Journal of Security and Sustainability Issues

Authors of the article focus on the current issues regarding foreign direct investments and their impact on the economic development of Slovak regions. The aim of this article is to draft overview of stage of current development within the economic and investment policy of the Government of the Slovak Republic to meet the needs of regional development. The introduction part presents the theoretical basis described by local and foreign authors reflecting the level of foreign direct investments use including their influence on the economic progress in particular regions emphasised on the development and promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises. Analysis of the government investment policy is carried out in the specification part underlining the significant role of the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency. Stated knowledge provide the theoretical framework for the experimental part of the article. Experimental part of the article by the means of numerical statistics and comparison method analyses and evaluates the level of investment support provided to small and medium-sized regional enterprises through projects sustained by the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency within the years 2012 and 2017.Successfully concluded projects concerning the foreign investment aid for the particular Slovak regions are analysed in experimental part, which also quantifies investments based on their contribution to the growth in jobs and provides an overview of the cooperating activities among regions of Slovakia from 2007 to 2017. Contributional outcome of the experimental part of the article is presentation of governmental standards, which are required from regions in order to obtain investment aid while job creation is taken into account. Issued conclusions may inspire further economic operators and authorities responsible in area of social and economic regional development in Slovak republic, regions of other Member States and third countries of Europe as well.

In the EU White Paper on Transport 2011 the emphasis was laid on green transport corridors, i.e. transhipment routes with concentration of freight traffic between major hubs and by relatively long distances of transport marked by reduced environmental and climate impact while increasing safety and efficiency with application of sustainable logistics solutions. Green transport is based on inter-modality and advanced ICT-systems improving traffic management, increase efficiency and better integrate the logistics components of a corridor. Until today only the first steps have been realised in the implementation of green corridor concepts, so that concrete requirements and frame conditions for ICT-systems of green corridors are described on conceptual basis. Baltic Sea Region (BSR) enjoys a vanguard position in the development and realisation of green transport concepts in Europe and some research projects delivered already the first results for the requirements of ICT-systems supporting green transport corridors. Of special importance is the EU initiative “East-West Transport Corridor (EWTC II)” since for the first time a green corridor manual has been presented formulating recommendations and requirements of green transport corridors to European level. The authors took part in some important green transport corridor initiatives around the Baltic Sea, including EWTC project, and were involved in related research activities. This paper aims at pointing out the current status and the future direction of ICT-systems for green transport corridors, especially under the viewpoint of secure and sustainable green corridor management.