Prerequisites and possibilities of creating a medical engineering cluster as the part of regional territorial marketing

Abstract

The article considers creating regional clusters to develop peripheral regions on the example of the Sumy region (Ukraine). The purpose of the paper is to determine the possibility of creating a medical engineering cluster in the city of Sumy and Sumy region, which will potentially increase the level of socio-economic development of the region. The urgency of solving this scientific problem lies in eliminating the disparity in the economic and social development of the regions. It is especially critical for peripheral regions, which are significantly inferior to industrial centers. It leads to some negative consequences, including a decrease in the region’s investment attractiveness, the outflow of intellectual capital, and a negative balance of population growth. If this problem is not solved, it will lead to the formation of depressed regions and the deepening of social problems, the need to solve which will create additional burdens and state and local budgets. Systematization of literature sources and approaches to solving the problem of creating industrial clusters allows identifying key issues that should be taken into account when analyzing the existing conditions and prospects for building clusters. It also allowed us to determine the algorithm for creating an industrial cluster. The methodological tools of the study were taxonomy to systematize approaches to the analysis of industrial clusters and SWOT analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that exist concerning the creation of medical engineering cluster in the study region. The study of the possibility of creating a medical engineering cluster on the Sumy and Sumy region territory in the article is carried out in the following logical sequence. First, the theoretical and methodological approaches to the definition of «cluster» and their classification are systematized. Second, the key benefits of stakeholders from building an industrial cluster are identified. Third, the cluster creation cycle is formed. Fourth, an analysis of the current state of development of industrial production, health care, and the scientific and educational potential of the region. Fifth, SWOT analysis of the creation of a medical engineering cluster in the Sumy region was carried out.