In the 21st century, it is becoming increasingly clear that human activities and the activities of enterprises affect the environment. Therefore, it is important to learn about the methods in which companies minimize the negative effects of their activities. The article presents the steps taken and innovative actions carried out by enterprises in the energy sector. The article analyzes innovative activities undertaken and implemented by enterprises from the energy sector. The relationships between innovative strategies, including, inter alia, digitization, and Industry 4.0 solutions, in the development of companies and the achieved results concerning sustainable development and environmental impact. Digitization has far exceeded traditional productivity improvement ranges of 3–5% per year, with a clear cost improvement potential of well above 25%. Enterprises on a large scale make attempts to increase energy efficiency by implementing the state-of-the-art innovative technical and technological solutions, which increase reliability and durability (material and mechanical engineering). Digitization of energy companies allows them to reduce operating costs and increases efficiency. With digital advances, the useful life of an energy plant can be increased up to 30%. Advanced technologies, blockchain, and the use of intelligent networks enables the activation of prosumers in the electricity market. Reducing energy consumption in industry and at the same time increasing energy efficiency for which the European Union is fighting in the clean air package for all Europeans have a positive impact on environmental protection, sustainable development, and the implementation of the decarbonization program.

The paper analyzes issues related to production processes in learning organizations using innovative solutions based on the Industry 4.0 paradigm. This study was realized by surveys and observation of companies operating in the energy and food sectors. These are sectors that in recent years have started to intensively implement innovative solutions and are undergoing a transformation towards an intelligent (digital) enterprise, which uses virtual reality, supported by effectively controlling the non-player characters (NPCs). The presented examples can be inspiration for chief executive officer (CEOs), chief operating officers (COOs), and chief information officers (CIOs), the people managing companies for investment in innovative solutions. The implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions, as well as new machines design according state-of-the-art achievements of mechanical engineering rules, will allow companies to implement new products, achieve better results (e.g., more products with lower production cost), increase operational efficiency (e.g., lower energy and water consumption), and meet environmental requirements (e.g., reduce CO2 emission, introduce zero-emission energy production).

Innovations and new technologies allow companies to function, work, and develop in an ever-changing environment. The article discusses the importance of innovative strategies and presents the results of research carried out on the role of each employee group (CEO, R+D department, other workers) in implementing innovations, depending on the size of the enterprise: micro company, mini company, medium company, and large company. A look not only through the prism of the size of the organization, but also by the groups of people (knowledge group) responsible for innovation is a novelty of the research and fills the gap in research on innovation of enterprises. Moreover, as an exemplification of theory which is used in practice, the article also presents innovations related to bamboo use in many enterprises from different sectors of the economy (energy, automobile, and textile). Bamboo, thanks to its mechanical and chemical properties, can become an innovative material widely used by various companies. Innovations based on the use of bamboo become eco-innovations that support eco-efficiency and the circular economy. The cognitive and utilitarian value of completed research lies in the possibility of a broad look at the innovation strategy (including bamboo as an innovative material) and in the possibility of its implementation and application in various enterprises operating on the market.

Along with economic development and development of power systems, new, more effective models of the energy market are sought. Traditional zonal models used on the electricity market have proved to be poorly adapted to new circumstances and phenomena occurring in the macroeconomic environment. The main aim of the research was to show the direction (including the nodal model and prosumer behavior) in which the energy market should develop in order to meet the state-of-the-art technical, ecological and social challenges. Therefore, with the new challenges, a new chapter has opened up on very interesting research for the electrical industry. There are new solutions for the development and modernization of models from the point of view of management and econometrics of the energy market, adapted to new challenges related to ecology, technology, and competition. This article presents the zone model with its imperfections and suggestions for its improvement and proposes a nodal model that may in the near future become a new model for the functioning of the electricity market in Europe.

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