The integration of electricity grids with technologies for small-scale distributed generation based on natural gas consumption is one of the most important innovative directions for improving the reliability and energy efficiency of power systems. Synchronous operation of large energy consumers and distributed generation systems is a new element of the electricity system. This element is an industrial microgrid, which has a unique ability to control the operating modes of the electrical energy system compared to conventional industrial electricity consumers. The aim of this study is to develop a theory and methodology for the use of microgrids in industrial areas under the market-based conditions of electricity and natural gas purchase. An analysis of trends in the use of small-scale distributed generation shows that the operation of distributed generation based on renewable energy sources is not economically feasible in all countries. In some countries, such as Russia, for example, the use of distributed energy sources powered by natural gas is the most important. The study of pricing principles for the purchase of energy in the wholesale and retail electricity markets and for the purchase of natural gas from regional suppliers and on commodity exchanges shows that managing the volatility of energy demand schedules can have a significant impact on the prices of electricity and natural gas used by industrial companies and large consumers of energy resources. As part of a unified power system, industrial enterprises and small distributed generation systems simultaneously consume electricity from the Unified Energy System, generate electricity through a distributed generation system into the internal network of the enterprise and external network the power system, and consume natural gas through the enterprise consumption system and the distributed generation system. Synchronised operation of an industrial enterprise and a small system of distributed generation system in the unified control system of a microgrid enables the enterprise to reduce the combined costs of purchasing energy resources and increase the efficiency and reliability of power supply to equipment. The article presents a system of factors influencing the demand of microgrids for electricity and natural gas consumption and develops a model for the integrated control of industrial microgrids under their integration with the technology for managing the demand of industrial enterprises for electricity and natural gas consumption. The control algorithm developed for a microgrid takes into account the cross effects of changes in its energy and gas demand, energy market price factors, internal constraints for industrial load management, external external of the Unified Energy System and the Unified Gas Supply System, and the ability to meet the energy demand of external consumers of the microgrid. The paper is of scientific and practical importance and can be used in the process of developing, implementing and managing microgrids at industrial enterprises in Russia and around the world.

The article presents the results of a study that confirms the high relevance of developing a new critical competence among specialists involved in technological modernisation and import substitution projects – systems literacy, which requires a holistic vision of the interdisciplinary relationships of complex systems. The authors demonstrate that systems literacy is based on systems thinking and systems engineering methodologies, which are particularly relevant to the development of sociotechnical systems that include components of different nature, and their operation throughout their life cycle. An analysis of the differences between engineering and management views of complexity has been carried out, justifying the need to train innovative teams that bring together specialists from different disciplines. The requirements for a new generation of educational products providing advanced training in engineering and economic skills necessary for the development of integrated solutions to complex problems are formulated, and the relevant experience of the Department of Energy and Industrial The management systems of the Ural Federal University, tested in the training of high-tech managers, are presented. The specificity of the application of systems literacy is illustrated by the example of the energy transition problem, which directly determines the achievement of technological sovereignty and involves deep transformations in various industries and market entities.

Technologies based on artificial intelligence are increasingly replacing and augmenting humans in managerial tasks such as decision-making. Modern artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are capable of performing cognitive functions previously associated only with the human mind. According to the company’s resource concept (RBV), people’s cognitive abilities are a source of non-copyable competitive advantages because they are difficult to simulate, so AI technologies can change the sources of competitive advantages. This study aims to identify the factors that influence the decision of industrial companies to adopt artificial intelligence technologies, as well as to examine the relationship between the adoption of AI technologies with the effects of replacing and/or complementing the cognitive abilities of employees and their impact on the formation of a competitive advantage. The study was conducted on the database of 147 industrial companies, empirically estimating the occurrence of the substitution effect during the introduction of AI technologies. The complementarity effect was estimated using two models: a random effect probit model with random effects (random effect probit) and a fixed effect logit model with fixed effects (fixed effect logit). This made it possible to assess the intra-firm dynamics of resource changes during the implementation of AI technologies in the business process - that is, to trace the effect of resource substitution during the implementation of AI. The results showed that: (1) The decision to invest in AI technologies depends on factors such as the availability of skills to implement AI, the cost of implementing new technologies and the level of current costs in the company as a whole, the expectation of financial and economic impact. (2) The decision to invest in AI is significantly more prevalent among companies that are currently waiting to implement it. The benefits of such investment are manifold. Firstly, it allows for a reduction in the time taken to complete operations. Secondly, it enables a reduction in the number of employees required, due to a reduction in the volume of routine operations. Thirdly, it allows for a reduction in the cost of personnel management. Finally, it facilitates a greater speed of development and promotion of new products. (3) The introduction of AI has the greatest impact on the formation of non-copied competitive advantages, particularly in the following areas: marketing and analytics, development and IT, sales and customer service and the development of new products. (4) The introduction of AI gives rise to both a substitution effect and a complementarity effect, which together result in a shift in the sources of competitive advantages. While the replacement of traditional, domain-specific human cognitive capabilities with numerous computing capabilities of AI leads to the destruction of existing advantages, the complementarity of human and machine capabilities allows for the creation of new, permanent non-copied advantages. The company’s resource concept is augmented, and it is shown that heterogeneous unrelated resources, such as human capital and machinery, can also serve as a source of distinctive competitive advantages.

