Andrius Zuoza doctoral dissertation defense

Date2022-06-10
LocationVirtual event / Lietuvos energetikos instututas

Author, Institution: Andrius Zuoza, Lithuanian Energy Institute

Dissertation title: Evaluation of industry competitiveness dimension of energy efficiency

Science area, field of science: Social Sciences, Economics – S004

Defense of the dissertation: 2022-06-10, 10:00 a.m., Lithuanian Energy Institute (remotely), Breslaujos st. 3, Kaunas, Lithuania.

Scientific Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Vaida Pilinkienė (Kaunas University of Technology, Social Sciences, Economics – S004)

Scientific Advisor: Dr. Inga Konstantinavičiūtė (Lithuanian Energy Institute, Social Sciences, Economics – S004)

Dissertation Defense Board of Economics Science Field:

  • Chairperson – Prof. Dr. Dalia Štreimikienė (Lithuania Energy Institute, Social Sciences, Economics, S004)
  • Prof. Habil. Dr. Valentinas Navickas (Kaunas University of Technology, Social Sciences, Economics, S004)
  • Prof. Dr. Violeta Pukelienė (Vytautas Magnus University, Social Sciences, Economics, S004)
  • Prof. Dr. Antonio Mihi Ramirez (University of Granada, Spain, Social Sciences, Economics, S004)
  • Prof. Dr. Gražina Startienė (Kaunas University of Technology, Social Sciences, Economics, S004)

The dissertation defence will take place online:
https://liedm.zoom.us/j/84552240688#success

The doctoral dissertation is available online, at the library of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio st. 20, Kaunas) and Lithuania Energy Institute (Breslaujos st. 3, Kaunas)

Annotation
Setting ambitious environmental targets has been a hallmark of European Union (EU) policy for decades. The European Commission’s strategy “A European Green Deal” aims to make the EU a climate-neutral continent by 2050. It also seeks to decouple the EU’s economic growth from the use of energy resources and restructure the economy so that net greenhouse gas emissions are zero. To achieve this vision and maintain the competitiveness of the EU industry, improving energy efficiency must become a priority for industrial policy in every EU State. To make this vision a reality, the EU plans to invest in environmentally friendly technologies, support innovative industry, reduce the energy sector’s dependence on fossil fuels and improve energy efficiency, among other measures.

In the context of the complex interrelationship between energy efficiency, environmental protection and industrial competitiveness, the question arises whether the competitiveness of energy-intensive industries in European countries can be reasonably assessed and compared. Therefore, the research aims to develop a conceptual model for the assessment of industrial competitiveness, including energy efficiency and climate change mitigation components, to develop an energy efficiency index for the assessment of industrial competitiveness based on this model and to apply it empirically to energy-intensive industries.

The empirical study carried out in this dissertation investigated the competitiveness of energy-intensive industries in 19 European countries, divided the countries studied into groups and identified the factors determining the competitiveness of the industries.