Eastern European Economics

Edited by: Claudiu Tiberiu ABULESCU (Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania) and Aviral Kumar TIWARI (Indian Institute of Management Bodh Gaya, India)

Submission Deadline: 1^st December 2023

In their catching-up process, the Eastern European countries are working to strengthen their competitiveness and economic performance. An important role in this area is played by the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as major contributors to job creation and economic growth. Through its policies and funding schemes, the European Commission sustains SMEs activities, including for those located at the EU frontier, in the so-called Eastern partner region. However, “the rise of eastern Europe is a forgotten economic success story” (Financial Times, 2021). Indeed, only small steps were made in climbing from poverty to wealth, to achieve the status of “advanced economies”. One reason for this evidence is represented by a reduced performance of SMEs located in the Eastern European countries, compared to their peers from Western Europe. This Special Issue will focus on the determinants of SMEs performance in Eastern European countries, with an accent on their access to finance, innovation capacity, and involvement in international trade. It is well-known that the SMEs’ access to finance represents one of the greatest constraints to private sector development. Similarly, the innovation capacity of SMEs from the Eastern European countries is reduced, negatively impacting their productivity level. In addition, globalization generates new opportunities for SMEs and the benefits of their engagement in international trade are well documented. However, only a small portion of these companies from Eastern Europe carries out international economic activities. These challenges are even more important in the post-pandemic context and the Russo-Ukrainian War.

EASTERN EUROPEAN ECONOMICS invites scholars to submit manuscripts on SMEs performance in Eastern European countries, particularly focusing on performance’ drivers. The special issue covers three broad areas: the access to finance; innovation capacity; and the internationalization of SMEs. We also aim to understand the interactions between SME’s performance on the one hand, and the digitalization process and sustainability on the other hand.

We encourage authors to address the following topics:

• Access to finance and competitive growth of SMEs,
• SMEs' innovation capacity,
• Synergies between trade and productivity in the case of SMEs,
• Environmental policies and SMEs’ performance,
• SMEs’ digitalization process,
• Regional uncertainty and SME’s performance,
• Policy settings and SME’s performance

The timetable of publication is as follows:

• Submission Deadline: 1^st December 2023
• Reviews Completed: 31^th January 2024
• Final Manuscripts Due: 28^thFebruary 2024
• Publication: March 2024.

Submission prior to deadline of 1^st December 2023 is encouraged.

Contact: Claudiu Tiberiu ALBULESCU
Email: [email protected]

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