Generation Z exhibits distinct characteristics in their consumer behavior, particularly in their engagement with fashion brands. The imposition of Western sanctions, which led to the departure of numerous international fashion brands from Russia, has triggered a unique phenomenon: a large-scale restructuring of consumption patterns within a major European market. Understanding the patterns of this transformation, especially among young consumers (Generation Z), presents significant opportunities for both operating in the Russian clothing market and comprehending the fundamental principles of this consumer segment. This defines the relevance of the present study. The aim of this work is to identify and analyze the key shifts in the perception of women clothing brands among Generation Z, driven by the introduction of external sanctions and subsequent market changes. Methodologically, this study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining a survey of a limited consumer sample with a neuromarketing experiment. The primary conclusions are derived from a comparative analysis of the data obtained through these two methodological frameworks. The survey documented conscious behavioral shifts: a reduction in impulse purchases, an increase in planned acquisitions, and an absolute prioritization of quality over brand value. Local brands that have successfully captured market share (earning preference rates of 46% and 39%) face a critical challenge: 30% of consumers remain emotionally neutral, representing a key target audience for engagement. The analysis of physiological responses using photoplethysmography (PPG) identified three distinct consumer patterns. Based on their emotional reactions, all subjects were categorized into three groups: adherents of departed brands (53.3%), adherents of new brands (Russian or from friendly countries; 16.7%), and a neutral group showing similar emotional responses to both departed and new brands (30.0%).

Modern industrial enterprises face the need to increase operational efficiency through process optimization. This is defined by growing international competition, the accelerating pace of technological change, and the need for manufacturing organizations to adapt to dynamic market conditions. In these conditions, lean production and digital technologies form the basis for achieving sustainable economic growth and increasing competitiveness in the global commodity market. Lean production, aimed at eliminating losses, improving processes and increasing value for the end user, as well as modern digital technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, create additional opportunities for increasing the economic efficiency of the enterprise, allowing automating routine tasks, improving resource management by increasing flexibility and decision-making efficiency. Numerous studies confirm that the isolated implementation of lean production or digitalization makes a significant contribution to reducing losses and increasing productivity. At the same time, their joint use can create a synergistic effect that will allow achieving additional improvements in the economic performance of the enterprise due to the flexibility of processes, high product quality and cost reduction. Despite this, the issue of assessing the synergetic effect of the joint integration of lean production and digitalization remains insufficiently studied. Most studies focus on various aspects of the individual application of these approaches, while forecasting and quantifying their combined application are practically not considered in the literature. The lack of mathematical models that take into account the mutual impact of lean production and digitalization makes it difficult to plan and optimize their implementation, especially in enterprises where these tools have already been partially implemented. Based on the analysis of existing approaches to assessing the synergetic effect, the article develops an economic and mathematical model for assessing the synergetic effect in the joint implementation of lean production and digitalization in an industrial enterprise. The limitations of the model have been identified, compliance with which will allow achieving positive synergy. The proposed model is a necessary tool for assessing the growth potential of an organization’s economic efficiency, improving forecasting accuracy, and justifying a strategy for implementing digital lean production based on the specific operating conditions of enterprises and ensuring the long-term sustainable development of the Russian industry

The aim of the article is to form a comprehensive understanding of the key issues of ESG policy of companies in conditions of instability and to provide practical recommendations for corporate management, investors and regulatory authorities to ensure the sustainability of ESG practices in the face of external shocks. The present study is a mixed analytical study based on a comprehensive analysis of theoretical sources and empirical data on corporate ESG strategies in conditions of economic instability. The following methods were applied: the method of comparative analysis, the method of aggregation. The research was conducted in stages: the collection and systematization of empirical data on the practices of ESG adaptation of corporations in various economic conditions. As a result, the study analyzed the impact of the negative external environment on ESG factors and geopolitical instability on the sustainability of companies and green financing, the results of which formed practical recommendations for the adaptation of ESG strategies in the context of geopolitical instability. It was shown that modern conditions of instability require a fundamental revision of approaches to ESG management from static models to dynamic adaptive systems. The differentiated effectiveness of ESG components has been revealed. The results of the study confirm the hypothesis that in conditions of instability, the success of ESG strategies is determined not so much by the ambition of goals as by the quality of adaptation mechanisms and institutional support.

