The paper deals with the issues concerned with junction process influence on the character of territorial development. The process of generation of new activities is demonstrated, including territorial conjugation and integrative economy. Emergence of new self-sustained economic resources for territorial development is demonstrated; the key resources are knowledge-based and innovation potentials; in connection with that, territories acquire new quality specified as a knowledge-based innovation area.

The paper gives consideration to specifics of spatial arrangement of new forms of innovation activity in conjunction with economic upturn. Actual trends regarding spatial development of the country have been substantiated.

The authors of the present paper consider development of perception and estimation of the economic category “investment demand” of a region from the standpoint of its significance in reference to regional policy-making and investment process management in a region. In order to specify regional policy priorities, a model of a finance-investment act is suggested by the authors; the given act specifies assessment criteria of investment requirements by a region, and actualizes regional policy regarding activation of investment processes in the region.

The basic problems of current socio-demographic development of Russian regions are considered raising the need to find socio-economic and socio-psychological reasons for current demographic tendencies. Th eoretical substantiation of a demographic situation in Russia taking into account characteristics of the second demographic transition and influence of social stress has been given. Definition of the concept “eff ective sociodemographic development of a region” owing to synergetic effect in terms of socio-economic and demographic system interaction has been suggested. The forecasting method of socio-demographic region development on the basis of sharing of synergy and simulation modeling has been offered. Probabilistic forecasts of the population size of the Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation being parts of the Ural Federal District till 2025 have been obtained; the given forecasts are to estimate possible ways of socio-demographic development of the Ural Federal District.

The necessity of application of the research methodology as a criterion to analyze the strategy targets of regional development in Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation has been substantiated in the paper. The strategy targets are worked out considering millennium development goals. Analyzing the situation in the Perm region, gender peculiarities of human capital realization have been stated as a major factor of sustainable development of the post-industrial economy. Expenses for ineffective application of health and education capital have been determined, as most men and women in the Perm region apply health and education capital ineffectively on the ground that male and female forms of development differ: low economic effi ciency regarding human capital is typical for women as there is gender discrimination both in social and reproductive sectors of the regional economy. As a result of short life period and a great number of deaths at productive age most men apply human capital incompletely. It has been pointed out that such gender disbalance lessens effi ciency of functioning of the economic entities of the Perm region such as men and women, enterprises and institutions and regional economy in general. Ways of optimization of men and women’s human capital application in the economy of the Perm region have been suggested.

In connection with transformation of socio-economic life style of Russian people and exacerbation of environmental problems the concepts "health", "healthy mode of life", “self-protecting behavior" and some others have been adjusted on the basis of a number of sociological studies conducted by the author in the 1999-2009. Dominant forms and methods of leisure activities for adults and young citizens of the Urals affecting their health and socio-economic behavior have been considered in the paper.

The article discusses the development of Baltic transmission networks, related to the program of the European Union (EU) to improve the security of energy supply, competitiveness and improve the development. Infrastructure projects to meet the needs of electricity in the EU are considered. The highlight issues are plan of Baltic energy markets merging and Latvian energy market development tendency.

The paper deals with migration, role and control of unqualified workers on the labor market of the OECD countries. The experience can be applied for development of a migration policy in the Russian Federation.

Negative influence of the crisis processes on the State and business cooperation in terms of implementation of socially significant investment projects has been reviewed in the article. It has been demonstrated that the major crisis threats to development of partner relations of the State and business are based on the general economic situation in the country; they have a direct impact on financial condition of the public and private sectors. It has been demonstrated that the Investment fund of the Russian Federation has not yet become a financial basis for modernization of the country and effective development of regions. Institutional and business factors of risks distribution in the context of private-public partnership have been determined.

The paper deals with the issues related to establishment of intergovernmental fiscal relations in Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation. Particular consideration is given to theoretical issues referred to: fi nance centralization criteria; principles of authority and resource allocation according to territorial levels; effi ciency of budget adjustment policy and individual approach to territories. The author has made close analysis of intergovernmental fiscal relations in municipal entities of the Perm region; as a result, principal issues related to development of the given entities have been set forth. The ways to enhance intra-regional and inter-budget relations in the Russian Federation have been suggested.

The problem of forest management is considered from the standpoint of a multifunctional conceptual model of forest management and ecological requirements.

The paper deals with the issues concerned with market appraisal of mineral resource potential of the Russian Federation. Strategy regarding reproduction and innovation use of the mineral resource potential on an expanded scale has been substantiated. Mineral resource potential of the Russian Federation is considered by the author as a major factor of budgeting and national well-being. The structure of national wealth (in terms of minerals) has been analyzed. New Centers for economic development have been justified; they are an essential supplemental base to the existing large oil-and-gas and mining regions with considerably depleted potential. Th e statement related to the fact that Centers for economic development are to be planned with regard to innovation development of the mineral resource base, has been substantiated.

