Search Results (401)

This paper evaluates the extent to which European Union member states show alignment between strategic innovation capacity and sustainable development outcomes. To achieve this objective, indicators were collected from Eurostat for two dimensions: strategic capacity for innovation (public expenditure on research and development, human resources in science and technology, and the higher education graduation rate) and sustainable development outcomes (real GDP per capita, employment rate, risk of poverty or social exclusion, and greenhouse gas emissions). Going beyond traditional literature, we develop an analysis based on grey clustering using multiple scenarios to illustrate the complex, non-linear relationships and structural bottlenecks in member states. The stability of the classifications was further examined through threshold sensitivity testing across all scenarios and through 200,000 weight-perturbation simulations for an illustrative boundary case. The results reveal distinct performance typologies: a resilient group of “systemic leaders” (including Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands) demonstrating consistent excellence across all applied prioritization scenarios, and a stagnant core facing structural challenges regarding both innovation and sustainability (such as Romania and Hungary). The dynamic analysis covering 2021–2024 suggests that strong innovation-capacity indicators are not necessarily associated with equally strong sustainability-outcome indicators, while certain economies in Central and Eastern Europe show positive convergence trends. Supported by stability simulations conducted across multiple scenarios, the study highlights significant alignment gaps between innovation-capacity indicators and sustainability-outcome indicators across the European Union and offers public policy recommendations to stimulate sustainable cohesion and technology adoption. Full article

Background/Objectives: Precision medicine has moved into routine practice, but its evaluation through Health Technology Assessment (HTA) remains ethically underdeveloped. Existing instruments do not address the distinctive ethical demands of genomic profiling, AI-based clinical decision-support, and the equitable distribution of benefits from high-cost targeted therapies. Methods: A modified two-round Delphi study was conducted with a multidisciplinary panel of 18 Greek experts in bioethics, HTA, genomic medicine, nursing, and health policy. In Round 1, 32 candidate ethical statements across seven thematic domains were rated on a three-point scale; retention required a Content Validity Ratio (CVR) ≥ 0.42 and ≥80% agreement. Retained statements were re-evaluated in Round 2 with consensus defined as median ≥ 2.0 and ≥80% agreement. Reporting follows ACCORD guidelines. Results: Fifteen of 32 statements satisfied retention criteria. In Round 2, all 15 achieved consensus with a median of 3.0 and agreement of 94.4–100% (interquartile range, IQR = 0.00). Five domains constituted the final framework: fundamental ethical principles; transparency, stakeholder participation, and institutional accountability; equity and access; digital health and artificial intelligence (AI); and pandemic preparedness and system resilience. Domains addressing environmental sustainability and social acceptability did not meet the threshold. Conclusions: This study presents, to our knowledge, one of the first empirically grounded ethical frameworks for precision medicine HTA developed within an EU Member State through a formal Delphi process. The framework is operationalised through a ready-to-use ethics checklist designed for direct integration into national HTA submission and appraisal processes. Conducted in Greece—a late-aligning EU Member State—the study provides a transferable methodological template for comparable health systems across Europe. Full article

This study examines the relationship between environmental performance, digital integration, information asymmetry, and default risk among European firms. It seeks to understand how sustainability and digitalization jointly enhance corporate financial stability. The sample comprises 1303 non-financial firms from 20 European countries over the period 2016–2023. This study uses a Thomson Reuters sample composed of European publicly listed companies with ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings. Europe represents an ideal setting for this analysis due to its dual green and digital transition, supported by some of the most advanced regulatory policies in the world. Methodologically, the analysis employs a dynamic panel model estimated using the two-step system GMM approach, complemented by a robustness check based on 2SLS-IV estimation to address potential endogeneity concerns. The empirical findings reveal that both environmental performance and digital integration significantly reduce default risk whereas information asymmetry increases it. Moreover, sustainability and digital transformation attenuate the adverse effect of information asymmetry on financial stability, confirming their complementary role as resilience-enhancing mechanisms. These results underscore the critical importance of transparency, innovation, and organizational capabilities in mitigating financial risk. Overall, the study makes an original contribution to the literature on sustainable governance by demonstrating that environmental performance and digital integration are not merely regulatory requirements but constitute strategic intangible assets that strengthen financial soundness and reduce default risk within the European context. Full article