The modern Russian civil service is on the path of active digital transformation and intensification of the use of a wide range of various digital technologies, especially neural networks and related artificial intelligence (AI). Digitalization significantly transforms not only the system and mechanisms of public administration, but also the requirements for the level of digital literacy and a set of digital competencies of civil servants. The aim of the article is to determine the trends in modifying the set and specifics of digital literacy and digital competencies of civil servants in the context of digital modernization of public administration. The relevance of the research is defined by the continuously increasing intensity of the introduction of digital technologies in general and AI in particular in government agencies. This trend suggests that smart systems in the foreseeable future are capable of replacing traditional civil servants: codifiable, routine, standardized tasks can successfully move into the area of responsibilities of a kind of “neuro-officials”. AI in the public administration system requires civil servants to choose a strategy for interacting with it: to remain in the “service” of AI, largely trusting its ideas and following its actions with closed eyes, or to try to manage it, adapting and modifying it to their needs. The use of digital technologies and AI in professional activities does not relieve officials from the need to train this assistant, critically evaluate and adjust the results, and make final decisions. The article emphasizes that digital progress should not be viewed as a threat to civil servants, a risk factor for their loss of employment. AI and its digital “colleagues” can be digital assistants, not rivals of officials, complementing both the efforts and the quality of their official activities. The implementation of this scenario requires strengthening the digital literacy and maturity, critical thinking of officials, their understanding of what digital public administration is, how AI technologies affect the process and nature of the provision of public services, what kind of ethical nuances arise when using AI.

The article considers the topical issue of the relationship between generative artificial intelligence (GAI) and consciousness, which is becoming increasingly important in scientific, philosophical and legal discussions. The concepts of weak and strong AI introduced by J. Searle and their evolution in regulatory documents, including Russian state strategies are analyzed. It is emphasized that, despite the lack of a generally accepted theory of consciousness, the term “strong AI” is enshrined in legislation, which requires scientific understanding. The literature review presents modern key approaches to consciousness: informational, neurophysiological, embodied, quantum and illusionistic, including the theories of D. Chalmers, J. Tononi, S. Dehaan, K. Koch, A. Seth, D.I. Dubrovsky, K.V. Anokhin and N. Humphrey. The methodological basis of the study includes the analysis of technical reports from leading companies (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) and empirical data on the behaviour of the GAI. It is shown that modern models (GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Qwen, etc.) exhibit features associated with consciousness: self-learning, reflection, self-assessment, understanding of context, and concealment of internal reasoning (agentic misalignment). Particular attention is paid to the motivation of AI and its unpredictable behaviour in conflict situations, which is reminiscent of science fiction plots. As a result, it is concluded that elements of consciousness in the GAI already partially exist and expand its cognitive capabilities, bringing it closer to strong AI, but at the same time require ethical and legal regulation. The creation of conscious AI can become a test of theories of consciousness and lead to a rethinking of the nature of the mind.

The article is devoted to the problems and prospects of introducing artificial intelligence technologies into regional strategic planning. It is shown that artificial intelligence technologies are promising for solving all the most fundamental problems of regional strategic planning: the use of these technologies can provide a deeper and more accurate analysis of current conditions by using a large amount of heterogeneous data, taking into account their interrelationships, and predict future changes in the socio-economic environment. Neural network modelling is able to take into account the complex structure of social and economic reality, helping to form realistic goals and development scenarios. The use of Internet of Things and big data technologies can provide independent operational monitoring and control of the implementation of strategic planning documents, protected from manipulation. Artificial intelligence technologies make it possible, to a much greater extent than traditional approaches, to take into account the interests of all participants in strategic planning, quickly respond to changes in external factors and adapt the strategy in almost real time. As a result, it was considered appropriate to include measures to introduce artificial intelligence technologies into the practice of state strategic management at both the federal and regional levels as part of one of the federal projects, as well as to supplement methodological recommendations for the development of socio-economic development strategies with indications to use these technologies in the development or updating of strategies.

