Maksym W. Sitnicki

The stage of selecting creative ideas that have the prospect of further commercial use and can be used to create new products, services, or startups is one of the most complex and important stages of the innovation process. It is essential to take into account expert opinions and evaluations, often vague and ambiguous. The study aims to develop a methodological approach to measure the commercial potential of new product ideas based on fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic. To this end, three calculation schemes are developed: the first two are based on fuzzy multicriteria analysis using Fuzzy SAW and Fuzzy TOPSIS methods, respectively; the third is based on building a logical-linguistic model with fuzzy expert knowledge bases and applying fuzzy inference using the Mamdani algorithm. Fuzzy numbers in triangular form with triangular membership functions are used to present linguistic estimates of experts and fuzzy data; the CoA (Center of Area) method is used to dephase the obtained values. For practical application of the proposed algorithm, the model is used as an Excel framework containing a general set of input expert information in the form of linguistic estimates and fuzzy data, a set of calculations using three schemes, and a set of defuzzification of the obtained results. The framework allows for simulation modeling depending on the modification of the list of defined evaluation criteria and their partial criteria, and adjustments to expert opinions. The developed methodological approach is suggested for the initial stages of the innovation process to facilitate the assessment of creative ideas and improve their implementation.

Acknowledgment
This scientific paper is published with the support of the International Visegrad Fund.

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the experience of leading university libraries in attracting and using creative industries implementating strategic management. The study was conducted taking into account the previous experience by analyzing and systematizing the regulatory framework, information, and analytical materials on this issue, and conducting personal interviews with librarians. The results and conclusions were obtained on the example of libraries of seven higher educational institutions of Ukraine, which are included in the QS World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education.
The paper illustrates an extremely unsatisfactory financial situation and insufficient funding for university libraries. But even in such conditions, they are transformed into informational institutions, which not only provide users with a comfortable educational space but also produce innovative information resources and implement creative projects. The most significant projects are analyzed. All seven libraries have development strategies in which their mission is formalized. In three strategies there are no quantitative guidelines for development and, accordingly, the timing of their achievement. In addition, three strategies do not have the understanding of the need for business activities, and their key business processes are not clearly defined. Another three university libraries lack significant international creative projects. Instead, all seven university libraries recognize the need for creative industries and successfully implement creative projects of national importance.
The study emphasizes the need to apply a model of strategic management of creative industries on the example of university libraries.

Acknowledgment
This scientific paper published with support by British Council’s ‘Creative Spark: Higher Education Enterprise Programme’, project № 5742783597 – the ‘National Сentre for Сreative Entrepreneurship Development’ (NCCE).

A model is presented for developing creative entrepreneurial competences (CEC), which is focused on the formation of creative entrepreneurial and practical skills in a timely manner (Just-in-Time Learning). The proposed model assumes a high level of motivation, deep immersion, and full dedication of individuals and has a cyclical nature throughout their working life (Lifelong Education Cycle). The central figure of the model is an individual who, by choosing an active form of education and following a precise algorithm of actions, can obtain high performance and achieve entrepreneurial success. The formation of an individual’s business consciousness is divided into five stages: UnConscious InCompetence, Conscious InCompetence, Conscious Competence, UnConscious Competence, and the second Conscious InCompetence stage. It is established that the minimum level of creative entrepreneurial competences consists of a combination of basic professional competences, elementary competences of IT&S literacy, and key communicative competences. Furthermore, it is found that an individual’s professionalism will grow until the pace of their learning exceeds the pace of the external environment’s dynamics.

Acknowledgments
This scientific paper is published with support by British Council’s ‘Creative Spark: Higher Education Enterprise Programme’, project № 5742783597 – the ‘National Сentre for Сreative Entrepreneurship Development’ (NCCE) and Kingston University London. English language proof-reading and comments were provided by Dr Martha Mador and Dr Alan Flowers, Kingston University London, UK.

