Elena V. Takmakova

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the Russian Federation’s public financial and budgetary policy in the area of innovative development. It examines key areas of state participation in the formation of a national innovation system in the context of sanctions pressure and the pursuit of technological sovereignty. Particular attention is paid to a range of state financial support measures for the high-tech sector: national projects, preferential regimes for IT companies and small technology companies, infrastructure initiatives (technology parks, support funds), and human resource development programs. The paper compares Russian R&D funding indicators with those of a number of economically developed countries, identifying differences in the structure of funding sources and the intensity of investment in R&D. The article analyzes the dynamics and structure of innovation funding in Russia, highlights priority sectors, and identifies regional differences in scientific and technological development. Barriers hindering innovation are also considered, primarily insufficient private investment in R&D, a high administrative burden, and the risks of regulatory and supervisory activities, which are particularly significant for small and medium-sized businesses. The analysis yields conclusions regarding the potential of the current system of financial and economic support for innovation and the need for its further refinement. The importance of integrating scientific research into the real economy, expanding public-private partnership mechanisms, and adapting support instruments to the needs of individual industries and regions is emphasized. The authors believe this will improve the overall effectiveness of innovation policy and accelerate the achievement of technological development targets.

In the context of the implementation of the National Bioeconomy Project and stricter requirements for food security, there is a need to shift from the traditional approach of program-targeted planning to project-based management of regional agricultural policy. The object of this study is the mechanism for regional agricultural policy planning. The objective of the study is to develop and test a mechanism for regional agricultural policy planning using a portfolio of projects for the production of nutrition-forming agricultural products. The methodology is based on a combination of program-targeted and project-based approaches, using a priority matrix and assessing the synergistic effect of the portfolio. The empirical basis is financial statement data from 226 agricultural organizations in the Penza Region for 2022-2024. To account for differentiation, all organizations are grouped by size (annual revenue) into small (up to 100 million rubles), medium (100-500 million rubles), and large (over 500 million rubles). As a result, an economy of scale was identified, with large organizations (20.3% of the total) generating 67.1% of revenue, and their profitability five times higher than that of small farms. A portfolio of four projects was formed, with a total investment volume of 12.1 billion rubles and an expected profitability of 5.2-24.3%. The synergistic effect of the portfolio is estimated at 270 million rubles in annual cost savings. The scientific novelty lies in the development of a mechanism for regional agricultural policy planning based on project-based methods, incorporating a system of principles (differentiation, comparative advantage, balance, resource availability, efficiency, and synergy) and methodological tools for their implementation using a priority matrix. The practical significance lies in the possibility of using the developed mechanism in the formation of regional state agricultural development programs that ensure a balance between the physical and economic availability of products.

The article examines the relationship between innovative technological development and economic sovereignty of the Russian Federation in the context of external economic pressure and sanctions. The research methodology includes: generalization of theoretical approaches of foreign and domestic scientists on the relationship between innovation and economic growth; comparative analysis of indicators of scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation and leading countries of the world; assessment of regional differentiation of innovative activity in the Russian Federation; study of the regulatory framework of innovative technological development of the Russian Federation. The current state of the scientific and technological sphere of Russia is analyzed, including the dynamics of resource provision: the share of expenditure on science in GDP, the number of researchers, the volume of domestic expenditure on research and development. Particular attention is paid to the legal analysis of key documents defining strategic priorities in the field of innovative technological development, including the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation and the Concept of Technological Development until 2030. The study identified the main problems hindering the achievement of technological sovereignty: low level of science funding, outflow of qualified scientific personnel, unevenness of innovative activity across the regions of the country. Continued dependence on imported critical technologies and equipment. Based on the analysis, areas for improving public policy are proposed, including: balanced support for the entire innovation cycle of technology development, development of small technology companies, digitalization of scientific and technological development management processes, strengthening the competitive selection and evaluation of research and innovation projects, and attracting extra-budgetary funding sources. It is substantiated that reaching a new level of innovative and technological development is a necessary condition for ensuring the economic sovereignty of the Russian Federation.

