The Pandemic’s Effects: Trade, Digitalization and Energy Transitions

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the world changes in economy, trade, energy consumption, digital technologies and market behavior. This paper will analyze 10 indicators of 41 European countries from 2015 to 2023 trying to determine their influence by the pandemic. Previous studies dealt with these issues separately; however, this paper takes an integrative approach relating to several indicators. The study uses exploratory data analysis, principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Results show that under this crisis, the integration of digitalization with more thrust to ICT has been further accelerated. The sustainability transformation has also led to even greater inequalities across countries. This paper contributes to existing literature by taking a longer period, employing different variables, and offering comparative perspectives on European economies pre-pandemic, during the pandemic, and post-pandemic.