There is a sufficient amount of research to confirm that economic sanctions can cause significant damage both to the economic growth of a country and to companies operating in a sanctioned country. In response to multilateral economic sanctions, the sanctioned country develops a number of strategic programmes aimed at easing the sanctions and supporting its economy. Companies also develop strategies to survive and make sustainable profits.

The study aims to examine the strategies that enable companies not only to survive, but also to thrive in international markets; the functional strategies that companies use to increase the efficiency of their activities.

The Iranian automotive industry served as the empirical basis for the study. The case study is of Iran Khodro, one of the two leading companies in the Iranian automotive industry, which accounts for more than 50% of the automotive market in Iran, is given. Using data from companies in the automotive industry, we found that among the functional strategies, marketing strategy is the most important for its effectiveness.

In addition, the management of financial, customer and operational indicators based on the MTSP (Balanced Scorecard) is positively associated with the entry of companies into foreign markets. Finally, this study has showed that for companies in the automotive industry, access to new technologies, financial resources, a strategic plan and an export orientation are key to working successfully under sanctions.

The Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA), a statutory body that evaluates public sector information systems, is the main corporate governance instrument in the study. The different methods of corporate governance are explained in this article. The article examines the barriers to improving public sector information systems. Our analysis will focus on the efficiency of information systems in the public sector, closely linked to South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030 and the Medium Term Strategic Framework, critical measures to achieve success. The study uses Atlas.ti 7 for qualitative textual analysis. This software analyses textual data from the 2017–2021 AGSA reports.

This thematic study highlights the micro and macro challenges faced by South Africa’s public sector governance institutions. The problems stem from deficiencies in the information system, changes in the leadership, and a lack of transparency and access to information. We also face smaller issues such as a lack of executive accountability for their decisions, inadequate technology skills, ineffective project management, no disaster recovery procedures, declining IT governance and delays in filling key IT positions.

The study suggests promoting a transformative mindset to raise awareness of the critical role of information technology in public sector management. It also highlights the need to identify South African corporate governance practices that hinder information systems. The paper aims to improve the corporate governance framework for information systems in order to maximise the efficiency of the public sector.

The article presents an overview of a number of parameters and factors influencing the choice and formation of strategies for the entry of Russian industrial enterprises into international markets based on platform models of interaction in the B2C and B2B segments. This focus makes it possible to define and specify in more detail the mechanisms, formats, opportunities and limitations in the development of strategies for the entry of Russian industrial enterprises into international markets, supported by platform models of interaction. In the context of building international platforms for industrial companies, aspects of the specifics of platform interaction have been identified. A list of twelve determinants is proposed, how to choose a strategy of entering foreign markets by Russian industrial enterprises based on the mechanisms of platform interactions. The fact is that in the current conditions of the platform economy, value creation is the result of a new combination of information, physical products and services of various types, as well as new ways of configuring transactions and reconfiguring resources, relationships between suppliers, partners and customers. For Russian industrial enterprises, methodological developments in this area can be particularly useful in the context of increasing the internationalisation of business activities using international B2C and B2B platforms. At the same time, a major difficulty in determining the parameters and priorities of platform interaction between industrial companies, especially in the B2B segment (including in the framework of industrial asset sharing models), is the fact that this type of interaction is still a frontier today in many industrial sectors at the national level, and even more so at the international level. As best practices and success stories of Russian industrial companies entering international platforms emerge, and as the platforms themselves evolve, it will be possible to talk about greater operationalisation and measurability of the determinants of Russian industrial companies’ strategy choices. At the current stage of development of international manufacturing platforms, greater awareness of the productivity drivers and determinants of industrial enterprises’ strategic choices will enable platform complementors and the platforms themselves to better find common ground and ensure faster growth of network effects.

By conducting UX research, you can reduce user churn in digital services, identify areas of growth, and offer solutions to improve the user experience and retention. The main benefit of UX research is to understand the needs and expectations of users. UX research helps you analyse user’s behavior, preferences and problems of users, as well as determine which features and capabilities of the application are important. The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked a discussion about how to improve the design processes associated with UX design, leading to the emergence of the concepts of ‘artificial design intelligence (ADI)’ and ‘intelligent design’.

In this article, the author's approach to conducting UX/UI research using AI technology is developed. The current customer path of the banking section in the bank’s mobile application is compiled and modelled. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 respondents, in which respondents compared screen forms with and without the use of AI technology. UI/UX studies are described based on the in-depth interviews conducted, followed by a justification of the need to implement AI technology to personalise the user path in a mobile application.

In addition, the results of the UI/UX study confirmed the hypothesis that the introduction of a personalised user experience using AI technology (photorealistic images of cars) in the bank's mobile application will lead to improved customer satisfaction and increased engagement, which in turn will increase the bank’s profitability and competitiveness.

The proposed recommendations will optimise the user experience in the mobile application and improve the NPS and MAU metrics by a factor of 2, according to the experts.