An economic projection is presented in the paper on the heap leaching technology for extracting a residual gold from the gold-ore dumps accumulated at the exploited or closed gold mines. A brief analysis is performed on the legal status of use this source of raw materials, availability and efficiency of the heap leaching method are reviewed, and the potential users of this method are assessed. An investment plan is created for involving anthropogenic dumps of gold-raw materials at one of the ore deposits in Siberia (heap complex of the North-Western flank of the Sovetskoye minefield, Krasnoyarsk region, North-Yenisey area).

Basic environmental consequences of railway construction planned by the project “Ural Industrial – Ural Polar” have been considered in the paper. The authors consider the territory of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, which is based on the materials of the 20-year period of researches and comparison to the already functioning similar objects in the region under investigation.

Development of the flax complex has a strategic value for Russia. In the article the content and structure of the flax complex are under study. The factors restraining its development are analyzed. Th e defi nition of the flax complex is suggested. Arguments about necessity of working out and adopting a new programme of development of the flax complex in Russia that would provide proportional and balanced development of all its sectors are adduced.

At the present stage of socio-economic changes rural area economic activity conditions have changed in Russia, which has significantly worsened social facilities and engineering infrastructure eff ective functioning problem. The rural social infrastructure status has been deteriorating recently due to the lack of eff ective State support instruments and investments. In the paper, Russian rural social sphere development trends are considered, guidelines referred to the government control of rural area social sphere development are analyzed, methodology related to social facilities and engineering infrastructure efficient functioning is suggested as a determining factor for the agriculture labor market efficient development. A conceptual model of rural area social infrastructure strategic development and a mechanism of management control organization and rural area social infrastructure development based on a comprehensive analysis has been suggested.

Measures implemented by the Federal State Statistics Service aimed at regular monitoring of the situation in the territory of the Russian Federation have been considered in the paper. Issues related to unemployment and investment activity by enterprises in the context of the financial and economic crisis have been analyzed.

A methodological approach to solving the problem related to multi-criterion optimization of production range generation by an enterprise is considered in the paper. Two most practical techniques to solve the given task are suggested: a generalized criterion method and a sequential transfer method. By way of the expert evaluation technique a problem of information support to realize the given methods is solved through computer simulation of the initial task solution. With expert opinions taken into consideration, collective normalization of particular criteria of the problem – “Kemeny’s median” − is calculated. The given ranking allows a decision-maker to use methods of multi-criterion task solution, and therewith to give maximum consideration to opinions of all experts. The technique suggested in the paper makes it possible to develop administrative decisions aimed at generation of optimal production range of an enterprise.

The author’s standpoint regarding the controversial economic issues concerned with regional infrastructure intersystem communication (What is regional infrastructure? What does it consist of and how does it function? What is quality of life and can it be considered as a system? Is interpretation of regional infrastructure as a life quality enhancement factor appropriate?) is given in the paper. Statistical data referred to the life quality in the Volga Federal District in 2001-2008 have been analyzed. Life quality models subject to regional infrastructure have been suggested. An infrasystem approach to regional infrastructure research has been offered. A hypothesis regarding regional infrastructure as a multiplier of life quality of the population has been put forward and considered.

Specifics of distribution of costs for investment and major repair by branch-wise enterprises have been considered. Optimization of cost planning of branch-wise enterprises on the basis of actual costs incurred in the previous periods, with work distribution related to major repair and investment taken into consideration, has been suggested in the paper.

Key parameters characterizing a level of development of insurance business in a region are the following indicators: insurance density and insurance penetration. To analyze the level of the given indicators for the market of the Sverdlovsk region in 2010, methods of simulation modeling have been applied. Two assumptions concerning probabilistic distribution of initial parameters have been considered in the issue; the given parameters are: normal distribution and level distribution.

Regional market of insurance is a stand-alone element of regional economics. Its development is infl uenced by multiple macroecomic factors. In the course of the present research dependence between development indices of the insurance market and socio-economic indices of the region has been found. Econometrical analysis has demonstrated the main indices, which have great influence on the insurance market of the Perm region.

An algorithm of making and implementation of regional industrial policy based on an "image of the future" related to the industry of the region coordinated by the major parties has been considered in the paper.

The given article is focused on a topical subject of global trade networks and the current trends of their development on a regional retail market. The authors believe that deep integration of international networks in the regions significantly increases the competition among network operators in the trade sector and creates a certain challenge for Russian retailers, and require introduction of innovative management techniques, automation of operational processes, expansion of assortment, better service, lower prices, etc. Research and assessment of the parameters given in the article help verifying an effect of international networks on the development process of regional market participants.

The paper deals with possibility to establish an institutional organization for study and forecast of demand and price setting for gas; being previously a utopia, such an organization gradually becomes a business concept. Particular emphasis is given to the role of Russia in establishment and participation in the gas alliance. Ways and prospects of participation of new member countries of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum have been considered as some gas consumers gradually come to understanding of importance to coordinate activities in terms of fuel supply to external markets.