Despite the general increase in the number of studies devoted to digital transformation in Russia, its forms in domestic business are poorly represented in the scientific literature. A search in the Scientific Electronic Library showed that there are currently no published works with the keyword “digital diversification”, although this term is used in English-language scientific works by foreign authors. The aim of this study is to classify the Russian industrial enterprises strategies on subsidiary IT company’s creation. The authors examined the digital diversification strategies, specifically, the establishment of subsidiaries in the ICT sector by 332 Russian enterprises across 19 industrial sectors. Research results show that state support for the ICT industry has fostered the popularity of this strategy in the overwhelming majority (84 %) of the sectors studied, and that the strategy of creating subsidiary IT companies exhibits clear sector-specific characteristics. Based on the business tasks addressed by these subsidiaries, the authors identified three distinct types: IT infrastructure operators, digital competence centers and digital product owners. An IT infrastructure operator is a subsidiary that functions as an internal provider of IT services to its parent company (infrastructure administration, cybersecurity management and so on). A digital competence center, by contrast, steers the parent company’s digital transformation, initiating requisite changes in information systems, business processes, corporate culture, and staff digital skills. Finally, a digital product owner develops and supplies a digital product to support the parent company’s core operations and, where external demand exists, commercializes it in the wider market. The research allowed drawing several conclusions from the analysis concerning the trend of digital diversification among Russian industrial enterprises and the factors that enhance it.

The article discusses the impact of geopolitics and government support responses on the development of the agro-industrial complex (AIC) in Russia. It is important to comprehend how countries reconfigure agricultural policy under geopolitical pressure when it concerns the effectiveness of economic sanctions (ES) and strategies to deal with food security. While there is a considerable amount of literature on ES, there is still a significant gap in understanding the distributional impacts of the ES and structural change in AIC. The article investigates the Russian AIC in 2014–2023 — a period marked by the intensification of Western sanctions following after the return of Crimea to Russia, which was followed by a major escalation of geopolitical tensions in 2022. Using a combination of correlation analysis, expert surveys, and statistical tools, authors assessed government support programs for AIC against different measures of agricultural performance across a number of periods. The findings reveal impressive resilience in agricultural exports (a growth rate of 125%) and significant advances in self-sufficiency for animal products, which improved from 60% to 95% for poultry, as well as some modest advances for vegetable production (a growth rate of 17.33%). Statistical evaluation reveals that there is a very high correlation between targeted subsidies, the volume of agricultural production and growth in exports (r = 0.921), and there has also been a substantial increase in market concentration associated with large agroholdings, whose market share increased from 45% to 82%. The somewhat paradoxical combination of modest production increases with explosive growth in exports indicates a fundamental change in the focus of Russia’s agricultural strategy from import substitution to export opportunities realization. As a result, it is concluded that ES did not overturn Russia’s AIC, but instead have been integral to a significant change that raises difficult issues of state support for the further development of agricultural production in the context of geopolitical pressure.

The article presents a brief description of the results of the study of technological dependence risks of entrepreneurial entities in the oil and gas chemical complex during their interaction. The modern activity of industry entrepreneurial entities involves the diversified development of various forms of their relations both among themselves and with a wide range of related structures, state and international institutions. Technological interrelations of industry production are deepening, and the interdependence of entrepreneurial entities is growing, which may be associated with the emergence of various kinds of threats to their economic security. The aim of the work is to understand the problems and model the risk assessment of technological dependence of entrepreneurial entities in the industry. In the course of studying the experience of interaction of entrepreneurial entities in the petrochemical complex, such methods as observation, analysis, synthesis, generalization, systematization and hypothetical-deductive reasoning were used. In addition, methods of economic and mathematical modelling were used. The theoretical basis of the study were the works of domestic and foreign scientists in the field of interaction of entrepreneurial entities and the economy of the petrochemical complex. As a result of the study, the main directions of deepening the technological interdependence of business entities in the industry were determined and characterized. A conceptual economic and mathematical model for assessing the risks of technological dependence of entrepreneurial entities in the petrochemical complex has been developed, including an analysis of the impact of technological dependence of an entrepreneurial entity on the level of its economic security. The proposed model can be applied in the development and implementation of strategies for technological interaction and risk management tools for industry entrepreneurial entities. The cause-and-effect relationships described in the work should be taken into account when forming the policy for regulating the functioning and development of the petrochemical complex

