Despite having a strategic position in supporting the Indonesian economy, the productivity of SME’s is still suboptimal. The increase in the number of SME’s has not been followed by increased competitiveness due to various limitations experienced by this sector. In an effort to provide a comprehensive picture in improving the performance of food processing SME’s in developing countries such as Indonesia, the purpose of this study was to examine the function of product innovation, internet marketing, and brand identity in shaping competitive advantage having an impact on business performance. This research is focused on food processing SME’s in the city of Bogor. The number of samples used was 100 SME’s. The sampling method used the non-probability sampling method with a snowball sampling technique. The data obtained were analyzed using the Structural Equation Model (SEM). Based on the age characteristic of business actors, the majority of business actors were 40–50 years old, of which 52% had their final formal education at high school level. As many as 61% of respondents had attended business training. Based on the results of the Partially Least Square (PLS) SEM analysis, it was found that product innovation, internet marketing and brand identity all had a significant positive effect on competitive advantage and business performance. The influence of brand identity on competitive advantage had the greatest effect, with a value of 0.451. This study contributes to existing research by examining the determinants of the business performance of processed food SME’s through the holistic model offered. This research is innovative because the business raises new issues related to internet marketing by SME’s and investigates them empirically.

This study analyzes the role of innovation in the development of smart cities in Latin America. It focuses on how emerging technologies and sustainable strategies are being integrated into urban planning and urban development. In this sense, this study seeks to contribute to the smart city literature by answering the following research questions: (i) To what extent smart city innovative initiatives have been addressed in Latin America? and (ii) To what extent scholars have addressed sustainable innovation strategies in the smart city literature? To this end, this is the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of smart city research in Latin America, with a structured and systematized review of the available literature. This methodological approach allows cluster visualization and detailed analysis of inter-node relationships using the VOSViewer software. The research comprises 4 stages: (a) search criteria; (b) selection of documents; (c) software and data extraction; and (d) analysis of results and trends. Results indicate that studies on the Latin America region began to develop in 2012, with Brazil as a leader in this field and the tourism sector as the most relevant. Nevertheless, strong international collaboration was identified in co-authoring studies, underscoring a cooperative approach to solving common urban problems. The most active research area is technological innovation and sustainability, with focus on solutions for urban mobility, quality of life and smart governance. Finally, this work underlines the need to continue exploring the integration of technology in urban development, suggesting an agenda to guide future research to evaluate the sustainability and long-term impacts of smart city initiatives in Latin America. From the policy perspective, smart city initiatives need to be human-centered to boost smart solutions adoption and to guarantee long term local impacts.

This paper presents a practical approach to empowering software entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia through a unique course offered by the Software Engineering department at Prince Sultan University. The course, SE495 Emergent Topics in Software Engineering: Software Entrepreneurship, combines software engineering and entrepreneurship to equip students with the necessary skills to develop innovative software solutions that solve real-world problems. The course covers a range of topics, including platform development, market research, and pitching to investors, and features guest speakers from the industry. By the end of the course, students will have gained a deep understanding of the software development process and its intersection with entrepreneurship and will be able to develop a working prototype of a software solution that solves a real-world problem. The course’s practical approach ensures that students are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of the digital and software sectors and succeed in an ever-changing business landscape.

This paper is the third in a series focused on bridging the gap between secondary and higher education. Our primary objective is to develop a robust theoretical framework for an innovative e-business model called the Undergraduate Study Programme Search System (USPSS). This system considers multiple criteria to reduce the likelihood of exam failure or the need for multiple retakes, while maximizing the chances of successful program completion. Testing of the proposed algorithm demonstrated that the Stochastic Gradient Boosted Regression Trees method outperforms the current method used in Lithuania for admitting applicants to 47 educational programs. Specifically, it is more accurate than the Probabilistic Neural Network for 25 programs, the Ensemble of Regression Trees for 24 programs, the Single Regression Tree for 18 programs, the Random Forest Regression for 16 programs, the Bayesian Additive Regression Trees for 13 programs, and the Regression by Discretization for 10 programs.

In the face of growing competition, industrial and commercial firms need more effective strategies to gain competitive advantages. This study investigates the role of enterprise risk management (ERM) as a mediator in highlighting the significance of innovation capability on profitability in industrial and commercial firms listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). Data were collected from 244 respondents using a standardized questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS software. The results indicate that the innovation capability has an impact on profitability in industrial and commercial firms, as well as their ERM practices. Additionally, ERM mediates the relationship between innovation capability and profitability. Firms that adopt distinctive innovation strategies tend to maintain formal ERM strategies, which in turn enhance market superiority and profitability. This research offers some significant managerial ramifications that may be essential for business owners, executives, and decision-makers involved in the development of firms.

Since 1999, China’s higher education has experienced significant growth, with the government dramatically increasing college enrollment rates, thereby enhancing the overall quality of education. However, most existing studies have primarily focused on the quantity of education, with little attention having been given to the impact of higher education quality (HEQ) on economic growth. This study aims to explore how higher education quality (HEQ) contributes to regional economic growth through scientific and technological innovation (STI) and human capital accumulation. Using panel data from 31 Chinese provinces from the period 1999 to 2022, panel regression models and instrumental variable methods were employed to analyze both the direct and indirect impacts of higher education quality (HEQ) on economic growth. The results confirm that improving higher education quality (HEQ) is crucial for sustaining China’s economic growth. More specifically, higher education promotes regional economic expansion both directly, by enhancing labor productivity, and indirectly, by facilitating scientific and technological innovation. Furthermore, the study suggests that the balanced distribution of educational resources across regions should be prioritized to support coordinated regional development. This research provides insights for policymakers on how balanced regional economic development can be achieved through educational and technological policies. This work also lays a foundation for future studies.