This paper analyzes the strategic role of lithium in the energy transition and in the geopolitical competition between China and the United States, with particular attention to the role of the Lithium Triangle (Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile) as a global supplier, its governance models, and the opportunities for local industrialization. It argues that overcoming primary export dependency requires attractingautomotive investments that integrate the lithium value chain with electromobility, for which Brazil's industrial and technological capabilities are crucial. A coordinated regional strategy-particularly among Argentina, Brazil, and Chile-would make it possible to leverage industrial synergies and strengthen South America's bargaining position in an increasingly competitive global context.
Sustainability requires financing, as acknowledged in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015. This study analyses the role of ethical banking and credit unions as drivers of sustainable projects. To this end, the research conducted over recent decades is examined using the SciMAT software, carrying out a performance evaluation and content mapping based on co-word analysis. The results show a growing interest in the topic. Likewise, the analysis of keywords highlights the predominance of studies focused on economic and social aspects, in contrast with the comparatively lower weight of those addressing issues related to climate change and environmental conservation.
This study analyses how uncertainty affects global stock markets between 2003 and 2020, specifically through a threefold perspective: economic policy uncertainty, geopolitical risks and financial market volatility. In doing so, using a panel data approach, we assess whether such uncertainty has a homogeneous impact across different economies. In addition, both the levels and variability of uncertainty are considered and a cluster analysis and ANOVA are performed to identify patterns across a score of countries at the international level. The results of the random effects model show that economic policy uncertainty, geopolitical risk, interest rates and inflation have negative effects on stock markets, while economic growth and exchange rates have positive effects.
This paper investigates the phenomenon of external debt growth in Latin America, drawing on valuation-adjusted measures to reassess debt dynamics during current account deficit episodes between 1970 and 2023. By comparing conventional statistics with adjusted indicators that incorporate valuation changes and other adjustments (VCOA), the study uncovers systematic asymmetries or “mirror ratios” in which debt accumulation alternates between under- and over-adjustment relative to the theoretical benchmark. At the aggregate level, however, the evidence reveals a persistent upward bias, consistent with a structural tendency towards over-indebtedness. The results for Latin America are also confirmed when taking into account a number of countries representative of the world as a whole. This indicates that the patterns observed in the region are not an isolated phenomenon, but rather part of a broader and consistent international trend worthy of further investigation, with implications for external vulnerability assessments and global financial governance.
This study employs an extended gravity model to assess the impact of China’s direct investment in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) member countries on trade. After measuring the digital economy levels of these countries using principal component analysis, a mediation effect model is applied to examine whether the digital economy serves as an intermediary variable. The results indicate that China’s direct investment in RCEP countries has a positive impact on China’s exports, imports and total trade value with these countries. Moreover, the digital economy plays a positive mediating role in facilitating these trade-enhancing effects.
China’s expanding technological footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is challenging traditional patterns of dependency dominated by the United States. This article applies Social Network Analysis (SNA) to examine technological power dynamics through foreign patent registrations between 2013 and 2023. By analyzing centrality and concentration, the study assesses the persistence of asymmetries in the region’s technological network. The findings show that, despite China’s growing influence, the core–periphery structure remains intact and technological dependency continues to revolve around historical powers.
Food loss and waste (FLW) is a major global challenge with significant social, environmental, and economic impacts. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted annually, amounting to 1.3 billion tonnes. This study analyzes FLW variations across supply chain stages in developed and developing countries using the FAO 2022 database (21,736 observations, 149 countries). Inferential statistical analysis (Kruskal-Wallis tests) evaluates differences in FLW by stage and country development level. Results show higher FLW in developed countries (39.67%) than in developing ones (21.87%). Developed nations experience more waste in Distribution (10.0%) and Consumption (17.0%), while developing nations face losses in Agricultural Production (2.5%) and Postharvest Handling. Findings highlight the need for tailored interventions: infrastructure and technology enhancements in developing nations, and policy-driven consumer behavior changes in developed ones. Solutions include improved supply chain transparency, AI-driven demand forecasting, food donation programs, and consumer awareness campaigns. This research advances FLW understanding and informs policies for their elimination. Future studies should refine quantification methods, assess policy impacts, and explore technological solutions to mitigate FLW’s environmental and economic effects.
La sostenibilidad exige financiación, tal y como recoge la Agenda de Acción de Addis Abeba. A partir de la exploración de la investigación desarrollada en las últimas décadas, utilizando el software SciMAT, este trabajo analiza el papel de la banca ética y las cooperativas de crédito como impulsoras de proyectos sostenibles. Los resultados muestran que existe un interés creciente por el tema. Asimismo, el análisis de palabras clave pone de manifiesto el protagonismo de los trabajos centrados en aspectos económicos y sociales, frente a un menor peso de los que se refieren a cuestiones vinculadas al cambio climático y la conservación del medio ambiente.
Este trabajo analiza el papel estratégico del litio en la transición energética y la competencia geopolítica entre China y Estados Unidos. Se examina el rol del Triángulo del Litio (Argentina, Bolivia y Chile), sus modelos de gobernanza y las oportunidades de industrialización local. Se plantea que, para superar la dependencia exportadora primaria, es clave atraer inversiones automotrices que integren la cadena de valor del litio con la electromovilidad. Una estrategia regional coordinada —particularmente entre Argentina, Brasil y Chile— permitiría aprovechar sinergias industriales y mejorar la posición negociadora de América del Sur en un contexto global crecientemente competitivo.
