THE INNOVATIVE INDUSTRIAL СLUSTER CONCEPT OF REGIONAL MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEMS

Abstract

The focus on the relationship between sustainable development, regionalism and clusterisation of economy formed a scientific interest of the present paper. Based on a questionnaire filled in by a sample of managers from 3 cluster-oriented regions of Russia, the perception of business strengths and weaknesses and the assessment of the external environment were investigated and paralleled with the main causes for the success of clusters or underutilization of the clusters integrated benefits. The efficiency of a region’s cluster-type development was linked to optimization of resources potential and national industrial complex enlargement, growth of market infrastructure, recruiting qualified personnel, attracting small and medium-size innovative businesses, and collaborative engagement of all entities participating in the strategic alliance within a cluster. The purpose of this research was to identify key factors of successful clustering of an economy based on experience of foreign clusters and leading clusters of the Russian economy, and to stimulate the influence of innovative clusters on regional social-economic development in Russia. The research methodology is based on the cluster concept of regional management and numerous case-studies that describe the cases of high-tech clusters nationally and internationally. Conclusions of the study give a plausible picture of the level of development, interrelated with the quality of business strategies in the measured regions, and ask for a comparative analysis of more Russian regions. The present study contributes to the government body of regional management to approach sustainable development of social-economic systems and increasing entrepreneurial activity in the regions of the Russian Federation. Keywords: cluster efficiency, cluster strategy, economic competitiveness, innovation economy, innovative industrial cluster, national innovation systems, regional development, clustering success factors