Activities undertaken by Polish manufacturing companies to reduce air emissions

Technological changes that come with industrial revolution have largely affected businesses, as well as society. With the current technological shift and Fourth Industrial Revolution, many questions arise regarding the impacts and effects on current ways businesses operate. This study presents a retrospective analysis and overview of previous industrial revolutions. The aim of the retrospective analysis is to identify common characteristics that may lead to lessons learned for the forthcoming Fourth Industrial Revolution and thus complement the current debate on technological change. All previous industrial revolutions have led to change in business environments and new challenges for managers and owners. The findings show that all previous revolutions have led to increase in the number of service jobs created. The key approach of successful countries during the times of industrial revolution has included education as the source of new skills and knowledge necessary for adaption. Countries that were able to produce high skilled people could not only invent, but also adapt to new technologies sooner than others. Similarly, these approaches included introduction of new managerial practices in order to be able to utilize new technologies and new skilled workers effectively. The research article processes secondary data together with literature review on this topic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a catalyst for changing the technological order of human development and has accelerated the formation of new forms of organization and business. The change of technological orders causes uneven development of scientific and technological progress, as a result of which the existing technologies deepen, which become dominant and can be superimposed on the existing technological way of life. The purpose of the study is to substantiate changes in technology orders and to analyze the process of digitization as a new trend in the internationalization of technology transfer based on data on the dynamics of business meetings at brokerage events recorded in the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). The use of EEN IT platform tools and general scientific methods such as analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, and historical analysis has confirmed the differences between the fifth and sixth technological orders and demonstrated the search for new ways of development for small businesses. The study formulated a general strategy for the digitization process and recommendations for the internationalization of technology transfer using Enterprise Europe Network tools in a pandemic, which include intensifying business activities using cyberspace, changing existing forms of organization, and innovation for small businesses. This strategy became the basis for the formation of a new methodological paradigm for managing the process of internationalization of technology transfer, taking into account the peculiarities of the domestic economy in a pandemic.

This study explores international business integration, focusing on Colombian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It delves into the crucial aspects of competitiveness and technological capital influencing the export models of these SMEs. Using a questionnaire, responses were gathered from 63 Colombian SMEs exporting to 74 countries with 333 tariff positions. This analysis examines competitiveness factors like innovation, productivity, and business structure, as well as technological capital components such as R&D management, technological processes, and equipment, all tailored to the context of Colombian SMEs. The findings establish a comprehensive model elucidating direct and indirect relationships among these variables. They underscore the importance of strengthening competitiveness elements, particularly the infusion of technology into process and product innovation, alongside productivity and business structure rooted in the value derived from information technologies. Simultaneously, the study highlights the importance of nurturing employees’ physical, financial, and language skills within Colombian SMEs. This study accentuates the pivotal role of investment in technological capital aspects, including research and development management, personnel, and leveraging information technology, especially within Colombian SMEs. These investments are instrumental in augmenting performance and ensuring success in the international business arena. The paper contributes to both theoretical understanding and practical applications in enhancing the international competitiveness of Colombian SMEs.