METHODOLOGY FOR RANKING OLD INDUSTRIAL REGIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SECURITY

The problem of monitoring the current state of security of sustainable development of old industrial regions of Ukraine lies in the need for structural modernisation of the industrial sector, i.e. the transition from extensive exploitation of the resource potential of industrially developed areas in the past to intensive production based on technological progress. The term “old industrial region” should be understood to mean a territory that was once industrially developed but is now in decline or in decline due to a lack of capacity or the unwillingness of industry owners to invest in the modernisation of production facilities, a significant lag in the applied production technology from the modern news, a lack of adaptability to the sustainable changes in industrial markets, etc.

Key stakeholders of the urban planning design market and their preferences when choosing a design company

The article examines the interests and concerns of various groups of stakeholders in the urban planning design market influencing the choice of a contractor. The selected market is characterized by a significant decision magnitude, usually involves many groups of stakeholders, and often determines the long-term development of cities. The aim of the article is to identify the interests of key stakeholders in urban planning design market, factors that are significant for the selected groups of stakeholders when choosing a contractor, and to provide recommendations for promotional strategy for the considered groups of customers. The theoretical review identifies more than 150 factors that influence the choice of a contractor on b2b market, they are further divided according to the underlying principles of choosing a partner from decision-maker’s viewpoint. Based on the interviews conducted, we determine the main groups of stakeholders who influence or are influenced by the urban planning design decisions. The field study revealed significant differences in preferences among various groups of stakeholders of project organizations: developers, authorities, other project bureaus, real estate owners, management companies. The preferences also differ based on the size of the company. As a result, we have developed recommendations for dealing with different groups of stakeholders based on the identified preferences, decision-makers, as well as possible directions of a company’s differentiation. The structure of the article consists of the theoretical overview of previously conducted research of factors influencing the contractor choice in the industrial markets and finding ways to harmonize the interests of different stakeholders, after that the field research has been done of experts and decision-makers of choosing a proper partner in the planning design market. Finally, the authors offer recommendations that can focus the marketing strategy of project design companies in the urban planning industry. The article would be of interest not only for companies in the urban planning design market but also for all companies in the industrial market that face the contradictory interests of various groups of stakeholders.

Investigate of the potential for diversification of the socio-economic ecosystem of the territory (on the example of the Kondinskiy Area of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra)

The federal and administrative-territorial structure that has developed in Russia, institutional relations, as well as the methodology and instruments of strategic planning predetermine the significant role of municipalities in the preparation and implementation of strategies for socio-economic development. In this regard, the most important place in economic research is occupied by the problems associated with the development of mechanisms for the growth of the local economy and the formation of new effective models of territorial development. At the same time, taking into account the historical trend of monospecialization of the country's municipalities, the issues of investigating the potential for diversification of the markets of socio-economic ecosystems at the municipal level are of particular importance. The purpose of the work is to investigate and assess the development potential of markets for diversification of the territorial ecosystem of the municipal level. The object of the research is the territorial, socio-economic ecosystem of the Kondinsky Area of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra. Methodology and methods. The work used a set of scientific methods, the main of which is the method of expert assessment. In addition, the methodological toolkit of SWOT-analysis and forecasting was applied. Results. Taking into account the typicality of the chosen object of research, a significant result of the work is the approbation of the author's methodology, which can be used in the future to investigate the potential for diversification of the markets of municipal ecosystems in almost all regions of Russia. Also it was established that the main markets for diversification of the territorial ecosystem of the Kondinsky Area are new markets for the forestry business, formed on the basis of the development of small and medium-sized forms of management, the development of oil and gas fields with hard-to-recover reserves of raw materials based on the introduction of new technologies for oil and gas processing and petrochemical chemistry, as well as new agro-industrial markets, including animal husbandry, fish processing, collection and processing of wild plants. Scientific novelty. The analysis of approaches to the study of the concept of «ecosystem» is carried out. The markets for diversification of the socio-economic ecosystem of the Kondinsky Area were identified and the forecast of key indicators of the development of industrial markets for the period up to 2030 was carried out. Recommendations for local governments to improve the efficiency of realizing the potential of diversification markets are proposed.

Recent Advances in Cellulose Nanofibers Preparation through Energy-Efficient Approaches: A Review

Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and their applications have recently gained significant attention due to the attractive and unique combination of their properties including excellent mechanical properties, surface chemistry, biocompatibility, and most importantly, their abundance from sustainable and renewable resources. Although there are some commercial production plants, mostly in developed countries, the optimum CNF production is still restricted due to the expensive initial investment, high mechanical energy demand, and high relevant production cost. This paper discusses the development of the current trend and most applied methods to introduce energy-efficient approaches for the preparation of CNFs. The production of cost-effective CNFs represents a critical step for introducing bio-based materials to industrial markets and provides a platform for the development of novel high value applications. The key factor remains within the process and feedstock optimization of the production conditions to achieve high yields and quality with consistent production aimed at cost effective CNFs from different feedstock.

