“Smart Specialization” Concept for Innovative Development of Russian Regions

The growth of the quality and standard of living of the population show and confirm the high level of socio-economic development and country’s competitiveness in the world. This trend depends on the regions ability to identify development priorities. They also determine efforts to implement those activity areas that most reflect and characterize a unique regional identity. It becomes necessary to select those areas of economic activity of the region that are strategically priority, and for their implementation there are all the necessary resources (material, intellectual, temporary, image, etc.). The “smart specialization” concept ensures the economic growth of the region’s economy through the realization of innovative potential. In general, “smart specialization” involves the choice of relevant areas of innovative development. The aim of the study is to develop theoretical ideas and practical tools for implementing “smart specialization” concept. The object of the study is the regions of Russia as complex socio-economic systems that implement an innovative development policy aimed at creating their own competitive advantages. The main methods in the study were: 1) methods of logical analysis of the scientific literature and identification of cause and effect relationships, on the basis of which the definitions and main provisions of innovative policies and “smart specialization” of the region were formulated; 2) economic analysis for studying the economic situation in the regions; 3) SWOT analysis and the method of fuzzy sets to justify the implementation of “smart specialization” in the regions of the Russian Far East. As scientific results of the study in relation to the regions of the Far East, mechanisms for managing innovation activities are presented, taking into account the concept of “smart specialization”, aimed at increasing innovation activity and creating unique competitive advantages.

1. Aranguren M.J., Magro E., Navarro M., Wilson J.R. Governance of the Territorial Entrepreneurial Discovery Process: Looking under the Bonnet of RIS3. Regional Studies. 2019. Vol. 53. Is. 4. Р. 451–461. DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2018.1462484

2. Breznitz D. (2021) Innovation in Real Places. Strategiesfor Prosperity in an Unforgiving World. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

3. Buchwald E.M. (2021) Spatial Aspects of “The Concept–2020” and the Implementation of the Targets of the Regional Development Policy. Vestnik Instituta ekonomiki Rossiyskoy akademii nauk. No. 2. P. 67–83. DOI: 10.52180/2073-6487_2021_2_67_83

4. Buresh O.V. (2016) Economy of Region as Management Object. Intellekt. Innovatsii. Investitsii. No. 9. P. 23–28.

5. Christensen C.M., Raynor M.E. (2003) The Innovator’s Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

6. Cooke P. (2016) Four Minutes to Four Years: The Advantage of Recombinant over Specialized Innovation — RIS3 versus ‘Smartspec’. European Planning Studies. Vol. 24. Is. 8. Р. 1494–1510. DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2016.1151482

7. Granberg A.G. (2004) Regional’naya ekonomika i regional’naya nauka v Rossii: desyat’ let spustya [Regional economy and regional science in Russia: Ten years later]. Region: Ekonomika i Sociologiya. No. 1. P. 57–81.

8. Grillitsch M., Trippl M. (2018) Innovation Policies and New Regional Growth Paths: A Place-Based System Failure Framework. In: Niosi J. (ed.) Innovation Systems, Policy and Management. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. P. 329–358.

9. Kondrat’yev N. (2002) Bol’shiye tsikly kon”yunktury i teoriya predvideniya [Large cycles of conjuncture and the theory of foresight]. Moscow: Ekonomika.

10. Kroll H. (2015) Efforts to Implement Smart Specialization in Practice — Leading Unlike Horses to the Water. European Planning Studies. Vol. 23. Is. 10. Р. 2079–2098. DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2014.1003036

11. Kutsenko E., Islankina E., Kindras A. (2018) Smart by Oneself ? An Analysis of Russian Regional Innovation Strategies within the RIS3 Framework. Foresight and STI Governance. Vol. 12. Is. 1. P. 25–45. DOI: 10.17323/2500-2597.2018.1.25.45

12. Levchaev, P.A. (2018) Innovatsionnaya model’ razvitiya ekonomiki regiona [Innovative model for the development of the region’s economy]. Moscow: INFRA–M.