The aim of the study is to identify mechanisms for overcoming resistance to innovation, considering behavioral factors and assessing the impact of investments in science on economic growth. The research methodology includes economic and statistical methods, including the calculation of Pearson pair correlation coefficients to analyze the relationship between GDP, the production of innovative goods and services, expenditures on civil science and R&D costs (including for fundamental and applied research), a comparative analysis of international practices in stimulating innovation (China, USA, Germany, Japan, Israel, South Korea, USSR, Russia). Data sources: statistics from Rosstat and the United Nations, open sources on priorities of innovation policies, regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation. Main results: a high correlation was found between R&D costs and GDP (r=0.99), as well as the production of innovative goods (r=0.99), investments in basic research have a stronger impact on GDP (r=0.94), applied research on the production of innovative products (r=0.92). Based on the analysis of the experience and priorities of countries with high innovation potential, the directions of transformation of state innovation policy were determined, considering the impact of behavioral distortions. Scope of application: government innovation policy, science support programs, behavioral design tools, technology transfer, educational programs. Conclusions. For GDP growth and technological sovereignty, it is necessary to combine the financing of science with consideration of behavioral mechanisms.

The purpose of the study is to assess the effectiveness of innovation activities of small enterprises in Russia in 2019–2024 based on an analysis of innovation activity dynamics, regional imbalances, cost effectiveness, and structural shifts. The analysis methodology is based on data from the Federal State Statistics Service (form No. 2-MP innovation) using methods of economic and statistical analysis such as calculation of absolute gains, variation indicators, cost effectiveness coefficient (ratio of the share of innovative products to the share of innovation costs), and Pearson correlation analysis. Over the period 2019–2024, the share of innovatively active small enterprises in Russia increased from 5.8 to 7.4 %, while chain growth slowed to 0.2 percentage points, which is two to five times lower than the level of developed countries (data from 2024). The coefficient of variation for the Federal Districts increased from 26.5 (2019) up to 44.0% (2024), which indicates the transition to significant interregional polarization. The cost effectiveness indicator decreased from 2.5 (2019) to 1.7 (2024), while research and development costs increased to 27.2% and software costs increased to 19.4% (from 0.8% in 2019). Correlation analysis (2024, 75 constituent entities) shows a weak link between innovation the cost of research and development activities (r = 0.22) and a negative relationship with the number of subsidies (r = – 0.19). Proposed measures to adjust government policy are regional innovation vouchers, technology commercialization centers, tax cashback, and interregional clusters.

Innovation activity of the manufacturing industry organizations in Russia in 20202024 is analyzed. The purpose of the study is to identify the discrepancy between the growth in the number of innovatively active enterprises and the dynamics of innovative production release, as well as to assess the effectiveness of innovative costs. The study is based on official statistical data from the Federal State Statistics Service for 2020–2024. The following methods are used: statistical analysis of the dynamics (calculation of chain and basic increments), comparative analysis of the manufacturability degree and economic activity types, calculation of innovation efficiency (ratio of the share of innovative products to the share of innovation costs), Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, and graphical methods of presenting the results. A key contradiction is revealed: as the share of innovatively active enterprises increased from 21.3% to 23.7%, the share of innovative products decreased from 8.5% to 8.3%. Innovation efficiency peaked at 3.8 in 2023 and dropped to 3.3 by 2024. The research paper proves that the relationship between the level of innovation activity and the share of innovative products is weak, while costs correlate with the result significantly more strongly, which indicates the predominance of extensive factors with a decrease in the quality of innovation. The authors develop recommendations to shift the focus from increasing the number of innovatively active enterprises to stimulating the launch of fundamentally new products, as well as process innovations in high-tech industries and the development of sectoral import substitution programs for medium-tech and low-tech sectors.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the development of hydropower in the Russian Federation for the period 2010–2024, including an assessment of its role in the country's energy balance, regional characteristics, investment dynamics, and Russia's international position. Based on data from strategic documents of the Russian Federation, industry statistics, and reports from PJSC RusHydro, the authors examine the key trends that have emerged: a slight decrease in the share of hydroelectric power plants in the overall structure of installed capacity, a steady increase in electricity generation, and concentration of capacity primarily in Siberia and the Far East. Significant regional imba‑ lances are identified. The largest capacity increases are observed in the integrated energy systems of the Russian East, South, and Siberia, while stagnation is observed in Central Russia. The article emphasizes that in a number of regions of the North Caucasus, hydropower almost completely meets local electricity needs. A comparison is made with the world leader, China, which has accounted for more than half of the global increase in hydroelectric capacity over the past 25 years. It is noted that funding for investment projects in the Russian hydropower sector has fallen almost in half, creating serious constraints on the industry's development. The scientific novelty of the article lies in identifying the current balance of development factors and proposing structured measures to strengthen them, grouped by financial, investment, technological, regional, and infrastructural areas. In conclusion, the authors note that Russia's strategic priorities have shifted toward developing the hydroelectric potential of its eastern territories and ensuring energy security, while decarbonization remains the global driver.

