1,721,055 research outputs found
Italian FDI integration with Southeast Europe: country and firm-level evidence
Full text linkSoutheast European countries have experienced significant economic integration into the world economy since 2000, through international capital flows and especially foreign direct investment (FDI). The present work sheds light on recent trends in Italy-Western Balkans economic integration through FDI. The methodology is based on a country level analysis and on case studies, designed to ascertain Italian firms’ underlying motives for investment in the area. Evidence suggests that the phenomenon is broader than official statistics would indicate: Italian firms often set up subsidiaries without formal or direct capital control. As integration in the area is a recent phenomenon, it is not surprising that the main determinants of Italian investments are cost reductions and new market opportunities, typical of initial stages of penetration in a foreign country. What is interesting in this context is that local entrepreneurs regard efficiency-seeking investments as profitable only if they are connected to market-seeking goals. We find evidence also of localized industrial development stimulated by the entry of Italian firms which is activating subcontracting relationships with existing firms in the host region.Southeast Europe-Italy integration,case study,foreign direct investment
The Healthcare Industry in the Chinese Economy: Insights from Input–Output Analysis
No full textIn the context of urbanization and rapidly aging population, China faces
the need to improve and modernize its domestic healthcare system. The
Chinese government has identified the improvement of quality of healthcare
services and the adoption of new technologies as key priorities in the
future to overcome service disparities.1 Government reforms affect pharmaceutical,
medical equipment, and diagnostics industries in the
country.
In this chapter of the book, after a brief description of market trends and general
characteristics of trade flows between Europe and China, we implement
a dispersion effects analysis using an Input–Output model in order to
determine whether healthcare industry is a “key” sector in the Chinese
economy compared to the upstream and downstream connections with all
the other sector
European Healthcare Industry and Chinese FDI: Where Do Chinese Firms Invest?
No full textIn this chapter of the book, we investigate the internationalization patterns of
Chinese companies in the healthcare sector. We analyze the main features
and investment decisions of Chinese outward foreign direct investment
(OFDI) in the healthcare industry in Europe.
Currently, European countries are among the preferential target destinations
for Chinese investors. Europe has developed world-class companies
in several healthcare subsectors. European firms can offer technology,
know-how, and managerial competencies to allow the upgrading of
Chinese firms capability and innovation capacity, while supporting their
affirmation in the world stage.
We specifically focus on three subsectors of the healthcare industry,
namely pharmaceutical, medical device and equipment, and biotechnolog
Healthcare Policies and Systems in Europe and China Comparisons and Synergies
No full textWhile facing different stages of economic development, China and
Europe share same demographic concerns and sustainability issues.
Europe has developed good practices of universal healthcare systems,
but significant and dramatic changes that have taken place over the past
two decades have led to a decrease in health expenditure and a decline in
public assistance. Several European countries need to improve public services,
especially for the growing aging population, while concurrently
decreasing healthcare spending.
Europe has vast experience in developing and operating healthcare
policies including prevention and long-term care assistance. European
industries have reached a scale of efficiency, global competitiveness, and
sophisticated approaches to innovation in the pharmaceutical, equipment,
and para-pharmaceutical sectors.
On the other hand, China has embraced large reforms in the healthcare
system to upgrade the quality and coverage of assistance provided to
the Chinese people. Within this process, the universal healthcare system
has been chosen as the benchmark. Multiple strategies have been promoted
on both the supply and demand sides. Similar to Europe, China is
experiencing the challenges associated with an increasing aging population.
The geriatric population requires appropriate, specific, and long-term healthcare assistance, which costs significantly more than those services
consumed by a comparatively younger population.
A Europe–China partnership in the healthcare domain could be a
win–win strategy for several reasons. Potentially, Europe and China have
complementarities that could help each other face their specific needs in
the long run. In this scenario, China would benefit from gaining knowledge
and expertise from European countries at different levels: From how
to project and run a universal system and how to plan a specific care program
for its aging population to the use of Western medicine (WM) to
cope with new and improved medical needs of the population.
