Economic Growth in the Face of Global Challenges – Institutul Național de Cercetări Economice

International Scientific-Practical Conference “Economic Growth in the Face of Global Challenges. Strategies for Sustainable Growth, Demographic Resilience, and Social Equity” XIXth edition, October 9-10, 2025

It is both an honour and a privilege to introduce this new edition of the Proceedings of the International Scientific-Practical Conference “Economic Growth in the Face of Global Challenges. Strategies for Sustainable Growth, Demographic Resilience, and Social Equity.” The 2025 edition reaffirmed the conference’s role as a major regional platform for scientific dialogue, bringing together researchers, academics, and practitioners committed to examining the structural transformations shaping today’s economies.
In a global environment marked by uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, technological acceleration, demographic shifts, and widening social disparities, the need for coordinated and interdisciplinary research has become increasingly evident. This year’s conference once again demonstrated that cooperation across countries and academic communities is essential for identifying viable pathways toward sustainable development and resilient societies.
The discussions underscored the urgency of strengthening economic and fiscal resilience, accelerating digitalization and digital literacy—particularly in rural areas—and promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable business ecosystems.
The conference proceedings further highlighted the need to reinforce economic competitiveness through the diversification of the productive base and the integration of sustainability, digital, and innovation principles into development policies. The importance of advancing digitalization and expanding digital literacy— especially outside urban centres—was reaffirmed, alongside the recognition of youth and women’s entrepreneurship as a key driver of economic resilience.
Analyses dedicated to green financing demonstrated the growing relevance of ESG criteria in corporate strategies and the necessity of developing a national framework for sustainable finance aligned with European standards. In parallel, discussions on agriculture and rural development underscored the imperative of modernizing the agri-food sector, promoting ecological practices, and improving resource efficiency, alongside the consolidation of value chains, producer associations, and investments in the bioeconomy and rural SMEs.
The conclusions in the social and demographic dimensions brought to the forefront the persistence of economic, educational, and territorial inequalities— phenomena further intensified by demographic and technological transformations. The role of socio-economic research was emphasized as fundamental for informing policies centred on equity, supporting vulnerable populations, and advancing social economy initiatives and community-driven innovation. Moreover, demographic 10 analyses highlighted the need for an integrated approach to ageing, migration, and declining natality, as well as the importance of developing robust methodological tools, improved databases, and indicators harmonized with European standards to ensure long-term demographic resilience.
We express our deep appreciation to our long-standing partners—the Institute for World Economy of the Romanian Academy, the Institute of Research for Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (Romania), and the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work at the University of Bucharest – whose partnership played a pivotal role in strengthening the academic relevance and analytical depth of the event. We are equally grateful to the members of the Scientific and Organizing Committees for their dedication and professionalism, which ensured the realization of a comprehensive and engaging scientific programme.
Finally, we extend our sincere thanks to all authors and participants whose work is presented in these volumes. Your research, critical reflections, and openness to dialogue contribute meaningfully to our shared effort to better understand the complexities of contemporary economies and to design strategies for a more resilient and equitable future.
We are confident that the studies gathered here will continue to inspire new research directions and inform policy debates at national and international levels.