This paper examines the intersection between digital learning environments and multilingual education policies, with a focus on the linguistic integration of migrant students in Europe. It explores how technology, particularly mobile-assisted learning, artificial intelligence, and immersive tools, can strengthen language acquisition and promote social inclusion. Drawing on European and Greek policy frameworks, the study shows how digital pedagogies operationalize multilingualism as both an educational objective and a social justice priority. Based on a qualitative review of contemporary research and institutional reports, the findings indicate that digitally enhanced learning environments act as catalysts for equity, intercultural dialogue, and active participation when supported by coherent pedagogical design. The paper concludes by outlining policy recommendations for the development of multilingual digital ecosystems that align technological innovation with democratic, inclusive, and human-centred education. Overall, the analysis highlights that technology-mediated multilingualism can effectively reinforce participation, inclusion, and linguistic integration when embedded within robust policy structures and sound pedagogical practice. Full article

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) can provide flexibility and storage for low-carbon power systems while supporting sustainable mobility, yet real-world deployment remains largely confined to pilots despite substantial technical progress. This article presents a PRISMA-guided systematic review of 974 V2G/V2X studies published between 2009 and 2025 to explain why implementation lags and how it can be accelerated. Within this corpus, a total of 162 implementation-critical articles are identified and, within these, 95 studies that primarily address non-technical dimensions such as policy, markets, user behavior, and ecosystem coordination. Drawing on full-text coding, a four-domain socio-technical framework is developed that clusters recurring non-technical barriers and enablers into business–economic, governance–policy, social, and infrastructure and ecosystem domains. The analysis reveals (i) a temporal shift from technical dominance to multidisciplinary acceleration after 2021; (ii) distinct regional priorities in which Europe emphasizes regulation and business models, Asia focuses on infrastructure scaling, and the Americas on frequency services and resilience; and (iii) persistent revenue uncertainty, regulatory gaps, user resistance, and grid unreadiness as cross-cutting obstacles. For each domain, concrete transition levers and indicative deployment key performance indicators (KPIs) are derived, such as multi-actor revenue-sharing mechanisms, aggregator recognition in market rules, privacy-by-design user participation models, and targeted bidirectional charging deployment in constrained grids. Synthesizing these insights, three archetypal V2G transition pathways are proposed—regulation-led, infrastructure-first, and service-driven—that reflect regional conditions and offer alternative routes to large-scale adoption. The framework and roadmap provide researchers, policymakers, system operators, and mobility providers with an integrated basis for designing, monitoring, and evaluating V2G policies, business models, and pilots in line with energy system decarbonization goals. Full article

Depopulation and structural demographic challenges affect social and territorial cohesion in Europe, a phenomenon that is particularly evident in rural municipalities in Spain, where the loss of the working-age population and the concentration of older adults threaten sustainability. This study analyzes the case of Pescueza (Cáceres, Spain) using a mixed-methods design that combines longitudinal demographic analysis (2000–2024) with a qualitative evaluation of the community project “Quédate con nosotr@s,” which focuses on comprehensive care and intergenerational participation. The results are critical regarding the demographic structure, with an aging index of 500% and dependency levels three times higher than the national average, although a slight demographic recovery linked to local initiatives is observed. This project has positive effects on social cohesion, community capital, and resilience in the face of demographic challenges, establishing itself as a replicable model for rural micro-territories. The study proposes a strategic framework based on the SWOT-CAME matrix and social sustainability indicators, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and European territorial cohesion policies. It concludes that social innovation, collaborative governance, and multilevel cooperation are key elements for addressing rural aging, and recommends public policies aimed at stable funding, inclusive digitalization, attracting young people, specialized training, and the creation of adapted infrastructure. Full article

This research paper examines the spatial and time variation of demographic dependency in Europe in a 30-year horizon of the evolution of the demographic dividend regarding the economic dependency ratio (ADR1). We used the Curve Fit Forecast tool to estimate the trends of ADR1 in each of the EU Member States using data on Eurostat projections and a sophisticated geostatistical analysis tool developed in ArcGIS Pro 3.2.2. The findings indicate that the dependency in all countries has increased significantly in a statistically significant manner as the Gompertz function has appeared as the best curve in a third of the cases. It is an S-shaped asymptotic behaviour of this function that effectively describes the nonlinear patterns of acceleration and saturation of demographic ageing. As indicated in the analysis, the European regions are increasingly moving apart, with the southern and eastern nations such as Romania demonstrating the most alarming decline in ADR1. These trends highlight the need to reform labour market policies and social protection mechanisms to an ageing population. The paper combines the curve-fitting, descriptive statistics (median, skewness, interquartile range (IQR)) with time clustering (value, correlation, and Fourier) to provide an effective, replicable approach to early warning and policy prioritisation. Overall, the results highlight the importance of integrating predictive spatial modelling and demographic economics to support anticipatory and evidence-based policy decisions. The proposed approach proves to be a robust and transferable framework, applicable to a wide range of socio-economic phenomena characterised by inertia and structural change. Future research should extend the analysis to subnational levels, incorporate additional explanatory variables, and develop scenario-based simulations, including multivariate Gompertz-type models, to further enhance both predictive accuracy and policy relevance in the context of emerging structural labour scarcity. Full article