Europe could “export” to China solutions and best practices, and thus
find business opportunities. At the same time, China could export to
Europe practices and approaches of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
that could be cost-saving and effective in specific pathologies.
A multidisciplinary team has contributed to this book, following the
research activity and international mobility program carried out in the 4
years of the “People Marie Curie Actions Fp7-People-2013-Irses”
CHETCH, i.e., China-Europe taking care of Healthcare solutions (GA n.
612589).
Researchers in the social science and humanities area have compared
the European and Chinese healthcare systems at different levels, including
value systems and ethical issues.
The economic experts have analyzed the integration reached between
China and Europe in the healthcare-related industries (technologies, pharmaceutical,
and other). Foreign direct investments and trade flow trends
were studied at the regional and provincial levels. The typical cost–benefit
tools were used to evaluate the economic impact of integrating WM and
TCM practices, supporting the medical team of experts.
The legal instruments have defined obstacles and plausible solutions
that can be generated by the regulatory environment, as well as appropriate
solutions to enhance collaboration both at institutional, medical practice,
and business levels.
The team of experts in the medical field have investigated several
areas of integration. The team has developed a process of recognition and
scientific validation of TCM versus complementary alternative medicine (CAM) at different levels, as recommended by the World Health
Organization Traditional Medicine Strategy 2003-2005.
A central role was played, in the whole project, by acupuncture.
Indeed, in the social and historical context of Europe, the integration of
acupuncture in European Healthcare Systems is an opportunity. The main
motivation is the increase in the elderly population and in chronic diseases:
the chronic patient is a frail patient with poor quality of life who
generates costs to the healthcare system, with direct and indirect costs.
The elderly patient often takes polypharmacological therapy, which
reduces therapeutic compliance and causes side effects.
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) demonstrates that acupuncture is
effective in treating chronic diseases, particularly pain, improves the quality
of life, and helps to reduce/eliminate drug intake, significantly reducing
the problem of side effects. Other fields of application of acupuncture,
alone or integrated with WM, are as a support to fertility and assisted
reproduction therapy (ART) and for the treatment of side effects caused
by oncological therapies. Acupuncture has proven to be safe and costeffective,
and the EBM data are favorable to its integration in the National
Healthcare System.
Nevertheless, to practice acupuncture, appropriate training is fundamental.
The gold standard role is played by the physician (medical doctor),
who has to combine western medicine training with an appropriate
amount of hours of theoretical and practical learning of acupuncture and
Chinese medicine.
Other professionals, apart from the medical one, must have theoretical
and practical training, at least equal to that offered in China to Chinese
medicine students in Chinese traditional medicine universities, to achieve
a sufficient expertise in patient management.
Thanks to its multi-level analysis, the book contributes to increase the
availability of interdisciplinary studies providing a comprehensive overview
(including medical, legal, economic, and humanities perspectives) of
Europe–China relations in the healthcare domain. This comprehensive
study is also the base for further projects where the integration of WM and
TCM needs to be further explored and developed, also on the basis of scientific evidence of the strong benefit that both patients and systems can get. Nevertheless, a cultural shift is needed to change the perception, in
Europe, about the role and foundations of TCM. Training programs and
specific public engagement activities are needed to increase the awareness
of the tremendous achievements that Europe could get by deeply integrating
TCM with the Western approach for the benefit of the patient and their
treatments
The Chinese Private Hospital Sector and FDI: From Socialization to Opening Up
No full textWhile facing different stages of economic development, China and
Europe share same demographic concerns and sustainability issues.
Europe has developed good practices of universal healthcare systems,
but significant and dramatic changes that have taken place over the past
two decades have led to a decrease in health expenditure and a decline in
public assistance. Several European countries need to improve public services,
especially for the growing aging population, while concurrently
decreasing healthcare spending.
