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The last three decades have witnessed strong development of global value chains (GVCs). Also, the Polish economy developed international production links along with the systemic transformation from the beginning of the 1990s. This led to changes in Poland's participation in GVCs.

The Purpose of the Chapter: The study's primary purpose is to characterise the evolution of Poland's participation in GVCs since the mid-1990s, including its key determinants.

Several research methods were used to achieve the study's goal, including critical literature analysis, statistical data analysis and descriptive methods. To determine Poland's share in the GVCs, the method of estimating domestic and foreign added value was used, which allowed for measuring the scale of production fragmentation and related trade in value-added.

The analysis allowed us to conclude that Poland has increased its share in GVCs, mainly inside the EU. Also, the industrial structure underwent positive changes. The increasing Poland's participation in the GVCs was primarily due to the inflow of FDI-related technology, the transformation of the economic structure, institutional and geographical factors. The improvement in the conditions for the functioning of the Polish economy has been reflected in international competitiveness rankings, where such attributes as geographical location, macroeconomic performance, human capital, market size, technical infrastructure and innovativeness are indicated. On the other hand, however, the tightness of the law, the efficiency of the government and public administration remains a challenge.

In recent years, both academics and institutions have acknowledged the crucial role multinational enterprises (MNEs) can play in addressing the sustainability challenges, as formalized by the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Nevertheless, because of their extensiveness and their design as country-level targets, SDGs have proven challenging to operationalize at a firm level. This problem opens new and relevant avenues for research in international business (IB). This chapter attempts to frame the topic of extended value chain sustainability in the IB literature. In particular, it addresses a specific topic, that is, how sustainability and resilience-building practices interact in global value chains (GVCs). To do so, the present study develops the case of STMicroelectronics (ST), one of the biggest semiconductor companies worldwide.

The transformation towards the Green Economy (GE) in Poland is a relatively new topic for researchers, policymakers and business practitioners. A comprehensive picture of the shift towards the GE can help mentioned groups translate theoretical assumptions into practice.

This chapter presents the assessment of Poland's shift towards the GE, measured by the proposed Green Transformation Index (GTI).

The set of GE indicators was elaborated in Structured Literature Review (SLR) variation method. Then, this set of indicators was compared with the Statistics Poland (GUS) secondary data and employed in the taxonometric calculation methods.

In the result, the GTI for the Polish economy was proposed and calculated between 2007 and 2020. The GTI allowed us to present a dynamic analysis of the transformation towards GE in Poland.

Czechia's economic growth is substantially dependent on foreign trade. An independent monetary policy in a managed floating exchange rate regime gives a unique perspective on the effects of the exchange rate on foreign trade. This chapter evaluates the effects of exchange rate development on different sectors of Czechia's foreign trade. Using disaggregated data based on trading partner and product category, the period from 1999 to 2020 is analyzed. Czechia's 10 major trading partners are included in the estimation. The relationship between exchange rates and foreign trade is assessed through a Johansen cointegration approach and modified vector error correction model. The results of the Johansen cointegration test indicate that the majority of the aggregate bilateral trade balances are in a long-term relationship with Czechia's gross domestic product (GDP), foreign GDP and exchange rate movements. The J-curve is proved only in chemicals and related products traded with France, manufactured goods traded with Italy and Slovakia and mineral fuels and lubricants traded with the Netherlands.

There are many indications that government policymakers and supporters of large-scale nuclear expansion in Poland have not seriously grappled with arguments critical of this direction of the country's power development. Instead, there is a mood of euphoric elation in these circles without even an attempt to reflect on why this kind of nuclear power is in a state of perennial crisis and lack of development prospects in Western countries.

The purpose of this chapter is to consider from an economic perspective the potential role of nuclear power in decarbonising the Polish power sector. It needs to answer two questions: why not develop large-scale nuclear power and why small modular reactors (SMRs) can be a better alternative for decarbonisation of the Polish power sector.

The primary research method used in the preparation of this chapter is a critical analysis and synthesis of the literature on the subject.

A technological revolution will offer electricity customers increasingly better alternatives. Among them there is also technology of SMRs which seems to be much less risky option in terms of its compatibility with the direction of the power sector's evolution as well as cost of sectors’ decarbonisation.

Blockchain technology was once only associated with the financial industry, but it is now being used in a variety of industries, including education. Researchers all over the world take a keen interest in studying the various applications of blockchain technology for the last 4–5 years. The current study is a review of previously published studies on blockchain technology’s applicability in the sector of education. The systematic review was used to conduct the qualitative analysis using the PRISMA Framework (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis). For this comprehensive literature review analysis, 99 publications were chosen in the final stage of selection. Bibliometric analysis is employed to analyse the collected data. Authorship analysis, co-authorship analysis, keyword co-occurrences, and important applications of blockchain in education are the primary parts in which the literature’s findings are organised. Important directions are given for researchers and academicians involved in blockchain-related research who may use the bibliometric analysis of the present study as a reference.

Currently, waste is regarded as a symptom of inefficiency. The generation of waste is a human activity, not a natural one. Currently, landfilling and incinerating wastes are common waste management techniques; but the use of these methods, in addition to wasting raw materials, causes damage to the environment, water, soil, and air. In the new concept of “Zero Waste” (ZW), waste is considered a valuable resource. A vital component of the methodology includes creating and managing items and procedures that limit the waste volume and toxicity and preserve and recover all resources rather than burning or burying them. With ZW, the end of one product becomes the beginning of another, unlike a linear system where waste is generated from product consumption. A scientific treatment technique, resource recovery, and reverse logistics may enable the waste from one product to become raw material for another, regardless of whether it is municipal, industrial, agricultural, biomedical, construction, or demolition. This chapter discusses the concept of zero landfills and zero waste and related initiatives and ideas; it also looks at potential obstacles to put the ZW concept into reality. Several methods are presented to investigate and evaluate efficient resource utilization for maximum recycling efficiency, economic improvement through resource minimization, and mandatory refuse collection. One of the most practical and used approaches is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, which is based on green engineering and the cradle-to-cradle principle; the LCA technique is used in most current research, allowing for a complete investigation of possible environmental repercussions. This approach considers the entire life cycle of a product, including the origin of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, usage, and final disposal, or recycling. Using a life cycle perspective, all stakeholders (product designers, service providers, political and legislative agencies, and consumers) may make environmentally sound and long-term decisions.