This article is devoted to a detailed study of the interaction between innovation systems and innovation processes. The application of the regional-national innovation system (RIS) model has been studied, and it has been revealed that it is a targeted strategy aimed at accelerating economic growth through the introduction of scientific developments into the production cycle. The importance of including distinctive regional characteristics in analytical models for a more adequate representation of the real innovative and competitive capabilities of the regions under consideration is substantiated. The need for modification of methodologies for the analysis of regional innovation systems (RIS), adapted to the specifics of local development and external integration, is emphasized. It has been established that an adequate assessment of the innovative capacities and positions of regions in the global economic space is hampered by the presence of divergence in classification standards. The need to include a new type of RIS in the classification is shown, which adequately reflects the initial stages of systems development in the context of unique Russian regional features. An analysis of the dynamics of interaction between key actors within these systems has been obtained, contributing to a deep understanding of the mechanisms of transfer of innovative knowledge among actors, providing tools for managing the development of regions, identifying the drivers of their competitive advantages and focusing on market participants.