Rapid urban expansion gives rise to smart cities which pose immense logistical and supply chain challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic transformed the holistic system identified by Zhao et al. in 2021. The system encompasses logistics and supply chain integral to the concept of smart cities, with a focus on sustainability. This transformation requires an in-depth study on challenges of a common framework of policies for smart cities in countries comprising the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The study employs an extensive literature analysis for the period 2020–2022. an approach which contextualizes the model. The model identifies the causes, impact, and spillovers of new trends in logistics and supply, including the sustainability of adopted technologies. The study includes the variables involved, and barriers to creating a shared model. The results reveal that the two elements affecting the supply chain and transport in smart cities are Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies supporting specific sectors. The resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises positively impacts the sustainability of large urban centres. The study presents both factors that help and hinder the adoption of environmental, social, and economic sustainability technologies.

Payment for forest ecosystem services (PFES) policy is a prevalent strategy designed to establish a marketplace where users compensate providers for forest ecosystem services. This research endeavours to scrutinise the impact of PFES on households’ perceptions of forest values and their behaviour towards forest conservation, in conjunction with their socio-economic circumstances and their communal involvement in forest management. By incorporating the social-ecological system framework and the theory of human behaviours in environmental conservation, this study employs a structural equations model to analyse the factors influencing individuals’ perceptions and behaviours towards forest conservation. The findings indicate that the payment of PFES significantly increases forest protection behaviour at the household level and has achieved partial success in activating community mechanisms to guide human behaviour towards forest conservation. Furthermore, it has effectively leveraged the role of state-led social organisations to alter local individuals’ perceptions and behaviours towards forest protection.

Fintech as a three-dimensional phenomenon reflects the rapidly changing technological, financial and business environment. The bibliometric analysis of scientific articles allowed us to identify the main themes and create a map of the field of fintech influences. Systematization of scientific articles revealed the influence of economic development and socio-demographic inequality on fintech development. Government regulatory policies can accelerate the digitisation of financial services and financial inclusion and help the fintech sector face geopolitical challenges. Fintech’s impact was divided into three areas: financial stability and sustainable development, the business ecosystem and human behaviour. The research we summarised allowed us to identify the mechanisms through which fintech influences various fields. A complex approach to the influence of fintech enables us to understand the phenomenon and make better decisions.

Tropical peat swamp is an essential ecosystem experiencing increased degradation over the past few decades. Therefore, this study used the social-ecological system (SES) perspective to explain the complex relationship between humans and nature in the Sumatran Peatlands Biosphere Reserve. The peat swamp forest has experienced a significant decline, followed by a significant increase in oil palm and forest plantations in areas designated for peat protection. Human systems have evolved to become complex and hierarchical, constituting individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions. Studies on SES conducted in the tropical peatlands of Asia have yet to address the co-evolutionary processes occurring in this region, which could illustrate the dynamic relationship between humans and nature. This study highlights the co-evolutionary processes occurring in the tropical peatland biosphere reserve and provides insights into their sustainability trajectory. Moreover, the coevolution process shows that biosphere reserve is shifting toward an unsustainable path. This is indicated by ongoing degradation in three zones and a lack of a comprehensive framework for landscape-scale water management. Implementing landscape-scale water management is essential to sustain the capacity of peatlands social-ecological systems facing disturbances, and it is important to maintain biodiversity. In addition, exploring alternative development pathways can help alter these trajectories toward sustainability.

Lake Batur is one of the national priorities, as it has economic value, and fish resources are used for food security and improving the local people’s welfare. The study examined the applicability of fisheries management status based on the ecosystem approach in lakes. The study was carried out from February to July 2023 using ecosystem approach methods in seven villages around Batur Lake, Bali, Indonesia, Data was collected through observations and interviews with 189 respondents. The success of fisheries management might be shown as a flag model after the composite domain and the total aggregate value of all dominants were rated. The results showed that the managed fish resources and stakeholders were unsatisfactory categories. Generally, social and fishing technology domains were classified as good categories. For that, ecosystem approach applications for sustainable fisheries in Batur Lake needed action under the five common scenario goals (a) reducing non-target fish (red devil) in the lakes by intensive capture and processing into other products of economic value; (b) regulations related to the reserve area as a place for fish to spawn and breed; (c) increasing the synergy of fisheries management policies; (d) increasing the stakeholder capacity; and (e) government support and related stakeholders regarding one regulation for fisheries management.

This research seeks to identify the value of a few common factors determining the speed of economic growth in Baltic states and analyzes their impact in detail on Latvia’s lagging. Latvia’s economic starting point after regaining independence because of the collapse of the Soviet Union was at least comparable to its neighbors. Still, after the implementation of liberal reforms towards a free market’ economy and 20 years of operation as an EU full member, Latvia is lagging in growth, prosperity, and innovation. Within the analysis, this scientific paper pays special attention to the three less discussed factors, namely, the impact of post-Soviet mind-set effects as a part of local innovation culture, lasting since regaining independence in 1991; the importance of the availability of talent pull, its density, diversity, and accessibility; and readiness and capability to capture external knowledge and technology adoption. The overall approach is the systemic assessment of the national innovation system and/or innovation ecosystem, trying to understand the differences between these two models. Research is performed by analysis of the performance of the local innovation ecosystem in connection with export- and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policies. The authors present a novel method for visually representing economic growth and its application in analyzing process development within transitional economic nations. The study uses an analytical and synthetical literature review. It offers a new GDP data visualization method useful for monitoring economic development and forecasting potential economic crises—the outcomes from aggregative literature analysis in a consolidated concept are provided for required talent policy proposals. The post-Soviet mindset is seen as a heritage and devious underdog that has left incredibly diverse consequences on today’s society, power structures, economic growth potential, and the emergence of healthy, well-managed, and sustainable innovation ecosystems. The post-Soviet mindset is a seemingly hidden and, at the same time, an intriguing factor that has a significant impact on the desire to make and implement the right decisions related to innovation, education, and other policies promoting business development. The key outcome of the article is that sociocultural aspects and differences in innovation culture led to a slow-down of Latvia’s economic growth compared to Estonia’s and Lithuania’s slightly more successful economic reforms.