In Latin America, the double burden of malnutrition is the region’s single most important public health concern for the incoming decade. Latin America’s burden of disease has distinct features in comparison to high-income countries: nearly 20 percent of NCDs are diagnosed in people under 60 years of age in Latin America, whereas only about 13 percent of people under 60 years of age in North America and Europe are diagnosed with these diseases. We aimed to better understand decision-making processes, preferences, and norms around food choices to provide input for future programming and policy suggestions at national and regional levels. We included key informant interviews and focus group discussions with parents and adolescents from urban and rural communities in three regions in Colombia and in Mexico. Results showed that food choices considered to be affordable, acceptable, accessible, and aspirational are driven by environmental and social factors that influence individual cognitive decisions. Across the study groups, cognitive biases influenced food decision-making in relation to eating out, natural, homemade, and “moderation”. At the sociological level, conversations, and social influences at home and in communities were strong indicators of dietary practices, health beliefs, and body size attitudes. Full article

Growth in the elderly population will inevitably increase the demand for care and assistance, which must be matched by a sufficient number of individuals capable of providing the care and assistance required. This study aims to estimate the present and future caregiver support ratio (CSR) at the national level across Europe and at the Italian subnational level. Italy was selected due to its higher proportion of elderly citizens compared with other EU countries. The CSR is defined as the number of potential caregivers aged 45–64 years (the age range most commonly involved in caregiving) per citizen aged 80 and over (the most likely to require long-term caregiving). Data were obtained from Eurostat for the EU-level analysis, whereas those pertaining to Italy were sourced from the Italian National Institute of Statistics. CSR projections were made for the decades spanning 2030 to 2080. The findings show that the ratio of potential caregivers aged 45–64 to individuals aged 80 or over will steadily decline over the coming decades, implicating challenges for gerontological social policies. The results reveal variation in the CSR for the 27 European countries—with a decline from 5:1 in 2025 to 2:1 by 2050—and across the 20 Italian regions, as well as differences in the projected trends in CSR variations over the medium (until 2050) and long term (until 2080). Technology may offer possible solutions to address some of the challenges associated with the aging demographic. Full article

Sociotechnical imaginaries are collectively held and institutionally stabilised visions of desirable futures that link scientific and technological development with social and political order. Developed within Science and Technology Studies, the concept highlights the co-production of knowledge, technology, and governance, showing how ideas of progress are embedded in cultural values, moral assumptions, and political priorities. These imaginaries function as normative horizons that orient innovation, legitimise policy, shape regulation, and guide clinical practice. In health and biomedicine, sociotechnical imaginaries are particularly salient, as medical innovations directly affect life, death, and embodiment. Within medical sociology, the concept has been used to analyse how technologies such as assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), genomics, regenerative medicine, and digital health are framed through narratives of hope, responsibility, risk, and transformation. These imaginaries shape what counts as legitimate knowledge, who accesses treatment, and how ethical debates are structured, from autonomy in ARTs to individualised care in precision medicine. Imaginaries are also shaped by national and institutional contexts. Comparative research shows that the United States, Europe, and East Asia produce distinct biomedical futures, reflecting different political traditions and governance models. As an analytical lens, sociotechnical imaginaries reveal health and biomedicine as domains where futures are imagined, contested, and enacted. Full article

The European Union aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, with biogas and biomethane expected to play an increasingly important role in the decarbonisation of the energy system. This study investigates the economic and social determinants shaping the development of biogas production in European countries and identifies an optimal investment strategy for new biogas plants under varying environmental conditions. An expert–mathematical method was applied to assess and hierarchise twenty economic and social factors influencing biogas production, based on evaluations provided by 71 experts from eleven European countries. Subsequently, individual choice criteria derived from game theory were used to determine the optimal strategy for biogas plant construction under conditions of uncertainty. The results indicate that six determinants—EU-level production support mechanisms, investment costs, national support instruments, process efficiency improvements, community involvement, and agricultural raw material prices—account for 52.9% of the total impact on biogas development potential. Among the analysed investment options, large-scale biogas plants with an installed capacity of 3 MW were identified as the optimal strategy, offering the lowest unit production costs and the lowest risk of cost overruns across diverse economic and social environments. These findings provide policy-relevant insights for supporting efficient and socially acceptable biogas deployment in Europe. Full article

