Kromalcas, Saulius

Economic security is a relatively young discipline within the field of economic science, yet it plays a critical role in national security. Despite its importance, it has historically received insufficient attention from researchers. Economic security is essential for achieving economic sovereignty, fostering sustainable development, implementing effective social policies, protecting society from environmental risks, and enhancing national competitiveness in an increasingly interconnected global economy. An effective economic security system enables a country to identify threats to its national economic interests proactively, thereby preventing potential damage to the socio-economic structure. Unfortunately, in most cases a comprehensive understanding of economic security often emerges only after economic threats have materialized. In today’s rapidly evolving world, ensuring economic security has become one of the primary priorities for nations, serving as the cornerstone of national security and development. The dynamic nature of global development continuously alters the risks associated with economic security, making it imperative for countries to identify and mitigate these risks promptly. The issue of economic security has gained increased attention, particularly as economies have become more open and integrated into global economic processes. Although economic security is often conceptualized as a social phenomenon that safeguards the vital interests of individuals, society, and the state from potential dangers and threats, there remains no universally accepted definition within the broader context of national security. The main objective of this article is to analyze how economic security impacts economic growth in EU countries. The study shows that for weak economies, a high level of GDPpC growth can be provided even with relatively low development indicator values. At the same time, for advanced economies, high values in these indicators are a prerequisite for continued growth. Based on the model created in the study, it is possible to distribute countries by clusters. Such an interpretation is necessary in order to understand in which direction a country’s economy should develop to ensure sustainable development. Thus, the proposed method makes it possible to objectively assess the potential of the country’s economic development.

The digital transformation is now a reality in Moldova, as Moldova has begun to transfer social, legal, and civil service delivery online. Sped-up digitalization can be expected to create new business models and opportunities for digital jumping in traditional industries. The Coronavirus crisis has highlighted the need for support and investments in digital transformation and effective digital governance, especially to guarantee the continuity and delivery of core government functions. The digital transformation is changing not just business models but the methods of production and distribution and the industry's competitiveness. Further analysis has been made to generate specific steps/recommendations regarding the digitization of the Moldova industry. The interview with experts who work closely in digitalization or competitiveness was done, and the SWOT analysis was done. Based on the research made, the recommendations for Moldova were prepared and presented in this article.

The ever-changing geopolitical situation has led to a new approach of the world's countries towards political, economic and military activity at the beginning of the relation. In the context of all these phenomena, one of the priorities is national security, which is inextricably linked to economic security. The paper aims to examine the conception and structure of economic security as a phenomenon and to reveal the components of economic security that directly affect the competitiveness of the state and the region. .