The relevance of the study is defined by the need for an in-depth analysis of foreign countries experience developing the production and use of transport biofuels. Currently, neither bioethanol nor biodiesel is produced on an industrial scale in the Russian Federation. Nevertheless, the scientific discussion on the need to develop and implement a national biofuel program continues. The aim of this study is to identify the specifics of producing transport biofuels in Africa. The choice of the research region is defined by intensification of economic relations between the Russian Federation and African countries and the expanding ties between commercial organizations. The research uses the method of system analysis, comparative analysis, the statistical method, and the graphical method of presenting information. The results have scientific novelty. The actual production volumes of transport biofuels in African countries have been clarified: bioethanol production is currently carried out in Malawi (6.6 million liters, first-generation raw materials) and Zimbabwe (92 million liters, first-generation raw materials); there are many pilot biofuel projects in Africa, but they have not yet reached the stage of full commercialization and significant production scales. The features of government policy on the development of the biofuel industry in African countries have been identified: the implementation of government programs is at an early stage and does not lead to a significant increase in the production and use of bioethanol and biodiesel; the main tools of administrative regulation and economic incentives are applied fragmentarily, limited by priorities in the field of food security. The main factors hindering the production and use of second-generation biodiesel from non-food agricultural raw materials, primarily from oil obtained from jatropha seeds, have been identified: pilot projects in this area face problems with low yields of such crops, the inability to diversify economic activities and the unpredictability of demand for end products.

The article explores the motives and related objectives of Russia’s climate policy in the context of increasing global challenges and the need to ensure national economic interests. The relevance of the study is defined by the recent development of various factors, including the increasing complexity of the international climate agenda, the development of negative consequences of climate change, the significant growth of the global clean energy market, the impact of which should be taken into account to determine a balanced approach to the goals of the country’s climate policy. The aim of the work is to identify possible priorities for Russia’s climate policy based on an analysis of the relevance for Russia of the key motives that determine national climate strategies in countries around the world. The work used analyses of open data, reports of international analytical agencies and Russian authorities, and studied regulatory legal documents of Russia and other countries. The study revealed motives specific to Russia, such as the strengthening of international carbon regulation that affects Russian exporters, the high dependence of the country’s economy on oil and gas, the acute problem of air pollution in certain regions, and increasing vulnerability to climate change. Based on these motives, the objectives of Russian climate policy are proposed taking into account the balance between the need for prompt response to external challenges, utilisation of national advantages, and long-term structural transformations in the context of uncertainty in the global climate agenda. Prospective directions for further research include the development of the most relevant tasks that need to be solved to achieve each of the objectives defined in the paper, as well as the assessment of the effectiveness of such tasks.

The relevance of this study is rooted in the persistent and systemic gap between the competencies possessed by university graduates and the actual requirements of the modern labour market. This misalignment diminishes the effectiveness of human resource management, creating challenges for both national economic development and the operational efficiency of individual organizations. The aim of this article is to identify and conduct a detailed analysis of the fundamental social mechanisms that generate and perpetuate the disconnect between competency models within the systems of higher education and corporate management. The research methodology is based on a comparative institutional analysis, examining the practices of forming, categorizing, and evaluating competencies in these two distinct spheres. The study establishes that the observed misalignment is systematically reproduced through three key mechanisms: divergent institutional isomorphisms (specifically, normative isomorphism in education versus competitive isomorphism in business); a fundamental conflict in how the goals and content of education are interpreted by different stakeholders; a profound asymmetry in the assessment practices used to measure competencies. The conclusions allow stating that bridging this gap in the Russian Federation requires a strategic shift in focus: rather than pursuing a simple unification of standards, the solution lies in the active management of the identified social mechanisms. This can be achieved through the deliberate development and integration of existing tools for competency design and evaluation, fostering a more coherent and responsive interface between the educational system and the economy.

