Kamila Borseková

Building Košice European Capital of Culture: Towards a Creative City?

This chapter aims to identify the most important success factors leading to the reinvention and development of Kosice as a creative city. The catalyst shifting Kosice from an industrial city to a modern creative twenty-first century city was the award of the title European Capital of Culture in 2013. Changes in its cultural infrastructure produced various events that created a new development impulse in the city’s cultural life. Implementation of project Interface, realisation of investment projects, organisation of hundreds of events and revitalisation of urban spaces and places began the overall transformation of the city, increasing its attractiveness for citizens, tourists, entrepreneurs and investors.

The role of creative economy in Slovak Republic

The aim of the paper is to analyse and evaluate the situation in the field of creative economy in the Slovak Republic on the level NUTS 3. The analysis is based on the Euro-creative index calculation for year 2009. Based on the discussion of the research results, the weaknesses of the calculation and current state of the Slovak creative economy were identified. Conclusions include the proposal of activities how to attract and maintain the talented, creative people, so-called creative class in the regions. In the theoretical part of the paper, we characterise the creative economy and its importance in the current global world based on knowledge of the most famous experts dealing with the issue of creative economy and its measurement. In the research part of the paper, based on the analysis results (Euro-creative index calculation), we characterise the current position of creative economy in Slovak regions, the regional disparities among Slovak regions in context of creative economy and the possibilities for increasing the exploitation of creative potential in the Slovak regions.

Nostalgic Sentiment And Cultural And Creative Industries In Regional Development: A Slovak Case Study

Abstract In Slovakia, there are three unique, historical mining towns, Banská Bystrica, Banská Štiavnica and Kremnica, that have been successfully turned into creative cultural centres. The historical and cultural values of those towns have stood the test of time and become a magnet for a new and creative class of people looking to escape the brutality of high modernity (modern urban centres) and find a source of inspiration based on historical nostalgic sentimentalism — the basis for a new creative and cultural industry for rural areas. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the cultural and creative industries of these three unique historical mining centres with an eye to replicating their knowledge in other communities in economic stress. The paper will first explore concepts relating to cultural and creative industries with an eye towards nostalgic sentimentalism that is an important antithesis to high modernity, and even post-modernity. The second part will analyse the cultural and creative industries of the three centres based on primary data collected from several research projects in this area. The final part will provide some recommendations for the facilitation of creative and cultural enterprises in regional redevelopment. It also contains policy recommendations for the self-government of the region for a more effective and rational exploitation of the existing potential hiding in plain view.

From Tourism Space to a Unique Tourism Place through a Conceptual Approach to Building a Competitive Advantage

Abstract The main aim of the chapter is to propose a conceptual approach for the creation, exploitation and building of a competitive advantage through which it would be possible to create a unique place from tourism space. In the chapter we present theoretical basement for the issue of competitive advantage at the level of places, its types, factors and approaches for its creating, building and exploiting. In the chapter we specify one main hypothesis and one research question. They are verified through several scientific, statistical and mathematical methods. These methods are used for the evaluation of primary and secondary research results. In the final part of the chapter, a conceptual approach for identification and exploitation of competitive advantage aimed at building unique and competitive places was proposed.

Modeling Innovation and Sustainability in Tourism via Competitive Advantage and Collaboration: Building Smart Tourism Destination on Olkhon Island in Baikal Lake

The main aim of the chapter is to define the process of identification, creation, building and exploitation of the local competitive advantage based on internal resources and cooperation of local private and public subjects, networking and participation via creation of unique tourism local production system and its influence on sustainability and ecological awareness. On the example of being a pioneer in developing a tourism industry in a hidden corner of the world without any tourism experience, this chapter tells an inspirational story of building a tourism destination from inauspicious beginnings, almost no trust and zero support from local, regional and national authorities through the slow building of a tourism industry until a sustainable, competitive and environmentally aware tourist destination of the twenty-first century.