The system of processes of state regulation of social development in rural areas in Russia has been analyzed. The purpose of the study is to identify systemic issues that limit the existing tools effectiveness and to substantiate the possibilities of adapting modern foreign approaches to Russian institutional conditions. The research is based on a set of general scientific and special methods that have made it possible to implement a systematic approach to the analysis of state regulation of social development in rural areas. In particular, the system analysis has been applied to consider rural areas as a complex socio-economic system, to identify the interrelationships among its elements (economy, infrastructure, human capital, and management), and to model the vicious circle of depression. The comparative analysis has formed the basis for studying foreign experience and identifying conditions that limit and facilitate its application in Russia. Regulatory and legal analysis has been used in the study of strategic documents, federal laws, and government programs. Modeling has been used to graphically represent the cause-and-effect relationships forming a vicious circle and to describe the proposed institutions of adaptation. Interrelated issues (financial, managerial, demographic, and infrastructural), forming a stable system, have been identified. It has been proven that the existing list of government tools often works within a vicious circle of depression, and their inconsistency reduces the overall effect of using the tools. Foreign approaches to state regulation of social development in rural areas have been analyzed. The potential of their application in Russia and the internal constraints have been highlighted. Hybrid institutions have been developed to adapt the bottom-up principles in the context of the Russian management vertical. Mechanisms for such adaptation have been proposed (microgrants distributed by residents’ councils, territorial development funds managed by partner councils).

The purpose of the study is to analyze the impact of the aging of the rural population of the Central Federal District (CFD) on the opportunities for the formation of labor potential capable of ensuring the digital transformation of the agro-industrial complex and the development of adaptive strategies for staffing the industry. The research methodology is based on the analysis of statistical data from the Federal State Statistics Service. Methods of comparative analysis, statistical grouping, and content analysis of strategic documents on research issues were used. The main results of the study revealed a deep regional differentiation of the aging of the rural population in the Central Federal District, hidden behind the average indicators. Based on the number of pensioners in the total rural population, three typological clusters are identified: regions of crisis aging (more than 30% of pensioners); regions of intense aging (25-30% of pensioners); regions of relative well-being (less than 25%). Specific limitations for the process of digitalization of the agro-industrial complex (cognitive barriers, shortage of digital competence carriers, infrastructural and economic problems in conditions of depopulation) have been identified for each cluster and differentiated models of digital transformation of the agro-industrial complex have been proposed. The necessity of a differentiated approach in the formation of the labor potential of rural areas is substantiated, as well as the need to move to a strategy of functional integration into a single digital ecosystem, where aging is considered as a source of practical experience subject to digitalization. On this basis, adaptive strategies are proposed, ranging from mass robotization and the involvement of external personnel in regions of crisis aging to middle-aged retraining programs and the digitization of traditional agronomic experience in more prosperous territories.

Subject. This article considers the current development of the regional labor market in Russia as a whole and in the Orel Oblast in particular. Objectives. The article aims to determine the features of labor market development in the agricultural region of the country. Methods. For the study, we used analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, comparison and analysis of absolute and relative indicators. Results. The article reveals that the rate of employment in the Orel Oblast is increasing, but it remains insufficiently high. The combined indicator of the unemployment rate and potential workforce is showing a tendency to decrease. Conclusions. The structure of employment by education level in the economic activity – Agriculture, Forestry, Hunting, Fishing, and Fish Farming is inferior in quality to the structure of employment in the economy as a whole. The potential labor force in the region in 2023 had decreased threefold compared to 2019.