Regional Science and Environmental Economics

Helium, as a by-product of the natural gas industry, will be impacted by the decline in consumption of fossil fuels as the world moves towards net-zero carbon emissions. In September 2022, all assets relating to the US government’s previous helium industry were sold. In the US, helium is now only available from private suppliers. In June 2022, Russia banned the export of helium to “unfriendly” countries, highlighting the geopolitical issues surrounding the industry. In the past, helium was popularized, and the industry was supported by its military applications (filling dirigible aircraft, welding fighter jets and purging rocket engines). It also plays an important role in supporting present-day technologies (e.g., MRI machines and spectroscopy) and will also be important for a high-tech future (e.g., in quantum computing, fusion power, and space exploration). Shortages of helium will inevitably cause skyrocketing prices and consequently lead to significant challenges for research and development (as has happened in the past) and technological progress, as well as a slowdown in world economic growth and prosperity. Anticipated declines in natural gas production, associated with moves towards net-zero carbon emissions targets, make helium less accessible. While this is problematic for industry in the short term, it perhaps preserves some low entropy helium within the ground, making it more accessible to future generations. Given anticipated limitations to the future supply of helium, technological developments are currently focused on a few areas: the replacement of helium by other gases in industrial applications, changing technological approaches to not require helium, and reducing the cost of obtaining helium from the atmosphere. This paper explores the past, present and future of helium, focusing on the sustainability of the helium industry. Full article

Education, science and technology, and talent are significant factors driving economic growth. Coordinating the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent is not only an important way to achieve the development of education, technology, and talent themselves, but it is also a crucial path to sustainable development. The research objectives of this paper are to explore the coupling coordination relationship among the three subsystems of education, science and technology, and talent and to investigate their spatiotemporal pattern evolution characteristics. This paper, based on panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2001 to 2022, constructs an evaluation index system for “education–science and technology–talent” (EST) development from three dimensions: education, science and technology, and talent. It comprehensively employs methods such as spatiotemporal pattern evolution, LISA time path, and spatial transitions to evaluate the level of China’s EST. The results indicate the following: (1) During the research period, the level of China’s EST shows a significant upward trend, with the educational subsystem being the most prominent. (2) The level of China’s EST development has a significant spatial differentiation characteristic, generally showing a decreasing trend from the eastern to the central and western regions. (3) In terms of the stability of the spatiotemporal pattern, the spatial pattern of China’s EST development is relatively stable, and there is no significant spatial shift during the research period. This study provides a new method for the evaluation of complex systems and also offers a reference for the economic growth of many developing countries. Full article

This paper presents an urban resilience evaluation index system and evaluation on the clustering of educational resources based on the data of 80 prefecture-level cities in China’s central region in 2012, 2016, and 2020. The results reveal a rising trend of urban resilience in the central region of China, with the provincial capital cities exhibiting the highest levels of resilience. Educational resources are clustered in urban areas of provincial capital cities and other prefectural-level cities. Furthermore, clustering of educational resources has a significant impact on urban resilience. Policy factors play a significant role in moderating the relationship between educational resource clustering and urban resilience in large cities; however, this moderating role is not significant in small cities. These findings have significant implications for the optimal allocation of educational resources, promotion of urban resilience, and advancement of social equity. Full article

In an era of global economic slowdown, effectively stimulating urban economic development has become a critical challenge for governments around the world. Based on the panel data of 280 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2017, this study adopts the double-difference method to evaluate the impacts of innovative cities pilot policies on urban economic growth, explore the mechanism through the intermediary effect model, and study the heterogeneity of cities with different development endowments by sub-samples. This study shows the following: (1) The policy of innovative pilot cities has significantly promoted their economic growth: GDP growth rates in the pilot cities are 1.14 percent higher than those in non-pilot cities. (2) The innovative city policy can effectively improve technological progress and human capital, thereby promoting economic growth. (3) The promotion effect of the pilot policy on the economy varies by region, city size, administration grade, market level, and government efficiency. Specifically, the policies have the most substantial positive effects in cities with lower administrative levels, smaller sizes, less market orientation, and higher government efficiency. This research, based on the city data from the world’s largest economy, evaluates the impact of government intervention—targeted urban innovation policies—on economic development, providing valuable insights into how innovation policies can be tailored and optimized for diverse urban contexts. Full article

This study examines hydrogen production across 27 European countries, highlighting disparities due to varying energy policies and industrial capacities. Germany leads with 109 plants, followed by Poland, France, Italy, and the UK. Mid-range contributors like the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Belgium also show substantial investments. Countries like Finland, Norway, Austria, and Denmark, known for their renewable energy policies, have fewer plants, while Estonia, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, and Slovenia are just beginning to develop hydrogen capacities. The analysis also reveals that a significant portion of the overall hydrogen production capacity in these countries remains underutilized, with an estimated 40% of existing infrastructure not operating at full potential. Many countries underutilize their production capacities due to infrastructural and operational challenges. Addressing these issues could enhance output, supporting Europe’s energy transition goals. The study underscores the potential of hydrogen as a sustainable energy source in Europe and the need for continued investment, technological advancements, supportive policies, and international collaboration to realize this potential. Full article