Recent Progress in Beam-Based Metal Additive Manufacturing from a Materials Perspective: A Review of Patents

Over the last decade, the enormous potential of metal additive manufacturing (AM) processes has led these technologies to establish their position in many industries. Much effort is being made toward their widespread application; however, much remains to be done to achieve full industrialization of these processes. Therefore, many companies, research centers and universities are investing in comprehensive research and development activities in order to further promote the industrialization of metal AM. This review traces the progress of metal AM technologies through an investigation of patents. In the present study, beam-based metal AM patents were searched through the Orbit Intelligence database. First, the number of patents per year was studied, indicating that, as expected, there is strong growth in AM patenting activities. The patents were afterward examined in order to highlight the key players in the field, and it was found that the main players investing in this market are: multidisciplinary companies, AM machine producers, end users working, especially in the aerospace sector, universities and research centers. The patents were then analyzed to understand the technology domains covered by each key player and their trend of investments. Finally, the patents in the field of Materials and Metallurgy were studied individually to identify the main topics faced by the most used alloy classes: Al-, Ni- and Ti-based alloys and steels. The extensive study of these patents clearly indicated that the main gaps to fill in metal AM are strongly material dependent and that it is possible to find correlations between the alloy classes, their main industrial applications and their specific AM processability issues. The current study provides insights into global trends that can help industrial markets to identify the right investment direction and research to identify topics for future investigation.

Cluster policy and the innovative activity of industrial enterprises

The purpose of the article is to assess the possibility of using cluster policy in Russia’s industry as an instrument for developing dynamic competition (encouraging innovation activity). Drawing on the results of a detailed systematic review of the cluster theory, the author identifies the reason for its weak operationality: an implicit premise on entrepreneur’s passive role in the innovation process. He then attempts to remove this premise by explaining the motives of company's behavior through a modified product variety model which is tested on empirical data from the U.S. and Russia. The results of testing show that at similar level of economic activity the geographical concentration of industrial enterprises in a cluster contributes to the intensification of innovation processes. A relatively more competitive behavior of firms in a cluster is explained through the theory of industrial markets and new institutional economic theory. The analysis concludes with valuable recommendations for economic policy.

Cluster policy and the innovative activity of industrial enterprises

The purpose of the article is to assess the possibility of using cluster policy in Russia’s industry as an instrument for developing dynamic competition (encouraging innovation activity). Drawing on the results of a detailed systematic review of the cluster theory, the author identifies the reason for its weak operationality: an implicit premise on entrepreneur’s passive role in the innovation process. He then attempts to remove this premise by explaining the motives of company's behavior through a modified product variety model which is tested on empirical data from the U.S. and Russia. The results of testing show that at similar level of economic activity the geographical concentration of industrial enterprises in a cluster contributes to the intensification of innovation processes. A relatively more competitive behavior of firms in a cluster is explained through the theory of industrial markets and new institutional economic theory. The analysis concludes with valuable recommendations for economic policy.

Formation of the structure of commodity markets and barriers to entry to them in the conditions of digitalization of the economy: the advertising factor

The article is addressed to a wide range of readers, including research economists, as well as those who teach and study the theory of industrial markets in universities, and is devoted to the formation of the structure of commodity markets — both traditional and modern digital. The authors try to make progress in revealing the nature of the influence of the intensity of advertising activity in the industry on the values of concentration indicators, the size of entry barriers, and other structural parameters of industry markets. Based on the analysis of data on the Russian markets of mobile communication services and pharmaceuticals, the fundamental applicability of the concept of «U-shaped inverted curve» for characterizing the relationship between the level of advertising intensity in the industry and the values of concentration indices is established. On this basis, the hypothesis is formulated that the influence of the level of advertising intensity, including as an industry entry barrier, on the structure of markets is more significant in conditions of low and / or moderate concentration. The authors argue that the processes of digitalization of the economy today not only dynamically change the boundaries of modern industry markets and the nature of competition in them, but also strengthen the potential of advertising communications as a significant factor in the formation of the structure of digital markets.

A digital servitization framework for viable manufacturing companies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the strategic management of a technology-enabled shift from a product-centric to a service-centric logic and to identify the sociotechnical dynamics underlying this transition. The study focuses on how manufacturers manage to create value in industrial markets through digital servitization. Design/methodology/approach An abductive research approach is used to investigate two manufacturing firms, and an interpretive framework is used as an analytical template. A cross-case analysis is conducted. Findings The case companies strategically managed sociotechnical processes of digitization to co-create value. Their service orientation delineates dissimilarity in terms of digital servitization. It reflects a viable ecosystem that moves toward datatization through adaptation in one case and a viable ecosystem that moves toward digitization through reconfiguration in the other case. Practical implications A theoretically grounded, empirically informed framework is proposed to detect transformational mechanisms to manage value co-creation in digitally servitized contexts, thus contributing to ecosystem viability. Originality/value This is the first study to adopt a system perspective such as the viable system approach combined with service-dominant logic to reconceptualize the overall sociotechnical processes and the underlying mechanisms leading to digitized value creation. In line with a systems view and a systematic process based on a transformative attitude toward digital servitization, the empirically informed framework identifies specific co-creation activities and recursive feedback loops.