In the article, the critical role of the industrial policy in the economic development of any country is proved; it is shown that the economic policy is a mandatory attribute of the state participation in the definition of priorities, long-term goals and problems of the competitiveness increase solved in certain periods of socio-economic development of the state. A comparative analysis of the «industrial policy» concept created in foreign countries and national economy is carried out. The treatments of the «industrial policy» concept offered both in projects of legislative acts of Russia and in numerous publications are analysed. The author’s treatment of this concept is offered. Alternative approaches to develop the theoretical fundamentals of industrial policy are established. As a system framework of the modern industrial policy, the synthesis of provisions of the institutional classical theory, the theory of long-term technical and economic development, and economic synergetic is offered. Conditional stages of the industrial policy development in the world economy, proceeding from a ratio of interests of business and the population are noted. Sertain stages of industrial policy of Russia from 1989 to the present time with their meanings and received results are allocated. Regional aspects of industrial policy, its legislative provision are considered. Advantages and disadvantages of the project of the Federal Law «On Industrial Policy in the Russian Federation» are revealed (2014).

The article presents systematization of scientific knowledge concerning distribution of productive forces. It is proved that the conception of distribution of productive forces has dual-natured matter. The authors put an emphasis on interpretation of three main “distribution of productive forces” paradigms, which were figured out from foreign and native theories. Each of these paradigms has its special features and characteristics. It is necessary to use the complex of methods and tools in order to analyze the distinguish features of the distribution in different historic steps. The article provides methodology of distribution of productive forces, which based on such categories as “time” and “space.” Nowadays, this approach is more convenient as allows to reach continuous development. This idea also corresponds to contemporary principles of distribution of productive forces: parsimony principle, spatial concentration principle, irregular distribution of productive forces principle. The authors made conclusion that the modern paradigm of distribution of productive forces will contribute to developing regional economics as a science.

In the article, the relatedness as an attribute of spatial development that has greater importance for economic policy implementation being a characteristic of its object is considered. Relatedness is understood as the quantitatively measurable extent of productive, social and other interactions intensity between elements of the socio-economic system on two levels: inter-regional relatedness takes place if subjects of interactions are located in different regions, intra-regional if the interactions between residents are located in the same region. Addressing to the analysis and synthesis of the scientific discussion main achievements in the theory of spatial development and institutional theory, historical analogies and empiric results of implementation of different level integration projects allowed to provide the proof for the following hypothesis: economic policy that shapes up the basis of regional development must entail instruments for economic space relatedness measurement, assessment and administration as its inseparable elements, and these instruments must have reasonable theoretic and methodological basis. We propose a conceptual model for taking decisions concerning regional development parameters and dynamics, which considers economic space relatedness, both inter- and intra-regional. Its practical implementation provides an algorithm for examining the existing interrelations within a region and beyond its borders, as well as their basis and supporting factors. The model’s fundamental principle is multidirectional effect of relatedness forces onto socio-economic development parameters of the region. This allows to consider actual asymmetry and unevenness of economic space and provides variability of the decisions that can be taken towards existing relations.

In the article is shown that the socio-economic development of regions is exposed to influence of external and internal economic threats more actively. The regional factors determining constraining influence on growing economic threats are revealed. In the work, the analysis of the condition of the industry, agriculture, housing construction for the period 1990-2013 years is carried out; the positive and negative aspects of economic development of Middle Ural are shown. The necessity of activation of scientific and technical activity for development of high-efficiency workplaces and translation of the region on an innovation way of development is proved. The measures of counteraction to increasing economic threats in territory of the Sverdlovsk region in 2014-2015 years are offered. The offer on the necessity to consider public works as a system of measures together with the drawings, other technical and design documents, and also appropriate feasibility reports are suggested. The conclusion about the importance of development in the country a new model of economic development for maintenance of effective counteraction to economic threats is made.

In the articles, the households’ educational strategies for school children are surveyed on the basis of sociological research. The significance attached to school education in connection with human capital accumulation is in the focus of attention. It is shown that the accumulation of human capital through mass obtainment of higher professional education appeared as the consequence of rather significant gap in salaries level of educated specialists and employees without higher education. The article reviews such problems as the role of education in the present-day world, its significance as the foundation of human capital accumulation. The goals that households set before the system of school education are revealed on the basis of sociological data. Educational strategies of school children in connection with their opportunities of successful overcoming of Unified State Examination are explored. The assumptions concerning educational strategies alterations are made on the basis of conducted analysis and statistic data, which revealed the tendency of converging salaries of employees who received higher education with salary level of employees who received secondary professional education.

