Innovation is a key determinant of sustainable growth. Biotechnology (BT) is one such industry that has witnessed a revolution in innovative ideas leading to the founding of many new companies based ...on providing products, solutions and services, stretching from the food industry to environmental remediation, and new medicines. BT holds much promise for the development of national and local economies, however, this requires a strategic approach involving actors within government, industry, and academia working in concert to maximize this potential. This first article reviews the current "state of play" in the field of BT within the Central Eastern European (CEE) countries. For the purposes of this article, CEE refers to the countries of Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia (the so-called Visegrad - V4 countries). We examine the components that support the creation and development of a BT sector in CEE and also highlight the barriers to these objectives. Clearly setting priorities for the countries' policy agenda, as well as the alignment of Smart Specialization Strategy will help to focus efforts. Recent investments in R&D infrastructure within CEE have been substantial, but conditions will need to be optimized to harness these largely European investments for effective use towards SME high-tech development.
The logistics system of Ukraine in the conditions of Covid-19 in combination with well-being indicators had been examined, and it was noted that it needed to be singled out as an economic and social ...component with a high level of perspective development. It has been noted that the logistics systems of some countries have been able to adapt more quickly to the new non-standard environment, while others need additional support. One such country is Ukraine. It had been established that this system has many years of experience, which attracts increased attention to Ukraine's integration into the EU. Also, it was found that, in contrast to the EU countries, Ukraine, having a favorable geographical location, has limited resources for state support of the logistics sphere. Analyzing freight traffic by type of transport in Ukraine, it was determined that the country's vital railway sector is characterized by worn-out infrastructure and an outdated system of operation, which in the context of the corona crisis suffered even more significant losses. Analyzing the level of public funding for railway infrastructure in the EU, significant differences have been identified concerning public funding in Ukraine. The forecast of volumes of the state financing of freight transportations on three scenarios (optimistic, actual, pessimistic) was carried out. It was established that the freight transportation sphere, regardless of the occurrence of any of the scenarios, is an essential component not only of the logistics system of Ukraine but also has a direct impact on its competitiveness. The correlation between the sphere of public financing of logistics and the integrated indicator of population happiness in Ukraine has been revealed. The polynomial trend line of the size of capital investments in logistics demonstrates the positive dynamics of gradual growth. According to the received calculations, the financing of logistics affects the country's level of competitiveness, which occurs due to an increase in investments that contribute to raising the country's rating in the next period.
STUDY QUESTION
How do the different forms of regulation and public financing of IVF affect utilization in otherwise similar European welfare state systems?
SUMMARY ANSWER
Countries with more liberal ...social eligibility regulations had higher levels of IVF utilization, which diminished as the countries' policies became more restrictive.
WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
Europe is a world leader in the development and utilization of IVF, yet surveillance reveals significant differences in uptake among countries which have adopted different approaches to the regulation and and public financing of IVF.
STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
A descriptive and comparative analysis of legal restrictions on access to IVF in 13 of the EU15 countries that affirmatively regulate and publicly finance IVF.
PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
Using 2009 data from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology study of regulatory frameworks in Europe and additional legislative research, we examined and described restrictions on access to IVF in terms of general eligibility, public financing and the scope of available services. Multiple correspondence analysis was used to identify patterns of regulation and groups of countries with similar regulatory patterns and to explore the effects on utilization of IVF, using data from the most recent European and international IVF monitoring reports.
MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
Regulations based on social characteristics of treatment seekers who are not applicable to other medical treatments, including relationship status and sexual orientation, appear to have the greatest impact on utilization. Countries with the most generous public financing schemes tend to restrict access to covered IVF to a greater degree. However, no link could be established between IVF utilization and the manner in which coverage was regulated or the level of public financing.
LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
Owing to the lack of data regarding the actual level of public versus private financing of IVF it is impossible to draw conclusions regarding equity of access. Moreover, the regulatory and utilization data were not completely temporally matched in what can be a quickly changing regulatory landscape.
WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
Whether motivated by cost, eligility restrictions or the availability of particular services, cross-border treatment seeking is driven by regulatory policies, underscoring the extra-territorial implications of in-country political decisions regarding access to IVF.
STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
There was no funding source for this study. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Expenditure and financing aspects in the healthcare system in general, and in cancer care in particular, are subjects of increasing concern to the medical community. Nowadays, it is imperative for ...the healthcare system to respond to the challenge of universal access to quality healthcare, by measuring the financial resources within the healthcare sector. The purpose of this review is to highlight the major gaps in the healthcare expenditures for all types of care, as well as on cancer and anti-cancer drugs across 28 European Union member states. The indicators taken into account are divided into two major groups: (1) healthcare expenditures for all types of care, and (2) healthcare expenditures on cancer and anti-cancer drugs. The programs used for our analysis are SPSS Statistics V20.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA) and Stat World Explorer. The overall picture confirms that there are considerable disparities between the 28 countries in relation to their expenditures on health. The trend in public expenditures for all types of care, compared to the share of healthcare expenditures as a percentage of the GDP, shows the increase of health expenses between 2010 and 2014, but a lower rise compared to the total GDP increase. Healthcare expenditure on cancer (%THE) is rather low, despite the high cost associated with anti-cancer drugs. New treatments and drugs development will be increasingly difficult to achieve if the share devoted to cancer does not increase, and the lack of funds may act as a barrier in receiving high-quality care.
Our study investigates the impact of local political uncertainty on public financing costs in China. By examining a series of unexpected turnovers of municipal government leaders, we find that the ...offering yield spreads of municipal corporate bonds increase by around 23 basis points shortly following an anti-corruption investigation and reverse afterward. Indicators show that the anti-corruption investigation escalates the short-term uncertainty about government actions. The pricing effect is stronger for issuers with higher exposure to government policies or lower financial resilience. A transparent information environment alleviates the impact. In contrast, temporary government inefficiency does not explain the increase in yield spreads. Our findings suggest that political uncertainty is a determinant of public financing costs.
El objetivo es analizar la influencia del financiamiento público en la creación de patentes de los estados mexicanos durante 2009-2017. El patentamiento es uno de los resultados de la actividad ...innovadora que el gobierno puede estimular mediante el financiamiento de proyectos. La teoría schumpeteriana sugiere una relación positiva en la que las empresas grandes tienden a innovar más porque poseen mayores recursos para invertir en I+D, lo que permite economías de escala. La metodología de datos de conteo encuentra efectos positivos, diferenciados por tamaño de empresa, del financiamiento público y la educación sobre el patentamiento, los cuales muestran más consistencia en empresas grandes. Para fomentar la innovación, se recomienda diseñar programas públicos personalizados por tamaño de empresa junto a estrategias que busquen mejorar los logros educativos. Además de las restricciones metodológicas, los resultados dependen de la medición de la innovación desde patentes, lo que implica que la evidencia estimada podría ser mayor. Esta investigación contribuye al nexo financiamiento-innovación porque usa datos desagregados por tamaño de empresa y tipo de financiamiento. Se concluye que el financiamiento público impulsa la innovación.
Dental care in Canada is primarily financed through private insurance plans and out‐of‐pocket payments. While Canada is internationally recognized for Medicare, a publicly‐funded health insurance ...system that covers hospital and physician‐provided services at the point of care, it remains one of the least equitable Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development countries in terms of affordable access to dental care. Approximately one third of Canadians do not have access to dental insurance, including half of low‐income individuals, and individuals with the greatest dental care needs are often unable to reliably access dental services. Select populations—such as children, Indigenous peoples, seniors, and persons living with disabilities—receive some level of publicly‐funded dental services, amounting to approximately 6% of total dental spending nationwide. Despite the evolution of Medicare, dental care has been largely excluded from federal health legislation following World War II. However, in March 2022, the Liberal Party of Canada partnered with the federal New Democratic Party to advance common legislative goals, including a long‐term nationwide dental program for low‐ and middle‐income families. As an interim measure, Bill C‐31 was signed into law on 17 November 2022, and created the Canada Dental Benefit, which provides a fixed transfer payment to individuals with an annual household income under $90,000. This commentary reviews the origins of Canadian Medicare, discusses the factors that led to the continued exclusion of dental care from federal health legislation, examines the newly‐minted Canada Dental Benefit, and explores the potential for expanded public funding in Canadian dental care.
Highlights
Dental care in Canada is mainly privately financed with limited public funding
Canadians with marked oral health needs are unable to equitably access care
The Canada Dental Benefit may increase access to care for low‐income Canadians
An emerging policy window may allow for expanded public dental funding
The energy transition requires the deployment of risky research and development programs, most of which are partially financed by public funding. Recent recovery plans, associated with the COVID‐19 ...pandemic and the energy transition, increased the funding available to finance innovative low‐carbon projects and called for an economic evaluation of their allocation. This paper analyzes the potential benefit of using repayable advance: a lump‐sum payment to finance the project that is paid back in case of success. The relationship between the state and innovative firms is formalized in the principal‐agent framework. Investing in an innovative project requires an initial observable capital outlay. We introduce asymmetric information on the probability of success, which is known to the firm but not to the state agency. The outcome of the project, if successful, delivers a private benefit to the firm and an external social benefit to the state. In this context a repayable advance consists in rewarding failure. We prove that it is a superior strategy in the presence of pure adverse selection. We investigate under what conditions this result could be extended in the presence of moral hazard. Implications for green industrial policy are discussed.
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