Europe has vast experience in developing and operating healthcare
policies including prevention and long-term care assistance. European
industries have reached a scale of efficiency, global competitiveness, and
sophisticated approaches to innovation in the pharmaceutical, equipment,
and para-pharmaceutical sectors.
On the other hand, China has embraced large reforms in the healthcare
system to upgrade the quality and coverage of assistance provided to
the Chinese people. Within this process, the universal healthcare system
has been chosen as the benchmark. Multiple strategies have been promoted
on both the supply and demand sides. Similar to Europe, China is
experiencing the challenges associated with an increasing aging population.
The geriatric population requires appropriate, specific, and long-term healthcare assistance, which costs significantly more than those services
consumed by a comparatively younger population.
A Europe–China partnership in the healthcare domain could be a
win–win strategy for several reasons. Potentially, Europe and China have
complementarities that could help each other face their specific needs in
the long run. In this scenario, China would benefit from gaining knowledge
and expertise from European countries at different levels: From how
to project and run a universal system and how to plan a specific care program
for its aging population to the use of Western medicine (WM) to
cope with new and improved medical needs of the population.
Europe could “export” to China solutions and best practices, and thus
find business opportunities. At the same time, China could export to
Europe practices and approaches of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
that could be cost-saving and effective in specific pathologies.
A multidisciplinary team has contributed to this book, following the
research activity and international mobility program carried out in the 4
years of the “People Marie Curie Actions Fp7-People-2013-Irses”
CHETCH, i.e., China-Europe taking care of Healthcare solutions (GA n.
612589).
Researchers in the social science and humanities area have compared
the European and Chinese healthcare systems at different levels, including
value systems and ethical issues.
The economic experts have analyzed the integration reached between
China and Europe in the healthcare-related industries (technologies, pharmaceutical,
and other). Foreign direct investments and trade flow trends
were studied at the regional and provincial levels. The typical cost–benefit
tools were used to evaluate the economic impact of integrating WM and
TCM practices, supporting the medical team of experts.
The legal instruments have defined obstacles and plausible solutions
that can be generated by the regulatory environment, as well as appropriate
solutions to enhance collaboration both at institutional, medical practice,
and business levels.
The team of experts in the medical field have investigated several
areas of integration. The team has developed a process of recognition and
scientific validation of TCM versus complementary alternative medicine (CAM) at different levels, as recommended by the World Health
Organization Traditional Medicine Strategy 2003-2005.
A central role was played, in the whole project, by acupuncture.
Indeed, in the social and historical context of Europe, the integration of
acupuncture in European Healthcare Systems is an opportunity. The main
motivation is the increase in the elderly population and in chronic diseases:
the chronic patient is a frail patient with poor quality of life who
generates costs to the healthcare system, with direct and indirect costs.
The elderly patient often takes polypharmacological therapy, which
reduces therapeutic compliance and causes side effects.
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) demonstrates that acupuncture is
effective in treating chronic diseases, particularly pain, improves the quality
of life, and helps to reduce/eliminate drug intake, significantly reducing
the problem of side effects. Other fields of application of acupuncture,
alone or integrated with WM, are as a support to fertility and assisted
reproduction therapy (ART) and for the treatment of side effects caused
by oncological therapies. Acupuncture has proven to be safe and costeffective,
and the EBM data are favorable to its integration in the National
Healthcare System.
Nevertheless, to practice acupuncture, appropriate training is fundamental.
The gold standard role is played by the physician (medical doctor),
who has to combine western medicine training with an appropriate
amount of hours of theoretical and practical learning of acupuncture and
Chinese medicine.
Other professionals, apart from the medical one, must have theoretical
and practical training, at least equal to that offered in China to Chinese
medicine students in Chinese traditional medicine universities, to achieve
a sufficient expertise in patient management.
