Suchergebnisse

Business clusters are considered as key drivers shaping competitiveness of local, regional as well as national economies. Supporters of this view argue that business clusters are vehicles to increase productivity, hence development of such economic structures is crucial to assure economic prosperity. One of the more specific reasons pointed out quite recently in the literature is that business clusters stimulate creation and diffusion of innovations. In this paper we test validity of this statement looking at cluster strength and state of cluster development in the EU-28 economies and their innovativeness. The research question we focus on is whether a measurable relationship exists between these two different phenomena. In order to answer this question data on occurrence of business clusters in the EU provided by European Cluster Observatory (ECO) and results of the three types of innovativeness rankings, i.e. Global Innovation Index (GII), Summary Innovation Index (SII), and 12th pillar in the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), were analyzed. It was found that the level of innovativeness of the EU economies is clearly related to the state of cluster development. This means that innovation and cluster policies should be treated as complementary ones and implemented in a well harmonized manner.

The role of business clusters in building competitive advantage of national economies is a subject of numerous discussions. It is rather quite commonly agreed that well developed business clusters are supposed to be drivers of innovation and competitiveness of economy in multifold dimensions. In the article a hypothesis, which states that occurrence of numerous and strong clusters in a country is positively related to competitiveness of its economy is being tested. Using a dataset on cluster mapping in Europe from the European Cluster Observatory and results of the country competitiveness rankings published by the World Economic Forum in the Global Competitiveness Reports as well as data on the levels of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from World Bank we have looked for a relationship between occurrence and relative strength of clusters in the EU-27 countries and the measures of competiveness such as the competitive potential and productivity of the EU national economies. It appeared from the analysis that those countries differ in terms of both occurrence and relative strength of business clusters as well as levels measures of their competitiveness such GDP per capita and the competitive potential. Nevertheless, statistical evidence for relationships between variables under consideration was not found what leads to some suggestions regarding cluster mapping methodology and further studies in this area, which could result in formulating useful recommendations for public policies aimed at development of clusters.

Seria: Multi-Annual Programme 2005-2009. The economic and social conditions of the development of the Polish food economy following Poland's accession to the European Union, no 183.1 ; Podstawowe przesłanki wzrostu i alokacji dochodów w sektorze rolno-spożywczym. Zastosowanie modeli dynamicznej i stochastycznej równowagi ogólnej w analizie i ewaluacji polityki rolnej. Perspektywy i skutki potencjalnych zmian WPR w świetle wyników modelowania - model AGE MOD, MODROL, DSGE. Ryzyko cenowe i dochodowe na rynkach rolnych. Możliwości stabilizowania dochodów producentów rolnych. ; Kamila Sobiecka

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Insects have been identified as an alternative in the development of food systems and as a response to the growing demand for protein in the world. Edible insects have been recognized as an important innovation in the food sector. In the past, insects have been consumed in many cultures, and they are presently being introduced to Europe as a novel food and livestock. This article comprehensively reviews the use of edible insects in relation to their breeding, production technology, legal and socio-economic aspects. The role of food safety and legislation in implementing insects as food and feed is discussed. Moreover, the article introduces the breeding of edible insects as a developing and future-oriented business sector. In conclusion, the consumption of insects by humans and animals can significantly contribute to better diversification and security of the global food chain. The low acceptance of insect-based foods, in particular in Western societies, is an important problem that has been identified in this article. Consumer acceptance of insects as a rich source of nutrients is required for the further development of the sector. Consumer education and appropriate marketing strategies are required to promote the growth of the edible insect industry. ABSTRACT: Insects are increasingly being considered as an attractive source of protein that can cater to the growing demand for food around the world and promote the development of sustainable food systems. Commercial insect farms have been established in various countries, mainly in Asia, but in Europe, edible insects have not yet emerged as a viable alternative to traditional plant- and animal-based sources of protein. In this paper, we present an interdisciplinary overview of the technological aspects of edible insect farming in the context of the EU regulations and marketing. Based on a review of the literature, we have concluded that edible insect farming can be a viable business sector that significantly contributes to the overall ...

Seria: Multi-Annual Programme 2005-2009. The economic and social conditions of the development of the Polish food economy following Poland's accession to the European Union, no 184.1 ; Pozycja rolnictwa polskiego na globalnym rynku żywnościowym. Polska gospodarka żywnościowa w pierwszych latach po akcesji. Monitoring i analiza zmian polskiego łańcucha żywnościowego. Polskie gospodarstwa rolnicze w pierwszych latach po akcesji - efektywność i konkurencyjność. Wpływ funduszy strukturalnych UE na rozwój rolnictwa i obszarów wiejskich. Zróżnicowanie regionalne rolnictwa i jego wpływ na społeczno-ekonomiczne problemy rozwoju obszarów wiejskich. Wyniki ekonomiczne wybranych produktów rolniczych w latach 2005-2008. Rozwój i aplikacja zaawansowanych metod analitycznych do ewaluacji ex-ante i ex-post efektów zmian WPR. ; Kamila Sobiecka