MARGINALISED ZONES AS STATISTICAL INSTRUMENTS TO NAVIGATE PERMACRISIS IMPACTS IN EUROPEAN REGIONS

Cristina LINCARU

PhD, FeRSA, Department of Labour Market, National Scientific Research Institute for Labour and Social Protection, Bucharest, Romania

cristina.lincaru@yahoo.de

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6596-1820

Gabriela TUDOSE

PhD, Senior Researcher, II-nd degree, National Scientific Research Institute for Labour and Social Protection, Bucharest, Romania

gabriela_tudose@yahoo.com

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-340-9987

Adriana GRIGORESCU

PhD Full Professor, SNSPA; Director of Global Economy & Governance Interdisciplinary Research Platform; AOSR; INCE; LEAD Cambridge, MA; UCLM Spain

adrianagrigorescu11@gmail.com

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4212-6974

Speranța PÎRCIOG

PhD, Scientific Director, National Scientific Research Institute for Labour and Social Protection, Bucharest, Romania

pirciog@incsmps.ro

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0215-038X

Cristina STROE

Senior Researcher II-nd degree, National Scientific Research Institute for Labour and Social Protection, Bucharest, Romania

cristina.radu@incsmps.ro

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-8384-6084

Abstract

In the context of overlapping and interrelated crises—economic, ecological, social, and geopolitical—European regions are confronted with new governance challenges. Marginalised zones, often treated as residual spaces in policy discourse, must be reimagined as analytical and governance instruments in the transition toward sustainability and territorial resilience. This article explores how marginalised areas can be conceptualised and operationalised through spatial statistical methodologies and policy frameworks that support just transition processes. Drawing on a critical review of empirical studies and strategic European and Romanian documents, we synthesise the main tools used to identify territorial disparities, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), clustering algorithms, fuzzy logic, spatial econometrics, and machine learning. We confirm that these methods allow for more nuanced territorial diagnostics and typologies, which are essential for evidence-based and place-based policies. The article advances a transdisciplinary framework that repositions marginalised zones as strategic levers in adaptive territorial governance. Ultimately, we argue for a paradigm shift: from periphery to policy, where marginalised regions evolve from passive recipients of aid to active instruments of just transition.

Keywords: Marginalised regions, Just transition, Spatial inequality, Territorial resilience, Governance instruments, PCA, Clustering, Fuzzy logic, Regional typologies, Permacrisis

JEL classification: R11, R58, O18, Q56, C38

pp.155-165

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NET JOBS GENERATION AND NET GHG EMISSIONS REDUCTION FROM PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF FOSSIL FUELS WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Gustavo FERRO

Associate Professor and Independent Researcher, Universidad del CEMA (UCEMA) and CONICET

gaf97@ucema.edu.ar; gferro05@yahoo.com.ar

M. Priscila RAMOS

Professor and Researcher, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Departamento de Economía. CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política.

 mpramos@economicas.uba.ar

Carlos A. ROMERO

Professor and Researcher, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Departamento de Economía. CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política.

cromero@economicas.uba.ar

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the reach of net job creation and net emissions reduction from the partial substitution of conventional (fossil) energy sources by renewables in Southern Brazil. We examine a subset of renewable energy sources, namely, biogas. It has been established that biogas requires lower investment and is also more labor-intensive than fossil energies for comparable units. However, gross job generation does not account for job losses in reducing sectors. In order to account for production and industrial chain relationships, input-output analysis allows for ordering information and tracing the interrelations between industries. Concerning jobs and emissions, input-output tables and models are expressed in monetary units. In contrast, jobs are measured in units (full-time equivalent – FTE), and all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are in MtCO2e. These satellite accounts in physical units join Input-Output tables, transforming conventional into hybrid Input-Output analysis. Once the baseline is established (2018), we consider different scenarios of fossil fuel substitution by biogas and determine values for net job creation and net emissions generation. Results highlight the favorable impacts of the development of biogas to produce electricity generation in terms of greater production and net job creation while saving GHG emissions.

Keywords: biogas, Brazil, input-output, employment, GHG emissions

JEL classification: Q42, R15

pp. 143-153

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FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN REAL ESTATE IN ALBANIA AND ITS IMPACT ON GDP

Antoneta POLO

Assoc.Prof.,”Eqrem Çabej” University, Gjirokastra, Albania

neta_polo@yahoo.com

Enkela CACA

Assoc. Prof.,”Eqrem Çabej” University, Gjirokastra, Albania

ebabaramo@yahoo.com

Ilirjana ZYBERI

Assoc. Prof.,”Eqrem Çabej” University, Gjirokastra, Albania

izyberi@yahoo.com

Christos Ap. LADIAS

Professor, Regional Science Inquiry Journal, Greece

Ladias@rsijournal.eu

Filipos RUXHO

Faculty of Agribusiness, University of Haxhi Zeka, Peja, Kosovo,

filipos.ruxho@unhz.eu

Abstract

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in real estate has played an increasingly significant role in Albania’s economic development, particularly over the past decade. This paper examines the relationship between real estate FDI and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Albania over a five-year period, analyzing whether foreign investment in the real estate sector has acted as a driver of economic growth or merely reflected broader macroeconomic trends.

Our empirical findings suggest that  FDI in real estate (RE) has had a positive contribution to GDP growth, particularly through increased urban development and rising property values in key economic centers like Tirana and coastal cities.

This study provides valuable insights for policymakers, emphasizing the need for strategic reforms to enhance the benefits of real estate FDI while mitigating risks associated with speculative activities.

This study, also, contributes to the literature on FDI and economic growth, offering a case-specific analysis of Albania and providing policy recommendations for optimizing the benefits of foreign investments in real estate.

Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Real Estate, Economic Growth, GDP, Albania, Regression Analysis

JEL classification: F21, R 30, E01,

pp. 135-142

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