Scientific and Methodological Provision of Region’s Competitiveness Assessment in the Conditions of the Digital Economy

Abstract

Purpose: The paper is aimed at the development of scientific and methodological support for assessing the competitiveness of the region in the digital economy, which allows achieving both the completeness of the assessment and its high accuracy and objectivity to obtain systematic and reliable results. Design/Methodology/Approach: The author’s scientific and methodological support of the assessment of the region’s competitiveness in the digital economy has been developed, which allows combining quantitative (contained in official statistics) and qualitative (obtained through a survey of the region’s population) data for the most complete assessment of the region’s competitiveness in the digital economy. The proposed scientific and methodological support for assessing the competitiveness of the region in the digital economy was tested on the example of the regions of the North Caucasus Federal District of the Russian Federation in 2018. Findings: It is justified that unlike the general competitiveness (taking into account the level of education, healthcare, living standards, and other indicators), for which the necessary statistics are available and are highly reliable, the assessment of digital competitiveness cannot be based only on statistical data (due to their scarcity and inaccuracy), and therefore, it should also take into account the values of qualitative indicators. This is achieved in the developed scientific and methodological support of assessing the competitiveness of the region in the digital economy. Originality/Value: The testing of the proposed scientific and methodological support on the example of the regions of the North Caucasus Federal District of the Russian Federation in 2018 demonstrated significant differences in the quantitative and qualitative assessments. As a result of their system accounting, the most objective, complete, accurate, and reliable results were obtained, according to which the highest level of competitiveness in the digital economy is peculiar to the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic. Interim assessment results can be used by all regions to identify their strengths and weaknesses as well as to develop and implement highly effective regional strategies for managing the competitiveness of the economy in the digital economy.