Background: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in the economy of any country, with their economic importance and contribution continually growing. Knowledge management (KM) is becoming increasingly important as a factor in the development and sustainability of these enterprises. However, SMEs still insufficiently apply knowledge management practices. This paper analyzes the application of knowledge management (KM) processes in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Serbia, with a focus on key factors influencing successful implementation. Purpose: The aim of this paper is to analyze and determine the level of development of knowledge management processes in small and medium-sized enterprises in Serbia, as well as to identify the factors influencing its implementation, in order to explore possibilities for improving the current state and practices within SMEs. Study design/methodology/approach: The research was conducted on a sample of 171 SMEs using surveys and interviews as research instruments. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis in SPSS software. Findings/conclusions: The results show that the knowledge management process in SMEs is still underdeveloped. Correlation analysis confirmed the existence of a statistically significant relationship between KM implementation and several key influencing factors. Regression analysis further confirms that leadership support - identified as having the strongest impact - is the key factor positively influencing KM implementation in SMEs. The obtained results indicate the need for a systematic approach and strategic support from management in order to improve knowledge management practices in the SME sector, which represents a significant development opportunity for enhancing competitiveness in this sector. Limitations/future research: Study limitations include the specificity of the sample and the local context, which makes it more difficult to generalize the results to SMEs in other countries. The underdevelopment of knowledge management practices and understanding in Serbian SMEs, as well as the limited awareness of this field among managers, further restricts the applicability of the findings. Additionally, reliance on respondents' subjective opinions may lead to bias in the answers.

Air transport is a key driver of economic development, tourism, and regional connectivity, yet its growth generates increasing environmental costs. Grounded in the catalytic effects framework and the sustainability trade-off perspective, this exploratory study examines the economic and sustainability dimensions of air traffic recovery and growth at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport during 2019–2024, a period encompassing a pandemic shock and record post-pandemic expansion. Descriptive statistical analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were applied to six annual data points, supplemented by an approximate CO₂ emission estimation. Passenger traffic increased from 6.16 to 8.37 million (+35.9%), and the destination network expanded from 99 to 135 routes. A positive co-movement was observed between passenger traffic and foreign tourist arrivals (r = 0.970; p = 0.001). No detectable association was found between passenger traffic and annual GDP growth rate (r = 0.143; p = 0.79). Estimated CO₂ emissions grew proportionally from 0.831 to 1.130 million tonnes, consistent with the proportional growth pattern generated by the fixed-factor estimation framework applied. The passengers-per-movement ratio improved from 87.5 to 97.2, indicating a proximate improvement in operational efficiency. These preliminary findings provide exploratory evidence relevant to Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 9 and may inform future research and policy discussions on the sustainability dimensions of airport development.

This paper investigates the replacement of conventional High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) shells in industrial safety helmets with 3D randomly oriented fiber-reinforced composites. A multi-scale finite element framework is developed, coupling micro-scale Representative Volume Element (RVE) homogenization with macro-scale thin-shell simulations. Several analytical micromechanics bounds are compared against high-fidelity RVE results to evaluate effective isotropic elastic properties. The homogenized and specific stiffness of composite systems demonstrate significant improvements over HDPE, enabling significant reductions in shell thickness and weight while maintaining protective clearance margins. Carbon/Epoxy and Kevlar/Epoxy exhibited the highest specific stiffness and clearance-retention performance among the investigated materials, although matrix brittleness, manufacturing-induced fiber orientation bias, and cost remain important considerations. Threfore, discontinuous fiber composites offer a promising pathway toward lighter and more ergonomic industrial helmet shell concepts, with future work required in dynamic validation and prototype testing. The presented framework is intended for preliminary comparative material screening and should not be interpreted as a substitute for certification-level transient impact analysis or experimental validation.

Public transport bus drivers are exposed to a wide range of hazards which can endanger their occupational safety and health. Risks of possible traffic accidents, stress (due to traffic jams, pace of work, conflicts with passengers and other road users, etc.), fatigue, long sitting hours, vibration, noise, exposure to air pollution, adverse microclimatic conditions are just some of the factors that can endanger a driver’s health and are characterized by a different likelihood of occurrence and consequence severity. Whole-body vibration transferred to human over many years of exposure have the potential to endanger health with respect to the onset of musculoskeletal disorders, especially in synergy with prolonged sitting. In addition, whole-body vibration exposure is a possible source of discomfort, which, combined with other factors, can contribute to the negative effect on the general physical and mental state of the driver, and therefore the occurrence of fatigue and stress. In order to manage the exposure of bus drivers to vibration, it is necessary to evaluate the exposure, using methodologies defined by international standards, based on expert analysis and measurements. The paper presents the dominant health risks arising from the whole-body vibration of professional bus drivers, the parameters of exposure evaluation, measurements and evaluation procedure in accordance with European Directive 2002/44/EC and ISO standards, as well as an overview of the precautions to be taken in to reduce the risk associated with bus drivers occupational whole-body vibration exposure.

Manual handling of loads is a set of activities that involve physical strain during work. For this reason, it is necessary to create ergonomically sound workplaces, which will help improve health and safety in the workplace. The paper describes an approach, which includes ergonomic and productivity factors, for choosing the optimal alternative for loads handling using multicriteria analysis. The purpose of this approach is to select the most important criteria to make decisions on how to reorganize the work process, as well as to meet ergonomic performance goals, all with minimal impact on the company's productivity. The objective of this paper is to analyse and select the optimal alternative for manual handling of loads using the Analytic Hierarchy Process method. The results of the research revealed that handling loads is a more optimal solution when performed by a single person, taking into account ergonomics and productivity aspects, compared to working in pairs or using conveying systems as transport AIDS.

Intermodal freight transport is an integral, strategic foundation of the European Union’s vision to decarbonize Europe, but in non-EU countries such as Republic of Serbia, the split in modalities remains heavily focused on road haul, while terminal infrastructure remains poorly interconnected and digital maturity remains low. This research study investigates the adoption of new digital and operational technologies along the intermodal transport chain. It is measured in the context of enhancing ecological and operational performance in the Serbian environment. Research data was collected from a sample of nine medium and large Serbian intermodal logistics companies, who operate along Pan-European Corridor X and the Rhine–Danube Corridor. Three ecological and three operational key performance indicators (KPIs) were defined to measure the level on enhancements reached through sustainability efforts. The study is an uncontrolled, firm-level pre–post comparison: three directional hypotheses were evaluated using paired-sample t-tests, exact Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and bootstrap confidence intervals on pre- and post-modernization firm-level aggregates. In the post-modernization period, mean CO₂ intensity per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) was 17.4% lower, terminal energy intensity (kWh/TEU) 14.3% lower, and terminal dwell time 22.5% lower than in the pre-modernization period (exact p ≤ 0.001; 95% bootstrap confidence intervals excluding zero). Implications were discussed for EU Green Deal alignment, Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) extension to the Western Balkans, and future research has been initially defined. Given the pre/post design without a control group, the reported effects are associations rather than causal estimates and should be read as preliminary, exploratory evidence.