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.

The article presents the current situation with the implementation of electric cars in Poland against the background of pan-European trends and the current energy sector condition in Poland. The aim of the study was to show the ecological, economic, social, and technical difficulties and controversies related to the use of electric cars in Poland. The authors used statistical analysis and identified the main factors of electromobility development in Poland. Despite the declared electromobility in the Strategy of Responsible Development program, the degree of its implementation is far from the previously established goals. The article analyzes the feasibility of the above plan and indicates the factors inhibiting the development of electromobility in Poland. The strategy and decisions to further implement electric cars cannot be purely political. In justifying the need to promote the use of electric cars in Poland, one should take into account the specificity of the Polish economy, its energy system, the condition of its infrastructure, and real social needs. The authors formulated a hypothesis that the aforementioned program is based on simplistic assumptions and marginalizes or ignores significant barriers to the development of electricity-based transport in Poland. The successful implementation of that program is conditioned by comprehensive and costly activities aimed to transform the whole energy system and introduce an effective system of incentives for the buyers of electric cars.

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.

The aim of this article is to analyze the effectiveness of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) concept for packaging in the context of the transition to a Circular Economy (CE) and the corresponding transformation of the energy sector. The functioning of today’s packaging industry is becoming more and more linked to the assumptions of the CE due to the use and recycling of raw materials. The basic research method used in this work is an analysis of the literature on the links between the concept of the EPR and the CE. The authors limited their research to the selected legal, economic and social aspects of packaging production and management in the European Union (EU). The situation in Poland is discussed in particular and the legal, economic and social specificity of the implementation of the EPR in this country is presented. This paper emphasizes the dependance between the implementation of the EPR concept and the effectiveness of the transformation toward a CE, which is achieved by increasing the circularity in the energy sector.

The implemented climate policy and the current geopolitical situation make us pay special attention to energy independence, both in the household and in the national dimension. One way to obtain inexpensive and environmentally friendly energy is the development of photovoltaic micro-installations. For positive changes to occur, correct state regulation and an appropriate set of administrative and economic instruments are necessary. The purpose of this article is to discuss changes in the accounting system for renewable energy prosumers and their consequences for the further development of renewable energy. The financial settlement methods favorable to prosumers were recently replaced with new solutions. According to the authors, this slows down the energy transformation.

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.