The focus of this research is to examine the relationship between digitalisation and employment in rural areas of the European Union (EU). The article explores the conceptual boundaries of the rural environment and the methodological challenges of defining rural areas using conventional economic activity and population indicators. Drawing on specialised literature, it conducts an exploratory analysis of the available data for rural areas, based on the degree of urbanisation as defined by Eurostat. On this foundation, a fixed-effects panel data model is proposed for the entire EU during the period 2010-2023, with the aim of testing the hypothesis that digital skills can be determining factors in explaining the employment rate in rural areas in Europe, along with the variables traditionally linked to regional economic development.
The participation of governments in innovation activities is not limited exclusively to the implementation of R&D support policies. Since technological advancements take place within a given institutional and business framework, ultimately, a key role of governments in this process consists of creating a suitable institutional framework that promotes the necessary incentives for knowledge generation to be possible and, subsequently, for the resulting scientific developments to be effectively adopted by companies. In this context, this article aims to contribute to the scientific literature on the relationship between institutions and innovation through a bibliometric analysis for the period 1990-2021. The results show that, although the institutional context has received increasing attention in the literature, relevant lines of research remain to be developed, particularly those related to the role of informal institutions as possible moderators in these processes.
This research investigates the economic lives of women, in Bahawalpur, the southern Punjab region of Pakistan, with a particular emphasis on personal empowerment. It examines the key features of microcredit, including loan duration, loan size, loan-related training, loan purpose, and loan type. Data is obtained through a survey and analyzed using multinomial logit and probit models. Worsen, same, and improved were the three categories of economic status used in the study. The findings suggest that the likelihood of a deterioration in the economic circumstances of women decreases as the loan duration increases. Indeed, the impact of loan purpose and loan size is not entirely evident; in certain instances, their impact has been determined to be somewhat weak or ambiguous. The findings indicate that the success of microcredit is contingent upon the loan’s structure, as well as the attendant support and availability of funds.
El foco de esta investigación es estudiar la relación entre la digitalización y el empleo en las áreas rurales de la Unión Europea (UE). En el artículo se profundiza en la delimitación conceptual del medio rural y en las dificultades metodológicas para definir las áreas rurales a partir de los indicadores convencionales de actividad económica e indicadores poblacionales y, siguiendo la literatura especializada, se realiza un análisis exploratorio de los datos disponibles para las áreas rurales, según el criterio de grado de urbanización en las áreas definidas en Eurostat. Sobre esa base se plantea un modelo de datos de panel con efectos fijos para el conjunto de la UE en el periodo 2010-2023, con objeto de contrastar la hipótesis de que las competencias digitales pueden ser determinantes en la explicación de la tasa de empleo en las áreas rurales en Europa, junto con las variables tradicionalmente vinculadas al desarrollo económico regional.
La participación de los gobiernos en las actividades de innovación no se limita exclusivamente a la implementación de políticas de apoyo a la I+D. Dado que los avances tecnológicos se desarrollan en un marco institucional y de negocios determinado, en última instancia, un papel clave de los gobiernos en este proceso consiste en la creación de un entorno adecuado que promueva los incentivos necesarios para que la generación de conocimiento sea posible y que, posteriormente, los desarrollos científicos derivados sean adoptados eficazmente por parte de las empresas. En este contexto, este artículo busca contribuir a la literatura sobre las relaciones entre instituciones e innovación mediante un análisis bibliométrico para el período 1990-2021. Los resultados muestran cómo, aunque el contexto institucional ha recibido cada vez más atención, quedan aún por desarrollar líneas de investigación relevantes, particularmente las relacionadas con el papel de las instituciones informales como posibles moderadoras de estos procesos.
It is noteworthy that a relationship exists between increasing income inequality and global financial development. The primary objective of this study is to challenge the validity of the financial Kuznets curve by employing the panel data method for high-income, upper-middle-income, lower-middle-income, and all countries from 2010 to 2021. Empirical findings suggest that the invalidity of the relevant curve for these markets may vary after accounting for the effects of additional control variables. The literature identifies several key factors contributing to income inequality, typically including levels of growth, education, openness, public spending, foreign direct investment, urbanization, structural transformation, and technological development. These factors are also considered in this study as control variables. This study demonstrates the importance of examining the heterogeneous effects of financial development on income inequality across different country groups.
This study examines job satisfaction and health status among shift workers, as well as the potential relationships between these two dimensions, using data from the EU-28. The methodology includes correlation matrix, correspondence analysis, and logistic regression. The results indicate that workers on rotating shifts are the most negatively affected group. Shift workers are 1.321 times less likely to report job satisfaction compared to non-shift workers, while individuals who rate their health as very good are 4.757 times more likely to be satisfied with their jobs than those in the reference category. In most EU-28 countries, the proportion of shift workers who report being very satisfied is higher than that of those who describe themselves as very healthy. There is a direct relationship between subjective perceptions of job satisfaction and health.
The article analyses the recent localization of activities within the battery electric vehicle value chain. In particular, in a key country in the European automotive industry such as Spain. The results of this analysis point out that new locations have supported the development of this value chain. However, there are not implied locations related to some high value-added activities such as the production of components for the cells, and they are irrelevant in terms of recycling activities. The companies that own these new locations are mostly foreign-owned. These results suggest that the current public investment policies should be revised in order to attract the missing activities in the value chain, and to encourage decisions on these investments to be made by domestic companies.
This article argues that only a comprehensive structural perspective of the global economy enables us to grasp the complexity of the current moment and to rigorously consider its potential evolution. Neither partial analyses- regardless of the importance of the specific aspect chosen-nor those focused solely on short-term developments, nor those unable to understand the constraints and degrees of freedom within the capitalist economic system, nor those that become disoriented when navigating the temporal dimension- where the present must be managed while the future is built-can achieve this. The challenge for economics is immense, but it is a challenge the discipline must confront if it is to fulfill its purpose.
