O38 - Technological Change: Government PolicyNávrat zpět

Energy efficiency is the cost-effective utilization of energy in the production process, whereby energy waste is minimized and the overall depletion of primary energy resources is curtailed. Improving energy efficiency enables countries to abate the rising CO₂ emissions by efficient utilization of energy. Hence, energy efficiency is a source of improving environmental performance. This study examines the deep determinants of energy efficiency in BRICS countries. The main objective of the study is to examine the impact of effective governance on energy efficiency in BRICS countries. This study utilizes both fixed-effect and random-effect approaches to examine the determinants of energy efficiency. To check the cross-sectional dependence, this study utilizes residual cross-sectional dependence tests. The results of the fixed-effect approach show that government effectiveness and oil rents improve energy efficiency in BRICS countries. However, mineral rents negatively affect energy efficiency. The study finds that an increase in R&D negatively affects energy efficiency; however, after achieving a certain level of R&D expenditures, a further increase in R&D is linked to improved energy efficiency. This nonlinear relationship suggests that while initial investments in R&D may not immediately translate into energy efficiency gains, continued investment beyond a certain threshold can lead to significant improvements in energy efficiency through technological innovation and advancements. The findings highlight the pivotal role of government effectiveness in driving energy efficiency improvements. Countries with more effective governance structures demonstrate higher levels of energy efficiency, emphasizing the importance of transparent, accountable and coherent policy frameworks in promoting sustainable development agendas. These findings have significant policy implications for policymakers and stakeholders in BRICS countries aiming to foster sustainable energy transitions and enhance energy efficiency.

This research covers the literature gap by investigating the factors of economic expansion (GDP), total natural resources (TNRNT), political risk index (PRI) and technological innovation (TI) and their impact on the renewable electricity output (REOT) in the G7 economies, covering the period 1990-2022. The research utilizes novel MMQREG as the primary method, while BSQR is a non-parametric robustness check method. A pairwise Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality test is employed to find out the causal connection between variables. The diagnostic outcomes show that the modelled variables are static after the first difference while long-run equilibrium is also present. Moreover, the outcomes suggest that GDP negatively influences REOT across quantiles while TNRNT and PRI stimulate the use of REOT in G7 economies across quantiles. Moreover, TI positively influences REOT but is inconclusive across quantiles. The robustness check analysis provides similar and valid outcomes. Lowering political risk is also considered important for energy transition in terms of cleaner energy.

The article discusses the issue of base erosion and profit shifting in relation to the Czech corporate income taxpayers. We describe the basic techniques how the base erosion and profit shifting can be realized and analyze the occurrence of the base erosion in the Czech Republic. We compare the average ROE and ROA ratios for the largest Czech entities with those achieved by the largest companies in Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Switzerland as the countries are generally considered as tax havens. Malta is also included in the analysis. The main hypothesis is the conjecture that the Czech companies' corporate income tax base is influenced by transactions with related parties mainly by using royalties and intragroup trades in goods and services i.e. through transfer pricing. As the Czech taxpayers, based on the results of analysis, achieved in 2006-2015 period lower ROE as well as ROA in comparison to the selected countries (with an exemption of Switzerland) it can be concluded that their tax base is likely influenced by aforementioned profit shifting techniques.

This paper deals with allocation of financial resources from selected operational programmes among Czech regions and assess whether a regional innovation paradox occurs in the Czech Republic. Regional innovation paradox expresses a state when some regions with lower innovation performance and higher investment needs exist but at the same time these regions are not able to gain the offered resources. The article examines the relationship between amount of obtained resources and selected characteristics of regions through correlation analysis. The attention is focused on Operational programme Enterprise and Innovations and Operational programme Research and Development for Innovations. The analysis confirmed the existence of the regional innovation paradox in the Czech Republic. The paradox is apparent especially if the amount of subsidies is compared to the total regional gross domestic product. The paradox is in higher degree apparent at OP Research and Development for Innovations than OP Enterprise and Innovations.

The paper focuses on selective investment incentives. The main aim is to discuss question how to quantify net fiscal impact properly. As shown, the problem is not trivial - the proper quantification presupposes using of several parameters, accounting of costs in the economic sense of this word (i.e. also opportunity costs) and using concept of present value. Including these aspects in the calculation would correct some extremely optimistic scenarios (of studies concerning Czech economy), which claim, that fiscal incentives yield significantly high net surplus to the state budget. The parameter representing the ability of incentives to attract investors seems to be one of the most important components of the correct calculation. Another important point is a necessity of symmetric accounting: some of the other studies implement two expenditures rounds on the side of fiscal benefits, whereas they neglect the second round on the side of costs.

The paper evaluates the position of the Czech Republic in the development of qualitatively based competitive advantage, firstly in terms of the export structure changes according to industry classifications of factor and technology intensities. The given approach has been used extensively in international comparisons, though its explanatory value differs according to the actual quality intensity of economic activities. Even the countries with a limited extent of R&D may show up a high shares of technology intensive exports produced in FDI branches, which, however, mostly consist of assembly operations on imported components. The second view of the qualitatively based competitiveness focuses on the role of foreign companies in internationalization of production and trade, and, specifically, in domestic knowledge intensive activities. Their development makes a condition for an efficient technology transfer, the intensity of which differs according to the motivations of foreign investment in R&D.

Slovakia ranked to the poorest innovation performers in the EU 25 area in early 2000s. While the country's economics was booming due to high influx of foreign investment, there was real danger that Slovakia would convert to the "greatest assembly line" in Europe, with little own innovation efforts employed in production. Poor innovation performance of Slovakia was given by an ineffective national innovation system and inadequate innovation policies. Substantial increases in R&D spending and structural changes in allocation of public resources (towards applied research and new technologies) were the basic preconditions for establishing a knowledge-based economy.

The paper focuses on selective investment incentives, which are aimed primarily to attract foreign direct investment, in the context of the new EU Member States, namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. We discuss the issue within three closely related dimensions. We point to a potential conflict of interests between host country governments and multinational companies in promoting technology spillovers from foreign direct investment in the host economies. We examine the prisoner dilemma of the host governments in mutual competition for mobile direct investment and a room to achieve multilateral or strengthening regional agreement on investment to reduce a possible wealth reducing content of such policies. Finally, we discuss national context of the investment incentives with regards to the rent-seeking behaviour of various interest groups and contradictory role of the investment promotion agency in the process of decision-making about investment promotion policies. We conclude with brief implications for development policy.