Knowledge-Based Development of Russian Regions and Growing Inequality

Abstract

The article contains an analysis of the Russian knowledge-based economy at the meso-economic (regional) level in the period from 2005 to 2015. Authors assess the main parameters of the development of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, including the regional innovation system and the education system, ICT infrastructure and environmental conditions of life. It has been proven that the background of the knowledge-based economy in Russia (ICT and the ecological environment) is characterized by a converging trend, and the core of the knowledge-based economy (the educational system and the innovation system) is characterized by a divergent trend. Differentiation of education systems in the Russian regions increases during 10 years of analysis, therefore, the ability of peripheral regions to switch to knowledge-intensive is steadily decreasing. The gap between leaders and outsiders (the overwhelming majority of regions) of the development of a regional innovation system is maximum. Authors conclude that the preservation of a liberal-oriented meso-economic policy in Russia will contribute to the formation of an asymmetric model of the knowledge-based economy.

The Analysis of Regional Features of the Institutional Development of Russian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

“…This is precisely what the reform of the business models of the State and its economy should aim to achieve. Institutional reform ultimately contributes to the realization of the social and public good and not only to economic efficiency (Arhiereev, 2012;Acs & Armington, 2006;Terziovski, 2010;Shirokova, 2010;Davletova et al, 2013;Kochergin et al, 2020;Akhmadullin et al, 2020;Deev et al, 2020;Kondaurova et al, 2020;Kapeljushnikov, 2012;Kondaurova, 2017).…”