Thanks to its multi-level analysis, the book contributes to increase the
availability of interdisciplinary studies providing a comprehensive overview
(including medical, legal, economic, and humanities perspectives) of
Europe–China relations in the healthcare domain. This comprehensive
study is also the base for further projects where the integration of WM and
TCM needs to be further explored and developed, also on the basis of scientific evidence of the strong benefit that both patients and systems can get. Nevertheless, a cultural shift is needed to change the perception, in
Europe, about the role and foundations of TCM. Training programs and
specific public engagement activities are needed to increase the awareness
of the tremendous achievements that Europe could get by deeply integrating
TCM with the Western approach for the benefit of the patient and their
treatments
Navigating Transnational Innovation. Best Practices in Academic Cooperation between Italy and China
No full textManagement competencies for public administration governance: reflections in light of Maffeo Pantaleoni’s thought
No full textPolicies That Promote Environmental Industry in China
No full textThis book gathers some of the main findings of the EUfunded
project POREEN on partnering opportunities between
Europe and China in the renewable energies and environmental industries. As a Marie Curie action, POREEN’s goal was to produce
research results which inform policy, while improving
knowledge and research skills. Research outputs were developed
leveraging academic mobility in China and Europe, particularly
of young researchers. Their common objective was to seek to
highlight opportunities to expand and develop this important
relationship in a way that moves both regions toward a more
sustainable future.
In a four-year time frame, researchers analyzed the opportunities
and potential to boost cooperation between China and
Europe in this important area. They used a variety of research
approaches and academic perspectives, combining economic,
legal, and engineering perspectives.
The economic dimensions of the project included the identification
of critical issues, gaps, and potential for bilateral foreign
direct investments and trade in the broad area of green industries.
Legal research had a similar objective, but focused on offshore
oil and gas extraction, renewable energies, corporate responsibility,
and environmental legislation. The team’s engineering
research relates to energy efficiency and carbon dioxide reduction,
particularly concerning transportation and low-carbon
buildings.
The book is structured into three interrelated and connected
parts.
Part I has an economic and policy orientation. The seven
chapters examine different aspects of trade and foreign direct
investment relations between Europe and China, in the renewable
energies and/or environmental industries. Bilateral trade and FDI
flows are analyzed, also in the light of Chinese and European
green policy and cooperation initiatives. Authors identify obstacles,
barriers, and difficulties faced by European and Chinese
firms in initiating, maintaining, and consolidating both trade and
investment initiatives in China and Europe, respectively. Key
factors and issues to be addressed to further stimulate EUChina
trade and investment flows are also considered.
Part II addresses the legal framework of EUChina cooperation.
The first two chapters describe the Chinese environmental
protection system, analyzing both national laws and governance
measures. Then, the focus is on three specific themes: the electric
sector in China, Corporate Social Responsibility in a comparative
perspective, and the legal framework for civil liability for environmental
damages deriving from energy misuse Part III is focused on engineering-related research activity.
Two main research areas are developed, both related to energy
efficiency and carbon dioxide reduction: mobility and the transportation
sector and low-carbon buildings. The four chapters in
this part highlight the state of the art of the engineering research
group in key areas (mobility and the transportation sector and
low-carbon buildings) that might have a huge potential impact
on bilateral cooperation between Europe and China. One topic is
related to the use of methane and biomethane, both in its compressed
and liquid form, as an alternative fuel to reduce the environmental
impact and GHG emissions in the transport sector. In
general, biomass as feedstock energy source in China and its
potential has been evaluated in detail. Whereas on the topic of
low-carbon buildings, the use of heat pumps and district cooling/
heating networks have been considered in order to increase the
energy efficiency for space heating and domestic hot water
production. Moreover, smart devices in buildings, studied on
experimental test rigs, for thermal comfort and consumption
reduction have been presented.
Together these diverse inputs seek to contribute to a more
integrated, coherent and effective approach to EU-China cooperation
in the sector
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