Model of Competency Management in the Network of Production Enterprises in Industry 4.0—Assumptions

The aim of this paper is to formulate assumptions—the point of departure for a model of competency management in a network of cooperating employers, whose goal is to increase the competitiveness of industry within the concept of Industry 4.0. In a knowledge-based economy, competencies are becoming a key non-material resource, with a significant influence on the development of enterprises, and on skilful use of new technologies, such as the Internet of Things, in order to create competitive advantage. The introduction gives a review of literature dealing with the influence of competencies on creating a smart factory, and the exchange of knowledge and skills within the network of production enterprises. The second part of the paper presents results of the research on key competencies possessed by generation Y. They were then compared to the demand of employers of chosen key enterprises in the region of Wielkopolska for certain skills and with competencies of the future in a smart factory. The final part presents assumptions for the model of knowledge management in production enterprises that aspire to use new technologies in the network, in accordance with the concept of Industry 4.0.

Innovations and networking fostering tourist destination development in Slovakia

Abstract The paper focuses on the implementation of innovations and networking in the sector of tourism in two Slovak mountain destinations of international significance. The main objective of the paper is to identify and evaluate how innovations and networking contribute to tourist destination development in Slovakia. The implementation of institutional innovation resulted in the establishment of formal and informal networks. The developed networks consist of representatives of all sectors co-ordinating all relevant stakeholders. Formal and informal networks and the collaboration among stakeholders have launched other types of innovations in the tourism sector. The interactions and intensity of relations among stakeholders are analysed by network analysis. Destinations are compared with the network of the same size and density through quantitative network characteristics. Based on empirical research we investigate the impact of networks and innovations on tourist destination development. Due to the synergy effect of networking and implementation of multiple innovations, tourist destination development is observed.

Peculiarities of corporate social responsibility development in the monotowns in post-communist countries

Purpose - The paper analyzes actual issues of the corporate social responsibility (CSO) practices in monofunctional towns in Russia, Slovakia and Poland. The process of social investment restructuring is obviously under way in these countries. However, there can be identified a few examples where the dominant employer with the long tradition (from the soviet period, even longer) has initiated and directly influenced by the social policy the local and regional development. The paper analyzes their development during the last decades, with the special emphasis on social issues. It identifies its strengths and weaknesses, and defines future research areas. Design/methodology/approach - The first part of the paper defines the corporate social responsibility with focus on the social sphere and relationships between local dominant employer, local government and community. Refer to the theory, the paper adopts a case study methodology to explore the specifics of CSR with a focus on monotowns, especially the role of local dominant employer and its relationship with local government and community in three selected post-communist nations – Russia, Slovakia, and Poland. The research uses also the secondary data (the strategic documents, statistical data) and own observation during the study visits to the selected cities. We analyze the town’s development during last decades, with the special emphasis on the social issues. - Findings It is shown that maintenance and development of essential living conditions in many monofunctional towns depends upon the direct participation of large dominating companies. The paper argues that there is a principal difference between the current social policy conducted by these dominant local employers and the policy that was conducted in the past. What is more, most of the engagement of large in the social affairs in monotowns refers to the corporate social responsibility concept. The paper summarizes the common features and differences in functioning monotowns in selected states, from the perspective of social responsible behaviors of dominant companies, suggest the practical implications and identify future research areas. - Originality/value The paper maps the specific kind of social responsibility interconnected with the issue of local and regional development - monotowns in Russia, Poland and Slovakia, in the countries with common political and social history. It brings in the form of case studies the detail overview of the selected examples from Russia, Ukraine and Poland dealing with the CSR. Based on the collected data it summarizes the advantages and disadvantage of these towns and opens the new research areas.

Industrial symbiosis in European policy: overview of recent progress

The aim of the paper is to explain the cooperation and processes realized within the industrial networks based on the principles of industrial symbiosis in Denmark, Russia and Slovakia. The identified examples can be characterized as best practices in the field of industrial symbiosis that influences importantly the development of regions, where they are localized. Industrial symbiosis as a voluntary cooperation of enterprises with the aim to optimize production costs and improve the environment could influence positively the development of areas where the companies are operating. The paper includes three examples of ‘best practices’ from Denmark, Russia and Slovakia. The examples refer the wide range of benefits that this kind of cooperation brings.