This paper highlights the complex relationship between entrepreneurship, sustainable development, and economic growth in 41 European countries, using a reliable K-Means cluster analysis. The research thoroughly evaluates three key factors: the SDG Index for sustainable development, GDP per capita for economic well-being, and the New Business Density Rate for entrepreneurial activity. Our methodology reveals three distinct narratives that embody varying degrees of economic vitality and sustainability. Cluster 1 comprises the financially stable and sustainability-oriented countries of Western and Northern Europe. Cluster 2 showcases the variegated economic and sustainability initiatives in Central and Southern Europe. Cluster 3 envelopes the economic titans with noteworthy business expansion but with the potential for better sustainable practices. The analysis reveals a favourable association between economic prosperity and sustainable development within clusters, although with nonlinear intricacies. The research concludes with a series of strategic imperatives specifically crafted for each cluster, promoting economic variation, increased sustainability, invention, and worldwide collaboration. The resulting findings highlight the crucial need for policy-making that considers the specific context and the potential for combined European resilience and sustainability.

The need to expand the range of banking services in Ukraine is stipulated with technological progress, the European integration processes and the legal regime of martial law introduced in the country. Under the conditions of war, the need to strengthen the security of banking activities and protect the banking system from the influence of any internal and external factors gains meaning. The topical direction of economic and legal research of scientists today is the possibility to introduce digital technologies with elements of artificial intelligence (AI) into the banking activity in Ukraine to improve its protection. The AI law as an independent branch of the Ukrainian law has not been developed so far. The sources of AI law, its functions, tasks, scope, risks and limits of legal responsibility for prohibited practices of artificial intelligence have not been defined. The purpose of the article is to analyze the theoretical and legal provisions that underpin the regulation of AI application in Ukrainian banking. The comparative legal method made it possible, considering the provisions of the draft law on AI of the European Union, to determine the trends in the development of the legal regulation of AI in Ukraine. Following the study, proposals to the legislation of Ukraine were formulated, which will contribute to the legal regulation of banking activities using digital technologies with elements of AI.

The economic complexity approach presents a shift from quantitative to qualitative measures of economic performance, while economic complexity refers to the accumulation of know-how. Economic complexity is considered a predictor of economic growth and research evidences a positive relationship between economic complexity and economic growth. In the EU countries, economic convergence is observed. Hence the question of economic complexity convergence arises, too. The paper aims to analyze the convergence of 27 EU countries considering their economic complexity from 1999 to 2021 computing the beta convergence. Using the Barro-type regressions, the econometric estimations focus on four indices of economic complexity—the economic complexity index published by Harvard’s Growth Lab, and economic complexity indices on research, trade, and technology published by the Observatory of Economic Complexity. The absolute beta convergence is observed in the EU except for the economic complexity index referring to trade. When including the dummy referring to the location of EU countries in the West or East of the EU considering their wealth, the conditional beta convergence is observed except for the trade-economic complexity index, again. When altering the condition of location by the GDP per capita and other controls, the conditional beta convergence of economic complexity in the EU is observed when estimating both fixed-effect models and dynamic panel data models based on the system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator.

The ongoing railway reforms in Ukraine are crucial for the country’s integration into the European Union’s transportation network. A major challenge lies in the difference in track gauge widths: Ukraine predominantly uses a 1520 mm gauge, while European countries utilize a 1435 mm gauge. This 85 mm difference presents significant logistical and operational barriers, hindering smooth cross-border trade and travel. The study examines the current state of Ukraine’s railway system, highlighting the urgent need for infrastructure modernization to meet European standards. Methods include a comparative analysis of Ukraine’s railway network with those of EU member states, focusing on integration challenges and potential solutions. Results indicate that aligning Ukraine’s railway with European standards could substantially enhance connectivity, reduce transit times, and foster economic growth. However, “Ukrzaliznytsia’s” slow adaptation to these necessary changes is a major roadblock. The study concludes that the construction of a standard-gauge railway linking Ukraine to the EU is vital not only for improving trade routes but also for supporting Ukraine’s broader political and economic aspirations towards EU membership. Circular economy principles, such as resource optimisation, extending the life cycle of existing infrastructure and reusing materials from dismantled railway facilities, can offer a cost-effective and sustainable approach. This infrastructural change will serve as a catalyst for deeper integration, strengthening Ukraine’s position within the European transportation network.

This article presents a comparative analysis and characteristics of the pension insurance systems of foreign countries, namely Germany, Sweden, Estonia, Poland, France with the aim of implementing their effective and noteworthy experience in Ukraine. The key indicators of the characteristics of the pension systems of these countries and Ukraine (amount of insurance contributions to the public pension fund; retirement age; insurance period; the ratio of the average pension to the average wage) have been studied and analyzed. Having examined these indicators, the authors came to the conclusion that the general trend in most countries of the world is that they guarantee only a minimum pension, which is caused by the increase in the share of pensioners in society. To solve the demographic problems affecting pension provision, the most countries increase the retirement age and provide financial incentives to stimulate citizens to work after the retirement age. To increase the pension, there are pension accumulation tools at the expense of the employer or at the expense of one’s own funds. Following the example of foreign countries, the directions for improving the pension insurance system of Ukraine were allocated.