The main objective of this study is to analyze the most important determinants of monetary poverty (at the macro-level) in the European Union, taking into account the effects of regional spillovers. Regression analyses of spatial data in the period 2007–2009, i.e. the pre-crisis and crisis years are performed in order to compare the size of the impact of the selected variables on poverty levels. In the study, a spatial Durbin model (SDM) is employed and the sample includes 187 EU regions. In order to quantify the impacts of the explanatory variables, scalar summary measures are used (the average direct impacts, as well as the indirect and total impacts of income, are negative).

The purpose of this article is to discuss conceptual approaches to the development of stabilization policy in federal countries. In this article, the authors have justified the need for a regional component in the mechanism of the domestic price level stabilization policy and systemized relevant factors that have a significant impact on the spatial outcome of stabilization policy. The article proposes a method of determining the spatial zones of high, medium and low “susceptibility” to measures of stabilization policy center, and includes the following: 1) analysis of regional price manageability background; 2) sensitivity study of the regional banking system to a change in central bank policy; 3) elasticity analysis of the reaction of the population and business in the region to change the activity of the regional banking system. The authors have formulated the principles of coordination of actions between the federal center and the regions in the implementation of stabilization policies that allow to take into account differences between the regions in response to the changes made in federal policy. The paper has substantiated the system of performance indicators that measures anti-inflationary policy and also takes into account the heterogeneity of economic space of the Russian Federation in the context of the “direct” and “conjugate” effects on the central regions. Theoretical position application and output indicators, which are outlined in this article allow building a system of coordination and interaction between the federal center and the regions and thus ensuring the effectiveness of stabilization policies and non-inflationary development of Russia.

This paper aims at properly measuring and evaluating the impact of equivalence scales on poverty and inequality at both national and regional (Oblast) level in Ukraine. A new equivalence scale set is proposed and estimated on the basis of the UHLSC data; for some regions the precision of the estimate results as not being sufficient due to small sub-sample sizes. A variant of EBLUP small area estimation technique is proposed and implemented to estimate poverty measures properly and to reduce standard errors of such estimates; the variant concerned is based on a ratio approach: in this way the effect of the difficult-to-qualify institutional and historical factors, common to the country and its regions, is abstracted.

The article promotes an approach to assess the prospects of regional development on the basis of the synthesis of comparative and historical methods of research. According to the authors, the comparative analysis of the similar functioning of the socio-economic systems forms deeper understanding what part factors and methods of state regulation play in regional development, and also their place in socio-economic and geopolitical space. The object of the research is Kamchatka territory as the region playing strategically important role in socio-economic development of Russia and also northern territories of the other countries comparable with Kamchatka on the bass if environmental conditions such as Iceland, Greenland, USA (Alaska), Canada (Yukon), and Japan (Hokkaido). On the basis of allocation of the general signs of regional socio-economic systems and creation of the regional development models forming the basis for comparative estimates, the article analyses the territories, which are comparable on the base of climatic, geographic, economic, geopolitical conditions, but thus significantly different due to the level of economic familiarity. The generalization of the extensive statistical material characterizing various spheres of activity at these territories, including branch structure of the economy, its infrastructure security, demographic situation, the budgetary and financial sphere are given. It allows defining the crucial features of the regional economy development models. In the conclusion, the authors emphasize that ignoring of the essential relations among the regional system elements and internal and external factors deprives a research of historical and socio-economic basis.

The article concerns the influence of the obligations undertaken by Russian Federation upon the World Trade Organization accession, on the development of the national copper industry. The main aim of the research is to evaluate if the overall concepts of positive influence of the WTO accession on Russian metallurgy are true for the copper industry. The article reveals the analysis of the factors that determine the development of the stated industry as well as the risks that come from the changes of the business environment. The overall influence of the market drivers on the industry is considered in order to support the assumption that the factors specific for the copper industry can significantly compensate the forecasted general positive influence of the WTO accession on nonferrous metallurgy and moreover: the associated risks will lead to unbalancing of the industry development in the middle and long term perspective. In this regard, as the results of the research the authors expect that the industry development will depend on the world copper market situation even to a greater degree. The copper market in its turn has been following the downwards trend in the last years. The results of this work can be applied to the production strategy development by the companies of the industry as well as become a basis of the analysis of regional economic systems stability.

The article investigates cooperation in the field of tourism as a factor and feature of tourism clusters development. The analysis of tourism clusters development, trends and most common forms of cooperation between the participants in two regions of the Baikal region (Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia) was carried out based on the results of interviews with representatives of tourism business, education and government. The results indicate that compared with European practice, the areas of cooperation of Russian tourism sector enterprises with other economic actors are less diverse. Some attributes of cluster development based on cooperation are indicated in the Republic of Buryatia, whereas they are missing in the Irkutsk region, although two regions are the objects of a number of national and regional development programs aimed at tourism clusters development.

