Sustainable competitiveness of the visegrad group countries

Abstract

Purpose – The main objective of this paper is to present the results of an analysis of sustainable competitiveness of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries in comparison with other EU member states, including the aspects of the European Green Deal and the challenges associated with its implementation in the V4 countries from the perspective of their sustainable competitiveness. The analysis is preceded by a synthetic discussion of the issue of sustainable competitiveness in theoretical terms. Research method – To achieve the objectives of the study, the methods of literature review (on theoretical analysis of sustainable competitiveness), and analysis of source materials (on sustainable competitiveness of V4 countries) and of available statistical data (on the structure of energy production in V4 countries) were used. Results – Although sustainable competitiveness of the Visegrad countries varies, as a group they perform much better than other EU Member States when compared to the rest of the world. As a result of the implementation of the European Green Deal, an improvement in the overall sustainable competitiveness of the V4 countries can be expected in the long term, despite short-term costs related to the planned ecological transition and digital transformation. Originality / value / implications / recommendations – Although the number of publications on sustainable competitiveness in the contemporary international economic literature is growing, there is still a lack of research studies in this area dedicated to the V4 countries. This paper fills this research gap.