A forecasting system for calculating the demand for inter-regional rail freight transport is necessary for assessing the growth and development opportunities of transport infrastructure, connectivity of regions and spatial development. We examine the regional economy and interregional relations based on the existing system of rail freight transport. The statistics of the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), international statistical agencies and the data of JSC Russian Railways served as raw data. The research methodology includes input-output methods and models, in particular, a static input-output model, as well as methods of correlation and regression analysis. We calculated projected rail freight traffic for two macroeconomic development scenarios. A better alternative (target scenario) of economic development, demonstrating an average annual economic growth rate of 102.2 % for the period 2015–2035, would lead to a 16.2 % increase in the rail freight traffic by 2035 compared to the baseline scenario. The second scenario is based on the hypothesis of economic stagnation at the level of 1%. Such an increase is achieved by domestic transport, in which the share of construction freight for approximately 30.9 % of total traffic by 2035, and export transport, where the share of energy freight is 44.1 % of the total. An increase in shipment in total rail freight transport will be provided by enterprises of the Central, Northwestern, Volga and Siberian Federal Districts. The proposed tools allow sub- stantiating the strategic development of the railway system, assessing the cooperation between the economy and rail transport. The results can be used for analytical and predictive support of the strategic development of the railway system in the Russian Federation. The future research will focus on expanding the set of factors for considering the regional characteristics of economic development, a more meaningful assessment of the connectivity of regions, not only in the system of rail freight transport.

In the context of globalisation, there is a need to assess the difference between domestic and world price effects as an im- portant component of the economic analysis of investment projects. We developed an integrated approach to measuring the differences between commercial and public efficien cy (indicati ng pri ce effec ts) and substantiat ing the applicat ion of specific mechanisms for implementing relevant projects based on the principles of public-private partnership. We propose to estimate price effects using three interrelated models: financial and economic model, input-output multi-regional model, and econometric model. The combination of these models allows analysing large investment projects considering their influence on the develop- ment trends of the global, national and regional economy. This methodology was tested on the example of a real regional project for the construction of the Eastern Siberia — Pacific Ocean (ESPO-2) oil pipeline. The results show that the share of price effects amounted to more than 35 % of net present value within the framework of public efficiency, confirming their high significance. Tax price effects have the largest share in the structure of the price effects. Indirect price effects of the considered project are less significant. The research results have confirmed that the identification of indicators of public efficiency and in-depth analysis of price effects increase the validity of the assessment of regional infrastructure projects. In the future, we plan to use the proposed methods as an integral part of a comprehensive assessment of large-scale production, transport and research infrastructure projects.

Nowadays, the sustainability of the health care system is a relevant research topic. The works of Russian scientists demon- strate the lack of a systematic approach to determining the efficiency and sustainability of the Russian health care. International experience and the data of the Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO) show that, despite exten- sive research, efficiency indicators of the health care system have been insufficiently developed. Using the methods of multidi - mensional comparative analysis, determined factor analysis, structural analysis, expert assessment, statistical modelling and forecasting methods, we developed a methodology for the comprehensive assessment of the efficiency and sustainability of the regional health care system. The methodological toolkit includes the comprehensive assessment of the relative efficien cy and relative sustainability of the regional health care system based on the established integral indicators. We tested this methodol- ogy on the example of the health care system of Sverdlovsk Oblast in the period 2017–2018. Integral indicators of the relative efficiency are directly influenced by the indicators of medical and social performance, which largely depend on the funding and management of the health care system. Simultaneously, the indicators of the relative efficiency can be high even if the indicators of the relative sustainability did not reach the established threshold. An integral indicator of the risk level considers the need to maintain the sustainability of the health care system for its functioning and development. Further, we constructed an interactive model for determining the risk zone and safe zone of the health care system. Due to its versatility, the proposed methodological toolkit allows an objective assessment of the efficiency and sustainability of the regional health care system.

Significant difference in development between the municipalities is an obstacle for achieving economic sustainability in many Russian regions. Regional development strategies and plans of various municipalities often cannot be synchronised because of their incompatibility. Moreover, municipalities usually lack necessary resources to implement their strategies. To solve these problems, we identified groups of municipalities (key units of the settlement system (KUSS)) based on the existing socio-eco- nomic relations, common challenges and development potential. We propose a methodology for identifying KUSS and describe its application. This methodology relies on statistical data available at the municipal level. To assess the interconnection of municipalities, we used 6 statistical socio-economic indicators and 1 integrated index of Gross Municipal Product (GMP). The difference in the first 6 indicators of the development of municipalities demonstrated, that less developed municipalities tend to more developed ones. We used the values of gross municipal product to define high mutual attraction of large municipalities (similar to the gravity model). The distance between municipalities reduced their mutual influence. Due to the limited data set, it was necessary to consider the reliability of the identified inter-municipal relations. Thus, we compared the obtained results with empirical data on population distribution and circular migration between municipalities in the region. The comparison of our calculations and actual data showed high precision of the presented methodology. The resulting grouping of municipalities allowed identifying 21 key units of the settlement system in Sverdlovsk oblast. The proposed methodology can be used for deter- mining large groups of municipalities in Sverdlovsk oblast, as well as in other Russian regions.