This paper examines the evolution of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) performance among European Union (EU) countries from 2000 to 2024 using a taxonomy-based approach. It aims to identify changes in sustainability performance, investigate regional disparities between Western Europe (WE) and Eastern Europe (EE), and assess progress across the social, economic, and environmental dimensions. A panel dataset comprising multiple SDG indicators was employed, with variables aggregated into the Taxonomic Measure of Sustainable Development (TM_SD). Based on this measure, countries were classified into performance categories—pioneers, challengers, below-average performers, and underperformers—allowing for the analysis of long-term structural trends. The results indicate an overall improvement in SDG performance across the EU, reflected in an increasing share of countries classified as pioneers and a declining share of underperformers. WE countries more often occupy higher performance categories, although the gap with EE has recently narrowed. Progress is found to be uneven across SDG dimensions, with more pronounced improvements in the economic and environmental areas than in the social dimension. The study contributes by providing a comprehensive and longitudinal assessment of SDG implementation in the EU over a 25-year period, identifying persistent regional disparities, and supporting systematic monitoring and policy coordination at the European level. Full article

The 1923 Greek–Turkish Population Exchange (Mubadele in Turkish), formalized through the Lausanne Convention, remains one of the most consequential cases of compulsory migration in modern history. This systematic review synthesizes a century of scholarship across political, legal, social, cultural, and historiographical dimensions. Findings indicate that the exchange not only legitimized forced displacement under international law but also reinforced authoritarian state-building in Turkey and exacerbated political instability in Greece. The social consequences included trauma, marginalization, and the emergence of heterogeneous refugee identities, while cultural memory oscillated between nationalist silencing and transnational remembrance. Urban landscapes and demographic structures were profoundly reshaped, producing visible legacies in contemporary cities. Furthermore, assimilation policies formalized the integration of populations, influencing the development of national identities in both Turkey and Greece. Historiographical trajectories diverged, with Greek scholarship emphasizing refugee struggles and Turkish scholarship foregrounding nation-building. Recent studies highlight hybrid identities and transgenerational redefinitions of belonging. This review underscores the necessity of integrating political, social, and memory studies to capture the multi-layered impacts of the exchange, offering a comprehensive account of its enduring relevance for migration, nationalism, and memory studies in Southeast Europe. Full article

Background: Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are widespread environmental contaminants with growing evidence linking them to adverse health effects, including progression and worsening of allergic diseases. As allergies are rapidly increasing among youth (affecting almost 30% of children), this demographic represents a vulnerable population facing emerging environmental threats. Since no prior study has investigated MNP risks perceptions in an allergic population, this study aimed to assess public awareness and risk perception of MNP in Croatian youth, focusing on the influence of urbanicity, education, and allergy status. Methods: A total of 1155 participants (aged 6–18 years) were recruited from three Croatian regions as part of the EU Horizon 2020 IMPTOX and the Horizon Europe EDIAQI studies. Allergy status was determined via skin prick tests (SPT), and standardized questionnaires were used to collect data on MNP awareness and perception. Results: Awareness was significantly higher among allergic individuals (89.5% vs. non-allergic 79%, FDR p value= 0.036) and those with university-level education (88.3% vs. elementary 63.3%, FDR p value = 0.050). Allergic participants were also more concerned about food contamination by MNPs (87.7%) compared to non-allergic individuals (79.2%), FDR p value = 0.005). Media and social media were the primary sources of information regarding MNPs (FDR p value = 0.026). Conclusions: Education and allergy status are the strongest predictors of MNP awareness and related risk perceptions in the Croatian population. Targeted public health communication and educational strategies are needed to translate basic awareness into informed behavioral and policy engagement. Full article

Natural grasslands are among the most endangered habitats in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe due to the agricultural intensification, land abandonment and afforestation, urban expansion, and the loss of traditional low-intensity management, on which their biodiversity depends. One way to increase the number of natural grasslands is by integrating them into urban green infrastructure as a nature-based solution to enhance ecological resilience and urban livability: diverse grassland systems support pollinators, improve soil structure and stormwater infiltration, mitigate urban heat and provide restorative, experience-rich public spaces. The aim of the study is to explore opportunities and barriers to integrating different types of grasslands into the green infrastructure of Latvian cities, with a primary focus on public perceptions and institutional aspects of urban grassland implementation and management. A mixed-methods approach was applied, combining resident surveys, interviews with municipal experts—territorial development specialists, planners and maintenance managers—and comparative policy analysis. Results show that although residents acknowledge the ecological benefits of urban grasslands, they prefer them in peripheral or underused areas rather than in city centres and residential zones, as these areas are often aesthetically perceived as “untidy” or neglected, conflicting with cultural norms that favour short, intensively mown lawns and raising concerns about insects. Acceptance increases through communication and participatory practices. Municipal approaches range from structured maintenance guidelines, including delayed mowing, biomass removal, and invasive species control, to flexible experimentation. The study contributes scientifically grounded insights into governance, perception, and management interfaces critical for mainstreaming socially accepted urban grasslands. Full article