authors to develop a model of sustainable development of competitiveness in small business companies and present the results of empirical studies. The conducted research is a pioneering contribution to the assessment of the competitive position of the surveyed enterprises and factors influencing their competitiveness in Poland in periods with different external conditions, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking into account the nature of empirical research undertaken in the article, it is necessary to point out their pioneering character and the related contribution to the development of science in the field of sustainable management and competitiveness of enterprises from the SME sector, and it is also necessary to fill the existing research gap in this field.

Research background: Among the determinants of the socio-economic development of the region, an important role is played by its endogenous potential. It is reflected in the industry structure of the region, formed in the process of its historical development. The industry structure is the basis for the development of regional specialisations. One of the criteria for defining specialisations is the employment structure by sections and divisions of the national economy. The definition of regional specialisations is indispensable for planning the development policy and for formulating regional strategies. Purpose of the article: The main objective of the paper is the analysis and evaluation of employment structure as a criterion for the delimitation of industries identified as smart specialisations in the region. The study covers the case of selected region in Poland at NUTS-2 level ? the voivodeship of Małopolska. Methods: The study is based on GUS unpublished data (Statistics Poland) for 2009 and 2018. It makes use of descriptive statistical analysis methods and structure and dynamics ratios, as well as Florence?s specialisation coefficient. Findings & value added: The research has shown that the employment structure indicating the presence of the region's specialisation in given industries is an important, but not sufficient criterion for the evaluation, whether the delimitation of industries recognized as smart specialisations was appropriate. In the light of the conducted research, it seems fully justified to grant the status of smart specialisation in Małopolska to Information and Communication Technologies as well as to Creative and Leisure Industries. In the context of changes to employment dynamics and structures, the possible development-oriented smart specialisations are as follows: Manufacture of metals and metal products, Electronics and machine industry, and Chemistry. On the other hand, the identified specialisations: Life science and Sustainable energy are not in line with changes in the region?s employment structure. The paper proposes one of the possible ways of precise identification of distinctive regional industries with high development potential. The structure of employment and changes occurring in this area make it possible to determine the main forces of the region's endogenous potential, and thus may form the basis for the determination, and in the longer term, assessment of the relevance of identified regional smart specialisations. The added value of the study is, therefore, an attempt to assess, on the example of a selected region, to what extent changes in regional specialisations reflected in the existing employment structure confirm the accuracy of the selection of industries identified as regional smart specialisations. The presented case is an exemplification of the proposed method, which can also be successfully applied to other European regions.