A change in values of modern society has led to the transformation of economic development models based on the greening of industrial activities. This problem is particularly relevant for industrial regions, including the Urals, where environmental pressure mostly depends on the mining and metallurgical industry, which is a source of industrial waste. In this regard, we develop a methodology for assessing environmental and economic efficiency of technological solutions for processing industrial raw materials. The research methodology is based on the theory of industrial production efficiency, sustainable development theory and circular economy principles. To assess the efficiency, we applied the methods of comparative, structural and logical, economic and statistical analysis, as well as real options method. The comparative analysis revealed various trends in the generation, recycling, and accumulation of waste from mining and smelting activities in the whole Russia and the Middle Urals in the period 2013–2019. The industrial waste of the Urals is unique in terms of its multicomponent composition, including ferrous, non-ferrous and rare-earth metals. Thus, the real options method is optimal for assessing the efficiency of recycling industrial waste. The analysis of the approaches to the assessment of environmental and economic efficiency confirmed that traditional methods based on cost indicators are unreliable compared to the real options method. We described the main stages of this method and developed an algorithm for assessing environmental and economic efficiency of processing industrial raw materials. Further, we identified the real options for processing industrial resources of steel production that influence managerial decisions in a changing environment. Due to the versatility of the developed method, which considers both external uncertainty and requirements of advanced technologies, we recommend using this method for selecting effective investment projects aimed at processing industrial raw materials.

The quest to achieve economic development worldwide has increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which could vary in high- and low-income economies due to differences in economic activities. Using empirical evidence from the panel data for the period 1960–2018 obtained from the World Bank, we investigate differences in the impact of population, gross domestic product (GDP), and renewable energy on CO2 emissions in high- and low-income economies. For that purpose, we applied the Pesaran cross-sectional dependence test (for cross-sectional dependence), Levin-Lin-Chu unit root test (for Unit roots), Granger causality Wald test (for the possibility of Granger causality among the variables), fixed-effects and random-effects regressions. We established that population, GDP and energy consumption considerably influence CO2 emissions. Results of the Granger causality Wald test, fixed-effects and random-effects regressions clearly demonstrated that growth in population and GDP directly correlates with CO2 emissions in high- and low-income economies, while renewable energy consumption has an indirect correlation. While there are no differences in terms of directions, we revealed differences in the magnitude in high- and low-income economies. The impact of population and renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions in low-income economies is greater than that of high-income economies. The impact of GDP on CO2 emissions is greater in high-income economies than in low-income economies. Thus, to reduce CO2 emissions, policy makers should promote low carbon emission economic activities and implement population control measures.

The search for new sources of regional development is important due to the slowdown in economic growth and the need to shift the emphasis of industrial policy from the macro level to the level of regions and individual companies. In this regard, we consider the participation of companies in reputation ratings as a new source for increasing the investment attractiveness of regions. Additionally, we examine the relationship between corporate and regional ratings: corporate ratings demonstrate a company’s compliance with the sustainable development goals, which, in turn, improves the socio-economic performance of regions. We revealed the positive influence of high corporate ratings on the socio-economic development of regions, opening a new area for interdisciplinary research combining corporate finance and regional economics. On the example of 130 biggest Russian public non-financial companies, we obtained several significant results that allow determining the impact of corporate ratings on the socio-economic situation of regions and corporate financial performance. The ratings include Sustainable development Index of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RUIE), Environmental responsibility rating of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russia, and Corporate social responsibility rating of the Association of Managers of Russia (AMR). The calculations showed that the participation of companies in the ratings of WWF Russia and RUIE positively affects the indicators sustainable development of regions where these companies are located. Simultaneously, the influence of companies’ participation in the rating of WWF Russia is higher than the influence of participation in the RUIE rating. In addition, reputation ratings have a positive impact on the return on assets and market capitalisation of Russian companies. Thus, we proved that participation in corporate ratings leads to an increase in performance. However, the effects of participation in various ratings differ. For example, to increase its conditions and performance, a company should be a leader of the rating of RUIE and just participate in the rating of WWF Russia. The rating of AMR influences the market capitalisation the most. The obtained findings indicate the need for expanding the participation of Russian companies in corporate ratings and enable research in the field of sustainable development of companies.