Type of the article: Research Article

Amid growing global challenges such as technological change and socio-economic uncertainty, fostering youth creativity has become vital for sustainable development. In Ukraine, open science provides a promising pathway to develop key competences like creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration, essential for navigating ongoing social and educational transformation. This study aims to investigate the relationship between Ukrainian young people's engagement with open science practices and their creative development across academic disciplines and educational levels. Drawing on data from a nationwide survey of 2,250 Ukrainian university students (Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D.), this study applies non-parametric methods to analyze how young people engage with open science. The results show that engagement with open science practices among Ukrainian students varies significantly by both level of education and field of study. Ph.D. students report the highest frequency of participation (median = 4.0 on a 5-point scale), significantly more than Bachelor's and Master's students (Kruskal-Wallis χ² = 44.92, p < 0.001). They also rate mentorship and collaborative research as more effective for creativity (e.g., mentorship: p = 0.00008 between Bachelor and Master levels). Disciplinary differences are most evident in the perceived effectiveness of webinars (χ² = 31.69, p = 0.0002) and collaborative research (χ² = 23.34, p = 0.0055), with students from engineering and life sciences showing the highest appreciation. These differentiated patterns confirm that the creative development potential of open science is powerfully shaped by students’ academic stage and disciplinary background.

Acknowledgment
This research was funded by the grant VEGA 1/0271/23 “Sustainable renewal of spa tourism in the Slovak Republic in the context of the impacts of civilisation crises”. This research was also prepared as part of projects 0124U000545 and ERASMUS-JMO-2022-HEI-TCH-RSCH-101085198.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The transition to climate neutrality in Europe increasingly depends on the capacity of public policy to stimulate innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment in the energy sector. This study aims to examine whether, and under what conditions, public R&D support and finance-related policy instruments are associated with energy-related start-up activities and financing across European and neighboring economies, while accounting for delayed, non-linear, and country-specific effects. The analysis is based on panel data for 37 countries over the period 2018–2023. The study employs fixed-effects, PPML, lagged, and quadratic specifications. The findings suggest weak short-term associations between policy support and energy start-up outcomes, while several delayed and non-linear patterns emerge. Two-year lagged estimations reveal significant delayed associations: government support is negatively associated with green start-ups (–0.0072) and digital start-ups (–0.0114), which may reflect crowding-out mechanisms or reactive policy behaviour, although these explanations are not directly tested. In contrast, finance-related support is positively associated with digital energy start-ups after two years (0.0225). Funding models show weaker transmission effects, although government support is negatively associated with early-stage green funding (–0.0605). Quadratic specifications reveal meaningful thresholds for government support at 51.33, 93.71 and 107.39 in baseline models and between 80.80 and 158.28 points in lagged models. The results suggest that policy–start-up relationships vary by timing, intensity, support type, and start-up segment. This highlights the scientific value of analyzing public support as a delayed, non-linear and context-dependent mechanism rather than as a simple direct stimulus.

Acknowledgment
This article was prepared based on the results of the project 101127491-EnergyS4UA-ERASMUS-JMO2023-HEI-TCH-RSCH. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The transition toward low-carbon energy systems is increasingly viewed not only as an environmental necessity but also as a driver of innovation, competitiveness, and entrepreneurial development in modern economies. This study investigates how public energy research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) expenditures are associated with annual energy and green start-up counts, as well as with the availability of venture financing for clean-technology entrepreneurship across countries. The empirical analysis is based on a panel dataset covering 23 countries over the period 2000–2023 (470 country-year observations). It applies Poisson and negative binomial fixed-effects models, distributed lag specifications, fixed-effects OLS, and Gamma PML and PPML estimators. The results indicate that public RD&D spending does not have a statistically significant immediate effect on the number of green start-ups, as the Poisson FE estimates for renewable RD&D (0.034) and storage RD&D (0.011) remain insignificant. The venture-funding models show positive, though only weakly significant, coefficients for renewable-energy RD&D, with values of 1.41 for early-stage funding and 1.56 for later-stage funding, suggesting a possible association between public research activity and venture financing. Robustness checks indicate that low-carbon RD&D is positively associated with later-stage venture financing in selected model specifications, with a PPML coefficient of 1.77. The findings suggest that public RD&D is not a standalone driver of annual energy and green start-up counts and may be related to selected venture-financing outcomes, particularly in later-stage funding models, such as the scaling and commercialization of green innovation.

Acknowledgment
This article was prepared based on the results of the project 101127491-EnergyS4UA-ERASMUS-JMO2023-HEI-TCH-RSCH. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.