13. Lyshchikova YU.V. (2021) Mechanisms of Institutionalization and Implementation of the Concept of “Smart Region” in the Management of Sustainable Spatial Development of Territories. Ekonomika. Informatika. Vol. 48. No. 2. P. 229–243. DOI: 10.52575/2687-0932-2021-48-2-229-243

14. Markkula M., KuneH. (2015) Making Smart Regions Smarter: Smart Specialization and the Role of Universities in Regional Innovation Ecosystems. Technology Innovation Management Review. Vol. 5. Is. 10. Р. 7–15. DOI: 10.22215/timreview/932

15. Molchanov I.N. (2022) Features of Spatial Development of Territories (on the Example of Regions of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District). Regional’naya ekonomika. Yug Rossii. Vol. 10. No. 1. P. 79–93. DOI: 10.15688/re.volsu.2022.1.8

16. Morgan K. (2015) Smart Specialisation: Opportunities and Challenges for Regional Innovation Policy. Regional Studies. Vol. 49. Is. 3. Р. 480–482. DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2015.1007572

17. Nazvanova K.V., Zaharov P.N. (2015) Mechanisms of Economic Innovation Development Management at Meso-Level: Socio-Economic System “Region” as an Object of Strategic Planning. Sovremennye tekhnologii upravleniya. No. 9(57). P. 22–28.

18. Nicholls A., Ziegler R. (eds.) (2020) Creating Economic Space for Social Innovation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

19. Orlova L.N. (2016) Konkurentosposobnost’ predprinimatel’skikh struktur v sisteme ustoychivogo innovatsionnogo razvitiya [Competitiveness of business structures in the system of sustainable innovative development]. Moscow: Rossiyskiy ekonomicheskiy universitet imeni G.V. Plekhanova.

20. Schumpeter J.A. (1983) The Theory of Economic Development: An Inquiry into Profits, Capital, Credit, Interest, and the Business Cycle. New Brunswick, London: Transaction Publishers.

21. Shkarina V.S., Yan Ming Ze (2022) On the Issue of Sustainable Innovative Development of the Russian Economy. Innovatsii i investitsii. No. 11. P. 11–15.

22. Sorokina N.YU. (2016) Features of the Old Industrial Region as Object of Management Social and Economic Development. Izvestiya Tul’skogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Ekonomicheskie i yuridicheskie nauki. No. 1–1. P. 72–80.

23. Sotarauta M. (2018) Smart Specialization and Place Leadership: Dreaming about Shared Visions, Falling into Policy Traps?Regional Studies, Regional Science. Vol. 5. Is. 1. Р. 190–203. DOI: 10.1080/21681376.2018.1480902

24. Taylor M.Z. (2016) The Politics of Innovation. Why Some Countries Are Better Than Others at Science and Technology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

25. Voronov A.S. (2022) Upravleniye ustoychivym innovatsionnym razvitiyem regional’nykh sotsial’noekonomicheskikh sistem [Managing sustainable innovative development of regional socio-economic systems]. Moscow: YUNITI-DANA.

26. 孟根仓，萨如拉 (2022)“中蒙俄经济走廊”建设背景下跨境区域经济合作研究 —以俄罗斯布里亚特共 和国为例.东北亚经济研究. No. 2(30). P. 63–81. [Meng Geng Tsang, Sa Ru La (2022) Border territories in the context of the construction of the «China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor». Study of economic cooperation on the example of the Republic of Buryatia (Russia). Economic Research of Northeast Asia. No. 2(30). P. 63–81].

27. 葛新蓉 (2017) 俄罗斯远东超前发展: 基于区域政策层面的思考. 对外经贸. No. 12(282). P. 36–38. [Ge Xin Rong (2017) Advanced development of the Russian Far East: Thinking at the level of regional policy. Foreign Trade. No. 12 (282). P. 36–38].