Tomasz Czuba

Climate change and the effects of global warming are one of the most important problems in the modern world. The effects of these phenomena affect the everyday life of societies and the functioning of enterprises, industries, and entire sectors of the world economy. Therefore, appropriate legal and economic regulations have been and are being introduced at state level. Reducing exhaust emissions is the primary goal of electrification of the automotive industry, because the internal combustion engine is inefficient in terms of energy (it burns a lot of fuel and emits large amounts of harmful exhaust gases). The result of this transformation of the automotive industry is the creation of a new product, the electric car (EV), which makes possible the decarbonization of transport.

In 2022, global EV sales totaled 10.5 million units, an increase of 55% compared to the previous year. The largest increase in EV sales in the world was once again recorded in China: by 82% year-on-year. China is by far the largest EV market, accounting for 59% of global EV sales in 2022.

Currently, the dynamic nature of the market environment for electric car companies influences the development of product innovations. The basis for shaping product strategies is the company’s designated goal, the size and structure of its resources, and its innovative potential. The size and structure of the resources at its disposal and its skills (especially in the field of research and development, technology and financial resources) determine the possibilities of taking creative actions in the field of products. This potential directly affects the range of products offered, their technical level and quality.

Activities located within the company’s long-term strategy should take into account changes in buyer preferences, technological progress, activities of competitors, as well as innovative activities of enterprises from supporting industries.

Vehicle manufacturers are introducing more and more EV models, contributing to the electrification of road transport. They see the direction of development in the coming years and know that the expansion of the BEV market is inevitable. However, many automakers have different strategies for transitioning to EVs. Tesla has been producing EVs from the beginning and has become a market leader, meeting consumer expectations by introducing various product innovations in terms of energy consumption, charging speed, and range on a single charge. Chinese manufacturers, like BYD or Geely, have started to play a significant role in this race.

The aim of the article is to discuss the basic forms of product innovation used by Chinese EV manufacturers. Additionally, the authors of the article try to answer the question as to whether Chinese EV manufacturers are able to achieve a significant share in other world markets by using product innovations in their EV vehicles, compared to their competitors’ meeting customer needs.

Competition in the automotive market is generally known and described. This market is dominated by the large players who have been operating for a long time. Environmental protection is directly linked to natural resources and means that competition is moving towards electrical vehicles. This new sector seeks a competitive  advantage to succeed on the market.

The aim of this article is to assess the chances of Chinese electric car manufacturers on the European market. In order to achieve this goal the method of analysis and synthesis in the field of competitiveness and competitive advantage was used. The case study method was also used to refer to the practice of Chinese car  producers in China and Europe. The data gathered leads to the conclusion that Chinese manufacturers are well aware of how to build up competitiveness in Europe. They know how to gain and maintain areas of competitive advantage. Purchase of a stake in European producers or some other kind of cooperation with them means  that the presence of Chinese electric vehicle producers on the European market is becoming substantial. After years of learning, the time of expansion has arrived, which, as collected data show, has every chance of being successful.

The aim of the paper is to present the impact of innovations on the competitiveness of Polish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to analyse the trends in implementing innovations in the sector of Polish SMEs in 2012–2015 in eight areas of operation: new products or services, new approach to customer service, expansion into new geographic markets, significant changes of the existing offer, significant organizational changes, changes in technology or method of production of goods or services, marketing innovations, and changes in distribution methods. The method of direct interview was used to collect data from the respondents representing the SME sector. Data have been analysed using correspondence analysis which allowed to build a model summarizing the results of the correspondence between groups of enterprises and types of innovations.

The paper presents the results of a research whose main aim was to determine the extent of Internet use in the SME sector and in the distribution of banking services. To reach this objective, direct interviews using a research questionnaire (PAPI) were conducted on a random sample of SMEs operating in the Polish banking market. A total of 1,100 interviews were conducted with managers responsible for selecting a bank to handle the company’s financial operations. It is worth to point out the extensive use of the Internet, which grows along with the number of employees. The main conclusion is that the Internet can be treated as a way of conducting business or as a tool supplementing traditional marketing that provides customers with additional advantages.

SMEs have a dominant role in the Polish economy. The SME sector employs 6.6 million people representing 70% of the people working in the corporate sector in Poland. The purpose of this article is to present the problems of SMEs in building relationships with various market participants and in particular the impact of the quantity and quality of the relationship on the economic performance of the SME sector. The study was conducted in 2009 on a random sample of 1,346 small and medium-sized enterprises all over Poland. Descriptive statistics showed that mostly the positive development of economic indicators recorded the busineses with more and higher quality relationships with the business environment. Negative economic indicators of change, in turn, frequently showed businesses with very low rates of relational capital.

The aim of the paper is to present the correlations between relational capital and internationalization of SMEs. Empirical research was conducted in Poland on a stratified, randomly selected sample of 1,346 SMEs. The research results show that a positive, statistically significant correlation exists between the size and the quality of relational capital on the one hand, and export and import activities of SMEs on the other. Larger volume and higher quality of relational capital increases the probability of SME internationalization. The research findings could be used in government export promotion activities.