The main objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of core competences as an important catalyst to enable a sustainable transition of business models to Industry 5.0. According to our research based on a scientific methodology, we illustrated that Industry 4.0 might greatly affect the labor market by introducing ITC, AI, IR and AR that will change many jobs in most areas of activity. One alternative solution to diminish these negative effects is to accommodate and prepare the shift to a more human-centric approach. In order to better implement this alternative solution and to generate mid- to long-run positive effects (from an economic, social and environmental perspective), we consider it is imperative that human resources be prepared to understand and to use new technologies. We have focused our research context on European countries. We found that only a part of the European Union Member Countries benefit from the use of human resources with advanced digital skills. Under these circumstances, we consider that only some countries will be able to face the challenges generated by the transition to Industry 5.0, while others, the emergent countries, such as Romania, will have to intensify the complex process of designing competitive and coherent strategies and implement a more efficient and effective mix of policies. This will help to better capitalize the potential sustainable competitive advantage of industries 4.0 and 5.0.

The main objective of this research is to estimate the degree of real convergence of the countries that joined the European Union between 2004–2013 as an essential precondition for sustainable accession to the Euro Area. Through this study, we tried to create a clear, real and comparative image for the downward trend in the dispersion of the GDP/capita and the speed by which countries with different integration stages achieve the real economic convergence to equilibrium level. In this respect, we tested real convergence by regression models. Further, in order to verify the robustness of the results we applied a cluster analysis. The main results show that non-Euro Area countries have a tendency to individually reduce income disparities with the Euro Area average, but do not register a convergent economic growth and do not form a homogeneous convergence cluster, unlike the newer Euro Area Member Countries. Another representative result is that the Czech Republic seems to be the best prepared country to adopt the single currency in a sustainable way, while Bulgaria is at the opposite pole.

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the current stage of implementation of telework in Romania and to determine potential positive and sustainable effects generated by its development on a large scale. The research methodology used is based on descriptive analysis, comparative analysis, but also on econometric analysis. The general results obtained show that Romania registers a very low level of telework employees, this being influenced, not only by the low share of those with tertiary education and high skilled professionals, but also by the fact that most Romanian employees do not want to practice this type of work. The results also showed that telework can generate significant economic and social benefits. The potential solutions we have identified for the sustainable development of the telework phenomenon in Romania include investments in tertiary education and awareness campaigns among both employees and companies, regarding the positive effects that can be obtained through telework and business development.

The integration of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards and principles in the development strategy is the organization’s commitment for long-run and inclusive sustainability. These pillars are currently important priorities for stakeholders, managers and policymakers. Thus, the main objective of this empirical work is to analyze the extent to which European companies currently manage to fulfill certain specific requirements related to ESG and the role played by highly qualified human capital in this process of sustainable development. To achieve this goal, a diverse research methodology will be used, consisting of critical comparative analysis of the specialized literature, interpretation of statistical data, and econometric analysis. Our analysis is based in particular on European companies data from various fields of activity and different sizes, extracted by Eurofound through a complex survey. The main results demonstrate how European Union Member States are clustered and ranked based on different ESG pillars, with Sweden, Denmark, Estonia or Finland as the best performers and Greece and Cyprus as the weakest performers. At the same time, the research highlights the limited role of highly qualified human capital in supporting the development of the ESG pillars included in the analysis. We also pointed out the effect on companies' competitiveness and resilience, as well as the need for underperforming companies to integrate human capital in the process of long-term sustainable and inclusive development, being the basic resource of any organization. The article may have a contribution to the literature because it demonstrates how EU Member States can be grouped according to specific ESG criteria of domestic companies, and also the role of highly qualified in boosting these criteria. Our study also may have possible practical implications, both for the academic environment, and also for the managers involved in the development of the business sector. We consider that our empirical results may contribute to the decision-making process regarding the future investments of the organizations.

The purpose of this article is to analyze how digitalization can impact the level of competitiveness of those organizations that implement a digitalization strategy and to define the current situation in Romania in terms of the level of competitiveness at the international level and the main associated influencing factors. The research covers, first of all, the critical analysis of the current scientific literature on this topic. In the second part of the paper, we used econometric analysis, statistical data interpretation as well as descriptive analysis. The main results show, on the one hand, a positive and strong correlation between digitalization and competitiveness, and on the other hand the fact that Romania is far behind, in terms of international competitiveness, for reasons not exclusively related to digitalization. The article is a contribution to the specialized literature because it confirms some of the results obtained by other researchers regarding the relationship between innovation and business performance and at the same time proposes concrete measures to improve the level of competitiveness according to the main current issues that we have identified. Our study also presents possible practical implications, both for the academic environment, and for the policymakers and managers involved in the development of the Romanian business sector.

The transition to renewable energy is one of the main objectives at the level of the European Union to answer the problems related to global warming. In this context, the main objective of this study is to analyze the role of one of the drivers that can contribute to the achievement of this objective, namely research and development expenditure. Thus, based on a diversified research methodology, which includes in particular comparative analysis, descriptive analysis, and econometric analysis, we tested the role of research and development expenditure in stimulating final energy consumption from renewables and biofuels in the industrial sector using related statistical data from 13 European Union Member States between 2006 and 2022. The main results showed that research and development expenditure have a positive impact on the consumption of renewable energy in the industrial sector.