Regions in Context V: Principles of circular economics in regional management leading to increased efficiency of systems

Regional development is currently finding new impulses in its processes, which are based on the Circular Economy. The principles of circularity are often reflected in the smart city strategies and we find them in the priorities of the cohesion policy as well. The principles of the circular economy also bring increased efficiency in business, production processes, and logistics chains. This publication brings new perspectives on the implementation of the Circular Economy in various sectors. The reader has the opportunity to familiarize himself with examples of good practice and their effects. After the period of the pandemic, the energy crisis and other external threatening influences on globalization and global logistics chains, it appears that the shortening of chains or the creation of circular chains is justified in the responses of local governments and municipalities. During the pandemic, local economic systems slowed down, but did not stop in the true sense of the word. Local consumption was saturated by the local offer both in the area of products and in the area of services. This development also brought an impulse to increase the self-sufficiency of local economies and to return some productions to developed countries, including innovative technologies, with circular principles included. The research team of the Faculty of Economics of the University of South Bohemia is bringing out the 5th scientific monograph on this topic in a row, and I hope that it will find its readers from among the professional public, students of economics and mayors of municipalities.