In the article, the methodical bases of management by the integrated industrial enterprises is developed according to the indicators of sustainable economic development of the region. The scope of the research is the region as the difficult mesosystem consisting of logistic clusters. The subject matter of the research is the organizational and economic relations developing in the course of interaction of participants of the regional economy as mesosystems. The models and methods of management by the large economic systems in the economy of the industrially developed region are developed; the organizational and economic essence of a logistic cluster as the subject of the regional economy us revealed. The mechanism of management by the integrated enterprises with using the cluster approach, technologies of logistics, management of supply chains is offered. They allow to the management of an enterprises to make scientifically reasonable effective decisions developing programs of supply, economic production and realization of finished goods in the close connection with programs of regional economic development.

In the article, the regional tendencies of business capitalization in various regions of the world in the conditions of raising financial instability as a reaction of the shift of accents in the business activity from production to activity of the scientific and technological, information and innovative fields are analyzed. The contribution of various components of the economy to the development of capitalization is revealed. The indicators displaying the level of capitalization of the business and companies in various sectors of economy, its interrelation with gross domestic product indicators are analyzed. Alternative options of development, expenses and benefits from the increase of the level of the business capitalization as a whole and companies issuers in particular are revealed. The interrelation of the levels, dynamics and tendencies of the economy development in the world, Russia, and regions with indicators of business capitalization is investigated. The reasons of the low indicators of the firms’ capitalization, which are quoted at the Moscow exchange are found out; the measures for its development, saturation of the financial market by additional tools are offered. The mechanism and tools of the development stimulation of capitalization in the regions are investigated. The internal and external factors influencing the capitalization development on developed, and developing markets, with reflection of multidirectional tendencies in the activity of leading companies in the various regions of the world are analyzed.

The paper analyses the nature and extent of the offshore world, a grey area that is playing a major role in present-day economy. The main institutions moulding this peculiar environment are discussed: preferential tax regimes, tax havens and offshore financial centers. Their role in the globalised world is outlined after a scrutiny of the specialized literature, reports by non-governmental bodies and companies’ advertisings. Finally, we present a tentative reconstruction of its geographical organization, inclusive of cartographic representations of the main international networks.

In the present conditions of economic development, an important factor in the growth potential of the business entity is timely and qualitative assessment of the prospects for its financial and economic activities and potential bankruptcy. To date, analysis of financial condition is carried out by applying the traditional method of analysis, or with the help of rating and discriminant Express models. At the same time, the traditional approach to the analysis of financial condition and bankruptcy forecasting economic entity, being essentially consuming, has a significant disadvantage due to the subjectivity of compiling information on the calculation of the set of indicators, which greatly affect the quality and direction of the terminals built on its basis. Advantages and discriminant rating Express models in contrast to the traditional approach is to have a single integral index and the possibility of developing a solid scale of its gradations that solves the problem of interpreting the results of the analysis while increasing its objectivity. Express models created as a result of each of the identified approaches separately having certain advantages have distinct disadvantages due exclusively feature algorithms rating or solely discriminant modeling. Rational combination of rating and discriminant approach allows to overcome the disadvantages inherent in each of the algorithms separately, allowing the simulation to absorb their positive aspects. Insufficient elaboration commonly used rating and discriminant modeling requires the needs to improve the analytical algorithm for constructing express model characterized by a high degree of reliability and timeliness of the information about the diagnosis conducted financial condition and potential bankruptcy organization.

Questions of the insurance market development concern one of the priorities as increase the efficiency of the financial resources use of all subjects of economy. It gives the possibility to save the budgetary funds at the covering of losses from catastrophic situations, compensate the industrial and other risks to the corporations, as well as increase the responsibility of the citizens. This article is devoted to the search of the directions of voluntary insurance development in the Russian Federation and the Altai territory. On the basis of the study of the major factors having impact on processes of insurance, it is offered to define the most significant of them for the future forecasting. This study allows to reveal the different macro- and microeconomic factors, which may become growth points for the insurance market. The particular attention paid to the specifics of the insurance development at a particular region.

In this paper we first review the (potential and actual) role of the Universities for the local economies in which they operate, especially considering the implications deriving from the degree of skill mismatch (over-education) in a local labour market. Then, in the second part of the paper, we realise an empirical investigation based on administrative information of an Italian University matched with the data of the job centres of the local (provincial) labour market in order to reconstruct the characteristics of the university-to-work transitions of graduates. Our results have important policy implications, since for local development it is crucial, among other things, to make the best use of all human resources and especially those with the highest educational level.