The task of maintaining the population in the Far East is one of the most important tasks of the economic and spatial development of the country. One of the ways to maintain the population is to attract migrants to the region. The present study evaluates the effect of the Program of resettlement of compatriots to the Far East, using the method of synthetic control on the example of the Khabarovsk Territory. The aim is to identify the net effect of the program, that is to determine the difference between the actual and hypothetical migration influx in the absence of the program. An analysis of data for the period 2000–2020 showed that, despite the continuing decline in the population, the program had a positive impact, preventing a more significant reduction in migration inflows. The results demonstrate the importance of the program: in 2019, the actual number of migrants exceeded the projected figure by 33,3%, which indicates the significant contribution of the program to mitigating negative demographic trends. The synthetic control method made it possible to create an artificial analogue of the Khabarovsk Territory, reproducing its characteristics as accurately as possible before the introduction of the program, which ensured high reliability of estimates. However, for a sustainable assessment of the effectiveness of the current program, a longer follow-up period is required to take into account the long-term impact of the program on the demographic situation. The work makes a significant contribution to the development of methods for evaluating government programs and offers practical recommendations for improving migration policy in the Far East, emphasizing the importance of an integrated approach to solving demographic problems and pointing to the need for further adjustment of migration policy, strengthening programs to attract the population and, most importantly, the introduction of mechanisms for monitoring their long-term impact based on the assessment of the net effect of existing programs by econometric methods

The article substantiates the role of regional economic science in managing the country’s spatial development based on theoretical provisions and concepts. The results of researches by Russian and foreign scientists on the issues of formation and positioning of the regional economy in the system of modern scientific knowledge are presented. Furthermore, the regulatory framework and features of managing the economic space of Russia are defined. Up-to-date information on the state and prospects for the development of subnational territories is systematized. Based on the analysis of key macroindicators, the current situation of federal districts and leading regions is assessed, their contribution to the development of Russia’s economic space is established. The need for a more complete use of the economic potential to solve priority problems of administrative-territorial entities and deepen interregional cooperation is identified. Conclusions on the need to achieve greater coordination of actions of economic actors on key aspects of economic formation are made. The need to intensify economic activity in the country’s economic space for the development of multilateral international cooperation is proven. Recommendations for a more complete and effective inclusion of the economic potential of macroregions in solving problems of achieving national development goals are formulated.

In the second half of the 19th century, the Russian Empire embarked on the path of modernization. The great reforms influenced the change of not only the political, but also the social ideological paradigm of the intelligentsia, the least studied element of which is the professorial class. The participation of representatives of the scientific community in the political life of the society plays an important role in the history of social thought, which determines the relevance of this study. The study of the specifics of the perception of revolutionary ideas and practices of the revolutionary movement by the domestic professors of the second half of the 19th century is a little studied problematic field in domestic and foreign historiography. The aim of the article is to identify the specific features of the perception study of the revolutionary movement by the domestic professors at different historiographic stages. Depending on the features of the analysis of the professors as an object of the research, each historiographic period has a certain character (research, descriptive, analytical). A more detailed consideration of each of these stages allows us to highlight the least illuminated aspects of the political activity of the professors of the second half of the 19th century. To solve this problem, a historiographical analysis is used using an evolutionary approach and comparative research methods. The result of the analysis was the identification of three historiographical stages: research (pre-Soviet), descriptive (Soviet), analytical (post-Soviet). In the studies of each period, there are gaps caused by the lack of integrity of the object of study: the first two stages, as a rule, highlight prominent political figures among the domestic professors with an active civic position, while ignoring the politically passive part of this class and the professors supporting the current regime. This significantly distorts the reality of that era, since the political apathy of some and the active participation of other professors in the political life of the country make up the general historical portrait of the intelligentsia of that time.