The article substantiates the existence of convergence processes in the field of digitization of countries, taking into account the number of Internet users; people with advanced skills; and indicators of infrastructure (network coverage, population covered by at least a 3G mobile network, population covered by at least a 4G mobile network), access (access to ICT at home, active mobile broadband subscriptions, fixed broadband subscriptions), enablers (fixed broadband over 10 Mbps, mobile data and voice basket, high consumption) and barriers (improved broadband access from 256 kbps to 2 Mbps and from 2 Mbps to 10 Mbps mobile data and voice basket, low consumption) of digital development. The methodological basis for determining the sigma convergence of digitization processes is the coefficient of variation. The values of the coefficient of variation confirmed the high level of convergence between the studied countries in terms of the degree of use of the Internet for conducting digital transactions. The developed econometric model, which describes the influence of statistically significant integral indicators of the national cybersecurity level, ease of doing business, and the anti-money laundering index on the country’s digital development level, made it possible to determine the average trend of dependence on the level of digital development. One hundred four countries were considered for the analysis. The conducted study of the impact of digitalization on economic transformations based on developed quantile regressions made it possible to analyze exactly how the level of digital development for countries with a high level of digitalization and for countries with a low level of digitalization development depends on the value of the national cybersecurity indicator and the ease of doing business, and which countries have the least resistance to the risk factors of their involvement in fraudulent schemes for the purpose of legalizing criminal income.

Implementing measures by the European countries within the framework of the ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement should ensure an enlarged share in energy production from alternative energy sources and the introduction of new alternative energy capacities, which would provide an annual decrease in carbon dioxide emissions growth rate, reduce anthropogenic pressure on the natural environment and the use of non-renewable natural resources while preserving biodiversity. This paper aims at forming a system of indicators of sustainable transformation of the energy sector and studying their influence on the policy of environmental-oriented development. The paper applies Ward's method for determining the optimal cluster number and discriminant analysis for checking which variables significantly influence the formation of countries' clusters. The six clusters of countries obtained describe the different features of decarbonisation and climate change mitigation policies. Using discriminant analysis helped to single out the most relevant indicators of the energy sector's transformation in the direction of its decarbonisation and climate change mitigation. The most significant indicators (energy efficiency, electricity production capacities for renewables and wastes, and share of energy from renewable sources) largely determine the pace and features of forming sustainable development strategies for the energy sector. By highlighting the relevant cluster groups in the study, their characteristic features, and ways of transformational processes in the energy sector were discovered. This enabled the authors to form specific directions for strengthening and activating the processes of decarbonisation of the energy sector and climate change mitigation. There outcomes can become the basis for further research and the formation of appropriate strategies for sustainable development and transformation of the energy sector. The results stemming from this study could help scholars and other affiliated persons determine future strategies for research for implementing Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

The global reduction of carbon dioxide emissions is one of the critical priorities for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the Paris Agreement 2015. Therefore, it stimulates and increases the ability of countries to implement green imperatives in policies to force the anthropogenic environment, reduce use of fossil fuels, and simultaneously develop alternative energy. Thus, it is crucial to understand the impact of renewable energy development on the dynamic of CO₂ pollution. Countries can increase or decrease the development of renewable energy depending on the effectiveness of its impact on the level of CO₂ pollution. This paper aims to analyze the influence of the growth dynamics of renewable energy production in countries on CO₂ emissions. The article uses Ward’s method to test the research hypothesis. Empirical results allowed us to conclude the interdependence of renewable energy production and CO₂ emissions. The results indicate a strong relationship between the level of renewable energy production and carbon emissions in countries. For the global development of renewable energy technologies, governments must understand their impact on changing the scale of environmental pollution and expand the awareness of state leadership, the business sector, and society.

As cities increasingly adopt smart technologies and seek to foster innovation-driven economies, it is vital to understand how smart city development relates to the strength of local startup ecosystems. This study investigates whether a statistically significant relationship exists between a city’s performance in the smart city ranking and the strength of its startup ecosystem. The study employed available data from the Global Startup Ecosystem Report (by Startup Genome) and the Smart City Index (SCI by the IMD World Competitiveness Center). A balanced panel regression analysis was conducted on a dataset comprising 77 cities across the years 2020, 2021, and 2023 (2022 is excluded as the SCI was not published). The findings reveal that the Random Effects model yielded statistically significant results, indicating a weak (R² = 25.63%) but significant inverse relationship between SCI and startup ecosystem development, which means cities that rank higher on smart city metrics tend to show lower levels of startup ecosystem performance. This counterintuitive result challenges the assumption that technologically advanced cities automatically provide fertile ground for entrepreneurial activity. One possible explanation is that smart cities, dominated by large tech players and rigid governance structures, may present entry barriers for emerging startups. High operational costs, regulatory constraints, and a focus on large-scale infrastructure projects may disincentivize startups from localizing their innovations within these environments. Although the R² suggests that other variables beyond the smart city ranking influence startup development. This study highlights the need for urban policies that actively integrate startup-supportive mechanisms into smart city strategies.

Reliable cybersecurity has a decision value for economic and national security of every country. The financial sector is most susceptible to cyber-attacks, as it is one of the most important systems of society, containing a large amount of data and critical information. To provide reliable cybersecurity, government must participate actively in development and strengthening of policies. It includes establishment of rules and standards for business, creation of only national strategy of cybersecurity and participating in international partnership for an exchange advanced experience and resources. In addition, government must invest in cybersecurity tools, technology, and personnel to protect digital infrastructure and the data of citizens and companies. Finally, governments should prioritize cyber security education and awareness among citizens and companies to minimize the risk of digital attacks. The article provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of scientific publications devoted to the topic of financial cyber security using modern powerful bibliometric software (Vosviewer, Bibliometrix, SciVal) and an analysis of normative legislative documents of Ukraine and the European Union, in particular the recommendations of the European Union Agency for Cyber Security (ENISA). The bibliometric analysis made it possible to form groups of clusters characterizing the cyber lexicon, methods, and technologies for detecting cyberthreats, and to highlight the most cited publications in the world. The statistical basis for the analysis was formed by scientific publications indexed by the Elsevier reference and bibliographic corporation. The results of the conducted research are a plan of recommended actions for managers of financial institutions, banks, and enterprises regarding the effective organization of cyber security and includes such steps as: development of cyber security culture on an ongoing basis; appointment of a responsible person for the organization of cyber security; conducting cyber security audits on an ongoing basis; creating a data protection memo; provision of advanced training in the field of cyber data protection; ensuring effective interaction with a third party involved in financial relations, reflected in concluded contracts; formation of a response plan to cyber incidents; organization of secure access to automated information systems used in the institution’s operations; organization of device security in case of remote use and performance of professional duties; organization of network connection security; improvement of physical security of official documents and devices; protection of backup copies and testing for the possibility of a full update based on these backup copies; synchronization with cloud technologies in compliance with the provisions of regulatory documents; protection of websites, publication and distribution of up-to-date information on new types and types of cyber threats.