In the paper, the dynamics of contemporary international migration, which strength the role of the Asia-Pacific region’s (including China) are shown. The author assessed the current status and possible scenarios of migration flows from China to Russia. On the example of the Jewish Autonomous Region, it is shown that the fluctuating scenario is to be accepted as the most possible. In the article, the dynamics of international labor migration in the southern Russian Far East subjects due to the distinct character of the cross-border position the Russian Far East and North-Eastern provinces of China are analyzed in depth. The author assessed the perception of international migration by the population of southern Russian Far East subjects on the content base analysis. It is emphasized that the continued involvement of labor immigrants has led to a decrease in the professional level of the population of the Russian regions, which is reflected at the background of the declining interest of Chinese migrants to work in the territory of Russia.

The article deals with the problems of defining middle classes. Theoretical principles of social and class structures, including middle classes, are examined. The criteria of reckoning some hired workers as middle classes worked out on the basis of normative methodology (normative criteria) are submitted, the most important of them being educational qualifications, occupation, personal income and provision of housing. Methods of statistical and sociologic analysing data are applied. The results of analysing the conformity of the hired workers to the normative criteria of representing middle classes are produced. It is determined that today heads of organizations and their subdivisions as well as certified top and middle management specialists representing middle classes comprise only 2-3 per cent of the total number of the hired workers. It should be noted that there are practically no-one among them who has got a family with two and more children. The low level of wages is the main reason for that. In addition there are some other reasons, too. The results of the research could find application in the state social and economic policy.

Ascertaining students’ entrepreneurial intention and looking into their perception of the obstacles surrounding the entrepreneurial process are the objectives of this research. To achieve these objectives, a cross-sectional, quantitative, observational and analytical study was developed. To carry out this study, a random sample constituted by 269 students from Braganza School of Agriculture was collected. Descriptive statistics and statistical tests, namely, Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov with Lilliefors correction test and Levene test were computed using SPSS 16.0. A likely bankruptcy was identified as a critical factor in starting up a business. Lack of financial support was pointed as the major difficulty concerning business development. However, according to the results, 35.2 % of the respondents would like to create their own business and contribute to the development of the regional economy, specifically, in the agriculture, food, biotechnological and environmental sectors.

In this article, modernization is presented as multilateral process of technical, technological and socio-economic improvement of agriculture. Its features, opportunities and restrictions in the conditions of the North and the Arctic are revealed. On the example of the Komi Republic, it is shown that modernization of an agrarian sector is necessary for view of its social functions. The condition of agriculture of the republic in 1960-1980 and the conditions of market transformations since 1990 is considered. Achievements and shortcomings of collective forms of the agrarian economy and negative influence on rural life of their destruction are reflected. Sharp reduction of investments, state support reduction, increased disparity of the prices of material resources and agrarian production brought agrarian sector of the economy of peripheral areas of the republic into a condition of a semi-subsistence economy. Revival of the northern village is connected in the beginning with production of environmentally friendly production of the increased demand, and suburban settlements — with construction of livestock complexes on a new technological basis. Positive changes in agriculture modernization in connection with the implementation of the priority national project «Agrarian and industrial complex development» are shown. The main directions of modernization of the agricultural sector and the rural periphery of the Arctic subregion of the Komi Republic are offered.

The authors’ point of view at the forecast of rural territories infrastructure development in Permskiy krai, Udmurtia and Kirovskaya Oblast by considering of innovative technology implementation is given in this paper. The improvement of rural people life conditions has been planned on the basis of this research. The indexes for life quality of rural people assessment were determined. The main ways for their increasing were defined. An important role in this process belongs to the small innovative enterprises, which develop new technologies and forward them to rural enterprises. It reduces risks because of their implementation and promotes the sustainable development of rural territories. It is planned that on the basis of the authors’ method of innovations application, the subsidized regions using their potential will sell their products on the external market of countries accessed to WTO and thereby will provide population with employment and increase its standard of living.

