Organization of the social and economic space of territories employing cluster and network structures

Abstract

Successful development of the regional economy is impossible without creating special conditions and forming a mechanism ensuring balanced and sustainable socio-economic development of the regions of the Russian Federation. To achieve the goals outlined above, the authors propose a solution based on the creation of a conceptually new model for organizing the socio-economic space of territories through cluster-network structures designed to improve the life quality of the population and increase the competitiveness of the regional economy. Various methodological approaches and a number of general scientific and unique research methods were used, including the system-structural approach, as well as analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, and modeling. As a result of the research, the advantages of the cluster-network model, in contrast to the cluster model of organizing economic interactions, are justified. A conceptual model of the organization of socio-economic space through cluster-network structures is presented. The organizational and economic mechanism of functioning of cluster-network formations is developed. It is established that the cluster-network model, in contrast to the widely used cluster model, increases the competitiveness of the economy on a larger scale due to the multiplicative effect of clustering and networking processes. The innovations proposed in this paper are intended to complement or expand existing scientific approaches to clustering and networking of the economy both at the regional and interregional levels.