In this paper we revealed the problems of development of border rural areas, causing their low economic and social attractiveness. We determined that the development of border rural areas involves the formation of mechanisms for the growth of economic and social activity. The methodological basis of the study is the concept of development of border rural settlements as the most important parts of the economic space. This development is based on the integrated use of economic, social and environmental resources while launching innovative and diversification projects as part of the regional development strategy. We showed the need to form a network of growth centres throughout the region, just as competing for economic, social and environmental resources, so complementing each other in terms of integrated use of resources. The global mission of border rural areas in the innovation economy as well as possible incentives to increase the socio-economic attractiveness of rural areas have been identified. The need for state support for cross-border rural areas was economically justified by identifying opportunity costs. A policy of “smart” protectionism and its effectiveness for the development of border rural areas was described. We proposed a model and main mechanisms for the development of economic, social and environmental activity in the border rural areas. We also revealed the specifics of development of border rural areas of the Republic of Buryatia where world heritage sites are located.

In the 2000s, the socio-economic development strategies of almost all regions of the Russian Federation envisaged the formation and development of regional clusters (mostly innovative industrial ones). While the cluster policy had dirigiste nature: the list of potential clusters, the circle of participants, territorial and non-territorial boundaries, the expected effects of operation were determined by regional administrations. The same type of cluster development mechanisms and tools which do not take into account regional specifics and promising economic specializations have led to premature disillusionment in the cluster concept. Full-scale mature clusters can function successfully if their profile is consistent with the specifics of the region, including restrictive factors hindering economic activity (in the Baikal region this is the so-called "Baikal" factor). The article discusses the promising directions of clustering the economy of the Baikal region in the context of the cluster development of the subjects of the Russian Federation, substantiates the role of cluster policy in increasing the connectivity of the economic space of the country and its regions.

The article examines the theoretical and practical aspects of ensuring the quality of investment processes in the regions. The main areas of investment in the regions are identified, which include modernization, diversification, innovative development and intensive growth of socio-economic systems. The investments were divided into economicallyoriented and socially-oriented groups, which differ by the principle of obtaining direct or indirect financial effect. The concepts of investment capacity and investment potential of the regions are defined. The causes and factors that affect occurrence rate of investment dead ends are identified. The influence of investments on the stability and security of regional development is shown. As an example, the provision of economic, energy and food security is considered

The article reveals the main approaches to the socio-economic and spatial development of regions and proves the need to combine them into an integrated approach to spatial socio-economic development. It is shown that both traditional economic resources and the use of innovations, social, environmental and other resources can act as a development base. The article considers the innovative-informational and natural-resource directions of economic development. The historically established approaches to the development of economic space are highlighted from the standpoint of realizing the advantages of territorial location and development, as well as from the standpoint of realizing the benefits of innovative entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial (economic) activity was chosen as the main driving factor of development. The theory of the economic space development based on the use of economic, social and environmental potential in the general economic field of the region has been substantiated. The author’s concept of isopot is used as a tool for the formation of integration ties in the territory, which determines the transfer of financial, information, resource and other flows within the framework of the implementation of development strategy projects and provides spatial socio-economic planning. The typification of development has been carried out depending on the orientation towards the resource-raw material, industrial-innovative, agrarian-innovative, social-service and communication-logistic components of the potential. The resource-raw material, transport-communication, ecosystem, socio-cultural, innovation-cluster and political-economic (military-political) approaches to the spatial socio-economic development of regions have been determined. The axial, network and cluster placement models for spatial development are considered. The initiative of building new cities of scientific and industrial type in Eastern Siberia is considered. The analysis of this project’s goals, the prerequisites for its appearance is given. The historical trends of changes in the incentives for the construction of new cities are analyzed. The features of the technological specialization of new cities, transport, personnel and financial support are revealed. The main problems of the project are shown. The alternatives to the construction of new cities are considered. The necessary stages of transformation of the state vision of economic development from the economy of slogans and appeals, through an irrational economy to a rational economy, have been investigated

In this study we address the problem of finding mechanisms for capacity building of border areas. We have identified the obstacles to their development: prohibitions on economic activities in border areas, relatively large military forest and land holdings, and potential economic pressure from neighbouring states on businesses and population. The main preferences for their development: interests of neighbouring states in resources and markets formation of transport corridors; intermunicipal, socio-cultural and ethno-religious cooperation. We considered the processes of administrative reassignment of regions between federal districts as a mechanism of problem-based management for regional spatial development by grouping the regions with similar problems. We also discussed the examples of such mechanisms (and their limitations) to increase the economic and social attractiveness of border areas -including territories of priority development and preferential mortgages. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the use of an integrated approach to capacity building of border areas through consistent administrative, organizational economic and social mechanisms. This approach can be applied to the design of strategic planning programmes for the spatial and socio-economic development of border areas, including through cross-border cooperation.