The subject of this article is the types of relationship between economic development and degree of income inequality in the regions of the Russian Federation. Research methods: testing the modified Kuznets hypothesis; relative deflating of regional parameters; calculating the differentiation and localization coefficients; constructing the Lorentz curves; correlation and regression analysis. Obtained results: 1) for Russian regions author discovered significant direct statistical relationship between the Gini and funds coefficients and the level of real per capita income with increasing returns, as well as less strong direct relationship between coefficients of differentiation mentioned above and the real GDP per capita with diminishing returns; 2) the “social wellbeing” coefficient is proposed and calculated for the regions, which based on localization index of real per capita income relative to the differentiation coefficient, and 3) the degree of interregional disparities in the Russian Federation is evaluated on the basis of the Gini coefficient, coefficient of variation and relative entropy for the nominal and real income and GRP per capita, and Lorenz curves for them are constructed. In this paper, author concluded: 1) presently the level of economic development of the Russian Federation regions negatively affects their income equality due to most of them are on the ascending branch of the S. Kuznets curve, 2) “social welfare” coefficient changes the positions of the middle-income regions more, than that of other regions, and 3) two factors have a positive impact on reducing the regional disparities: more ratio of total personal income to GRP in poor regions relative to rich ones (i.e. greater “social orientation” of poor regions), and positive correlation between income and the cost of living in the regions. The obtained results can be used by researchers in further testing the modified Kuznets hypothesis, as well as by local authorities in the income policy optimization at the regional level.

The development of modern Russian energy collides with the need for major investments in the modernization and renewal of generation and transmission capacity. In terms of attracting sufficient financial resources and find ways to increase, energy sector profitability and investment attractiveness of particular importance is the problem of investment financing optimizing aimed at minimizing the cost of financing while maintaining financial stability of the power companies and the goals and objectives of Russian energy system long-term development. The article discusses the problem of investment projects financing in power generation from the point of view of the need to achieve optimal investment budget. Presents the author’s approach to the investment financing optimization of power generation company that will achieve the minimum cost of resources involved, taking into account the impact of the funding structure for the power generating company financial sustainability. The developed model is applied to the problem of investment budget optimiz ing, for example, regional power generating company. The results can improve the efficiency of investment in energy, sustainable and competitive development of regional energy systems.

Currently, at the regional markets, there is a disproportion between the growing demand for transportation and logistics services and the availability of facilities needed for their implementation, which is because the high logistics costs and does not meet the strategic objectives of the country to create a common economic space. The article describes the system of market factors that have the most significant influence on the distribution of logistics facilities. Study and evaluation of potential changes in the region of logistics facility disposition are proposed to perform using simulation techniques and statistical data analysis. The article presents the engineered multivariate statistical models that control the kind and effect of correlation between socio-economic development factors of regions, as well as a simulation model, which allows to assess the dynamics of these factors and predict demand for logistics infrastructure facilities. The choice of region (subject) dislocation of the logistics center is proposed to realize by the developed technique based on the calculation of the integrated index that takes into account differences in the level of socio-economic and infrastructural development of the regions. This technique in conjunction with a simulation model is applicable to a variety of administrative and territorial levels (region, city) and allows to take into account both the current demand in the logistics infrastructure and demand dynamics. The technique given in the article can be used to assess the level of attractiveness of the Russian Federation in the development of public and private investment projects for the development of logistics infrastructure.

Publicly funded competence centres have gained high recognition for improving science-industry collaboration. With the requirement for long-term and geographically concentrated R&D, competence centres provide an environment for joint learning and transfer of “sticky” knowledge. The objective of this paper is to investigate how a competence centres programme affects knowledge production in the regional innovation system. In order to address this issue, we draw on a simulation approach and develop an agent-based model of the Vienna Life Sciences innovation system. Companies, research organisations and universities are heterogeneous agents that create scientific publications, patents, as well as high-tech jobs. Simulation runs refer to long-term scenarios regarding the level and duration of public funding. By addressing the complexities of knowledge interaction in the context of the “local buzz” versus “global pipelines” discussion, the results show the potential of empirically calibrated simulation models for ex-ante impact assessment in R&D policy.

The article presents a practical technology of forecasting the development of the regional economy, including the statement of the problem, the construction of a mathematical model, and its implementation. At the constructing of a model, the standard statistical data for the previous period (2011), built on the basis of the table “input — output” are used. A unit of output of final demand, resulting from investments is added. As a result, a model of the regional economy made in the form of a vector mathematical programming problem that takes into account the investment processes in a region is obtained. Its purpose is to maximize the production of final demand in a region (all industries in a region) within the constraints of the input-output balance, investments, resource costs and capacities. For solving linear programming problems of vector, methods, based on the principle of normalization criteria and guaranteed result are used. Vector dynamics problem is solved in a specified number of years. The factors taking into account the rate of growth: gross volumes (resources), final demand, investment in every sector of the region are introduced. Numerical implementation of the prediction is shown in the test case economic modeling of Primorsky Krai, including fifteen branches of a three-year period in accordance with the requirements of the Budget Code. Results of the solution include the major economic indicators for a region: gross, gross regional product (GRP), investments (including broken by industry), as well as payroll taxes and other. All these economic indicators are the basis for the formation of budget revenues in a region.