abstract. The positions of countries of Central and Eastern Europe as well as Russia are listed in ranking tables by aggregated indices which characterise the readiness of the countries to transfer their economies to innovative development. The connection between the use of information technologies and national economic development based on the innovative economy is established. The author characterises the positions of Russia and the new EU members in terms of international indices, including the Global Competitiveness Index.

roDionowa i., kreJDenko t., mąDry C., 2018. Cluster policy in the Russian Federation: A case study of industrial clusters. Quaestiones Geographicae 37(2), Bogucki Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Poznań, pp. 61-75. 3 tables, 3 figs.abstract: The article describes cluster policy in the Russian Federation regarding industrial clusters. In the first part, the authors explain the definitions of basic concepts related to clusters that are used in Russia, the features of cluster policy in the light of European experiences, and bring closer the Russian literature on the subject. In the second part, they distinguish and describe five stages of cluster policy in Russia. In the third part, they present basic quantitative data describing clusters in Russia, including their spatial diversification, the number of entities creating clusters, employment, etc. A particular role of the state in creating clusters and subsequent cluster policy programs is described, paying attention to their low efficiency.

ABSTRACT. The objects of research are indicators of human development inKazakhstan from the moment of independence acquisition by the republic until today. The subject of scientific research is spatial-existential patterns of socio-demographic processes as a key factor of human potential development in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The importance of scientific work is that the results permit to estimate the level of human development of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the basis of socio-demographic processes. For the first time the basic indicators defining human potential in Kazakhstan have been studied in detail and systematized. The aim of the work is to define the laws of the spatial organization of human potential and its basic spatial analyses of human development of Kazakhstan. The database, created with the help of ArcGIS, allows to monitor the changes of human development level, to analyze, estimate and manage human potential of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

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