This article attempts to answer the following main research question: how three selected external economic shocks (the 2008–2009 global financial crisis, the COVID‑19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine) might have influenced international trade in services between 2005 and 2024. Sixteen specific research questions have been formulated regarding such trade (global exports and imports, as well as the three most important types of service) on a global scale, with a particular focus on the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. The following research methods were applied: a literature review on economic shocks (including the author’s own classification of such shocks), source text analysis, logical inference, deductive reasoning, documentary and critical analysis methods, descriptive analysis and comparative analysis. Following the planned analyses, it was indicated which external shocks might have had the greatest impact on the trade in services (2 cases), and which might have had a high (6 cases), medium (15) or low (9) impact. Cases of no potential impact were also identified (16). The issues presented in this article represent an attempt to highlight key and significant areas for further analysis. In the author’s view, it contributes to the discussion on the development and determinants of international service trade, assuming further, progressive “servicization” on a global scale.
This paper analyses how suburbanisation affects the location, structure and perceived sufficiency of services and civic amenities in municipalities located in the hinterland of the post‑ industrial city of Plzeň, Czechia. The paper focuses on the economic‑ spatial dimension of suburbanisation, especially on the relationship between residential growth, commercial suburbanisation, municipal service provision and the relocation of selected urban functions into suburban space. The suburban region was delimited using an aggregation method based on daily commuting flows and divided into two hinterland zones according to distance from the urban core. The empirical analysis combines data on civic amenities in 41 suburban municipalities with a questionnaire survey and semi‑ structured interviews conducted with mayors and deputy mayors. A case study of Chotíkov illustrates the interaction between residential development, large ‑scale retail, technical infrastructure and conflicts related to the relocation of environmentally burdensome urban functions. The findings show that municipalities closer to Plzeň face stronger population pressure and more visible demand for educational, health and everyday services, while some specialised services remain concentrated in the urban core or in larger suburban settlements. The paper contributes to research on post ‑socialist suburbanisation by demonstrating how service provision and economic functions are spatially differentiated within a post ‑industrial agglomeration.
Electric and e‑bikes are becoming an increasingly popular means of transport, especially in cities with varied topography or over long distances. They make it easier to overcome steep hills and allow for covering greater distances than with a traditional bicycle. Increasing the share of e‑bikes in city residents’ daily mobility can positively impact a city’s development in various way by fulfilling the principles of sustainable transport and driving the local economy. This study aims to assess the role of e‑bikes in local and regional development, using the city of Rijeka as an example. The city is characterised by a mobility culture oriented towards car travel, as well as terrain unfavourable to traditional cycling while the study will consider aspects related to the development of local businesses and tourism in the city in the context of student life. To achieve this, a survey was conducted among economics students at the University of Rijeka. The results indicate that these respondents do not use either traditional bicycles or e‑bikes for urban mobility. The answers however allow us to believe that the surveyed students generally have a positive or at least an indifferent attitude towards the development of e‑bike mobility, but they see the highest potential for e‑bikes in tourism. Respondents are also aware of the barriers to the development of this form of mobility, mentioning problems related to road safety, problems with vandalism, weather and the lack of bicycle infrastructure.
The primary objective of this article is to identify and assess the degree of variation in the digi- talization levels of Polish enterprises in relation to their size, compared to other European Union member states. The study employs a secondary data analysis (desk research) approach. The analysis utilizes the Digital Intensity Index, a methodology developed by Eurostat to determine the level of corporate digitalization. The research procedure incorporates multivariate statistical analysis methods. A novel research approach was the application of Centered Log -Ratio (CLR) transformation followed by Z -score standardization to eliminate issues inherent in compositional data and to ensure data comparability. Country grouping was performed using Ward's method, while the optimal number of clusters was determined according to Mojena's rule. The research findings revealed significant structural differences in digitalization levels depending on enterprise size. For small and medium -sized enterprises (SMEs), three distinct clusters were identified; Poland was classified into the moderately digitalized group, exhibiting a digital profile closely aligned with the EU average. Conversely, a division into only two clusters was observed among large enterprises. Regardless of size, Polish enterprises consistently maintain a position within the EU average range. However, a developmental barrier remains, hindering the transition to the group of digital leaders. The article highlights the necessity of targeted institutional support for the SME sector to overcome these identified barriers.
