Blue Economy represents a new and interesting concept on a global level, both from the economic potential but also by the fact that it can be used to reduce environmental degradation. The main goal of this research is to identify the causality relations between the greenhouse gas emissions, the Blue Economy and economic growth based on a panel of annual data from the 28 countries that are members of the European Union (EU) over the 2009–2018 period. After applying stationarity and cointegration tests, the long term cointegration coefficients shall be determined with the help of the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) estimator. Granger causality estimation based on the vector error correction model (VECM) was applied to identify the causality relationship between the variables and to detect the direction of causality. Based on the identified causality relations, the Blue Economy has a significant influence on greenhouse gas emissions in the long run. Unidirectional causality relations were identified from the economic growth of greenhouse gas emissions in the long term, as well as from the greenhouse gas emissions on economic growth in the short term.

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors influencing e-commerce and to evaluate the long and short-term impacts on the development of e-commerce activity. After establishing the hypotheses to verify, we use multiple panel regressions to test the influence of education level, consumer’s residence, consumer’s labour market status, internet banking, mobile and non-mobile users on the development of e-commerce. For this matter, in this paper, by adopting the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) method and a vector error correction model (VECM), we performed an empirical analysis of the nexus between education level, consumer’s residence, consumer’s labour market status, internet banking and mobile and non-mobile users and e-commerce, based on panel data for EU–27 countries from 2011 to 2020. The results of the study indicate that all the variables involved in the two econometric models and associated with education level, consumer’s residence, labour market status, internet banking, mobile and non-mobile users, all have significant impacts on the development of e-commerce. Most of the variables positively influence the development of e-commerce except for internet purchases by individuals un-employed and for internet purchases by non-mobile users that are negatively correlated with e-commerce activity.

This study conducts a detailed bibliometric analysis of the concept of bank efficiency, investigating its evolution in the scientific literature between 2000 and 2024 in the context of the digital transformation specific to the Industry 4.0 era. Using recognized databases, such as Web of Science and Scopus, the research explores the main trends and themes in the field, as well as the impact of emerging technologies on bank efficiency. Eight major thematic clusters are identified, including “risk”, “‘performance”, “efficiency”, “competition”, “corporate governance” and “banking”, highlighting key dimensions of recent research. The co-citation analysis highlighted central authors like Berger, Sufian, and Casu, along with distinct thematic and regional clusters, underscoring the diversity of research directions in banking efficiency. The co-citation analysis shows the influence of leading institutions and authors, including “University Putra Malaysia”, “World Bank”, and “NBER, United States”, which have contributed significantly to the development of the literature. The results indicate that bank efficiency research is dynamic, multifunctional, and ever-expanding, providing an important foundation for future studies that will explore the challenges and opportunities for banks in the era of digitalization and sustainable development.

The aim of this paper is to create a digitalization index for banking sectors using a set of indicators based on World Bank data for the period of 2010–2021, which will allow us to rank the sectors of Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs). The digitalization index is built based on how ready banks are for digitalization, the potential customers available for digital banking, and the level of digital infrastructure, with each of these aspects representing one pillar. Based on the calculation of the digitalization index, we emphasize that Romania is the leader, followed by Latvia and Lithuania, while Hungary and Estonia are at the opposite pole. Furthermore, we applied the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) method to measure the impact of digitalization on banking performance. This study reveals that Romania, Latvia, and Lithuania lead in digital banking transformation due to significant investments in infrastructure and customer engagement, while Hungary and Poland lag in terms of digital readiness. The results indicate that digitalization has a significant positive effect on banking performance (ROE), although countries experiencing market saturation had the potential to see a decline post-2018, necessitating further innovation to sustain growth. In the digitalization context, the results are relevant for policymakers, showing that investing more in digitalization is important and that there is a need to help people have greater access to banking services due to a lack of willingness and financial education, factors which prevent them from embracing digital changes. The results show that improving banking digitalization positively influences banking performances. This study provides an innovative and complex index for assessing banking digitalization in Central and Eastern Europe, with valuable implications for policymakers. We highlight the need to align digitalization policies with the specific level of digital development of each country in order to optimize the integration of digital technologies and enhance economic competitiveness.

This study conducts a bibliometric and content analysis based on publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection, aiming to map the evolution and key themes in horticultural research in the context of technological innovation and sustainability. The results reveal a strong orientation toward digitalization and automation, particularly through the integration of artificial intelligence, mechatronic systems, and sensor-based monitoring in crop management. In the field of biotechnology, keywords such as gene expression, genetic diversity, and micropropagation reflect a sustained research interest in improving crop resilience and disease resistance through genetic and in vitro propagation techniques. Furthermore, concepts such as environmental control, soilless culture, energy efficiency, and co-generation highlight the focus on optimizing growing conditions and integrating renewable energy sources into protected horticultural systems. The geographical distribution of studies highlights increased academic output in countries like India and regions of sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting a global interest in transferring advanced technologies to vulnerable areas. Moreover, collaboration networks are dominated by leading institutions such as Wageningen University, which act as hubs for knowledge diffusion. The findings suggest that future research should prioritize the development of durable, energy-efficient horticultural technologies adapted to various agro-climatic zones. It is recommended that policymakers and stakeholders support interdisciplinary research initiatives, promote knowledge transfer mechanisms, and ensure equitable access to innovation for smallholder farmers and emerging economies.

In the context of current global challenges, the integration of digitalization, financial performance, and renewable energy is pivotal in fostering sustainable and resilient economic development. The aim of this paper is to explore the interplay between banking performance, digitalization, and renewable energy consumption in the context of the European Union (EU), with a focus on sustainable economic development. This study examines the extent to which the digitalization and efficiency of the banking sector influence the uptake of renewable energy considering the EU’s environmental and economic priorities. The methodology used involves an econometric analysis based on statistical data from EU countries, using Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) to assess causal relationships between variables, complemented by Vector Autoregression (VAR) models and Granger causality tests to further investigate the dynamic interactions among the variables. The data were analyzed to examine the correlation between banking performance, digitalization, and renewable energy consumption levels. The results reveal a positive correlation between greater digitalization in the banking sector, stronger financial performance, and higher investments in renewable energy sources. These factors also support the transition to a green economy, but the effect varies between EU countries depending on national policies and existing digital infrastructure. Recommendations for policymakers include stimulating digitalization in the financial sector, creating a regulatory framework to encourage green energy investments, and strengthening collaboration between financial institutions and the energy sector to facilitate the transition to renewables. This paper also suggests a fiscal policy conducive to technological innovation and digitalization to accelerate the uptake of renewable energy.