Creation and Prospects for the Development of the Port Economic Zone in Astrakhan Region

Abstract

The transport system of the South of Russia plays an important role in the development of the economic space. Russian special economic zones do not form an integrated network; they can be characterized rather as individual, separate, innovation-oriented “oases in the desert” of the low-tech Russian economy. The goal of creating port special economic zones on the territory of the Russian Federation is to stimulate the development of the port economy and the development of port services that are competitive with foreign counterparts. The paper considers the experience of creating special economic zones of various types and their functioning in Russia for the period from 2005 to 2018, which allows to conclude that this process is ambiguous, inconsistent, contradictory. The reason for this, in particular, is the lack of an effective zone management system at the federal and local levels. In this regard, the prospect of the integrated use of public-private partnership instruments in creating a special economic zone has been proved. The article substantiates the need and prospects for the formation of a special port zone in Astrakhan region, which will become the basis of a large transport hub contributing to the development of “North-South” International Transportation Corridor.