A new class of post-industrial technologies is gradually being introduced into various sectors of the economy. However, the lack of application experience may hinder their spread. The article examines two issues of post-industrial technologies. Firstly, there is a need to identify promising (advanced) production technologies that are fundamentally different from traditional industrial technologies. Secondly, the study aims to assess the current stage of the development and application of these technologies on the example of the North-West of Russia. This assessment may be of interest for understanding the advantages of the technologies’ use and the possibility of their distribution. The article describes the application of post-industrial technologies, giving examples of their use for attracting business and expanding the functions and responsibilities of regional authorities. Based on the structural method, post-industrial technologies were divided into various types: renewable energy sources, nanotechnologies, and information and communication technologies (ICTs). The article shows their distribution across the regions of the North- West of Russia, companies that implement post-industrial technologies and their products. The paper reveals the characteristics and definition of post-industrial technologies, as well as the specificity of their application in regions. In the North-West of Russia, regions with large resources in wind and water as well as partly solar energy sectors use renewable energy sources applying hybrid power systems (wind/solar, wind/solar/diesel) to supply power to remote small villages without centralised electricity systems. Nanotechnology are applied in the production of composite materials, metal-ceramic materials, nanoelectronics, laser cladding. Biotechnologies are used for processing animal waste and resources of the White Sea for the production of compound fertilisers, fast-degradable polymers, and biocomposites. Digital technologies are applied for the development of smart cities, smart power system, digital shipyard, robotics with artificial intelligence elements. The paper identifies the field of business application of post- industrial technologies, highlighting the increasing localisation and individualisation of production due to such technologies. The research results can be used for the elaboration of socio-economic development strategies, recommendations for business structures in the implementation of post-industrial technologies. Further studies should focus on the economic analysis of postindustrial technologies application, their convergence in production processes.

World economy shows a high level of uncertainty. There are considerable risks of economic slowdown and stock market collapse. For many years, the Russian economy has been dependent on external factors. Recently, when anti-Russian sanctions are imposed, it is particularly important to find internal sources of growth, including domestic demand as the most significant factor. However, environment for the development of the Russian economy remains unfavourable due to high interest rates, volatile exchange rate, increasing tax rates, and ambiguous economic policy. Based on the analysis of regional statistics (including some regions of the Central Federal District), we confirmed the weak relationship between investments and gross regional product (GRP) revealed by other scientists. This may be the result of poor investment efficiency and its low multiplier effect. In this situation, the right choice of sectors with high multipliers and investment efficiency creates the potential for increasing domestic demand. Simultaneously, mechanisms for the expansion of resources ensuring regional economic growth play an important role. In this regard, we developed approaches aimed at the creation of conditions for the expansion of regional financial resources to support economic activity, domestic demand and economy in general, considering a social aspect of these processes. Some of the proposed mechanisms stimulate the participation of banks in financing economic processes, federal or regional bond issuance (the Bank of Russia would be the main buyer), etc. These proposals consider the experience of other countries in stimulating economic growth, including at the regional level. Financial regulators and relevant regional agencies can use the research results for developing economic policies.

Increasing market competition requires the examination of marketing methods and tools in territorial management. Place marketing has been developing with some delay compared to value marketing, as it emerged later, shaping its theoretical and practical basis accordingly. We analyse methods for assessing territorial competitiveness in the context of place marketing. The research methodology includes methods of monitoring, comparison, analysis, synthesis, and benchmarking. The study of the evolution of ideas concerning competitiveness and place marketing revealed three important marketing concepts: production, product and selling. We analysed methods for assessing the competitiveness at the local territory, city, region, and country levels. These methods form the basis for ratings. Th e dat a o n th e competitivenes s o f territorie s allo w stat e an d loca l authoritie s to choose a marketing (demarketing) strategy depending on the desired level of influence. We propose a model of competitiveness of the state identifying the Porter diamond at the country level. This model complies with modern marketing concepts and indicates that the effectiveness of place marketing depends on public administration, the position of the country in the system of international relations, and international influence on the socio-economic processes in the state. The development of global digital economy should enable data collection to improve the decision-making process. Thus, it will be possible to regulate the administrative staff, coordinate and use data on the functioning of territories, create additional opportunities for ranking countries in accordance with available resources, socio-economic development and relationships with the population. These measures would ensure permanent competition in the field of place marketing.

Reproduction is a continuous process of production, distribution and consumption of products in the hierarchy of economic space. Simultaneously, local production depends on both domestic demand and wholesale promotion of products to international markets. The study determines the influence of the wholesale, defining the distribution and trade stages, on the shipping volume, characterising the production stage. The research aims to correlate territorial hierarchy (country → region → municipality) with the reproduction sequence (production → distribution/trade → consumption). Additionally, it attempts to decompose the observed variation of the shipping volume in accordance with the hierarchy of economic space using the hierarchical linear modelling (HLM). The differences between municipalities are analysed in the context of two territorial levels: municipal (population income, determining consumption) and regional (wholesale trade, characterising the distribution) ones. The research examined the data for 2017 on 331 municipalities of 7 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The study results show that hierarchical analysis methods can be used to analyse the relationship between production, distribution and consumption. In the considered territory, the shipping volume was mostly influenced by domestic consumption and to a much lesser extent wholesale trade. The application of hierarchical analysis methods enhances the analysis of reproduction. Moreover, it allows the government to create favourable conditions for implementing the programmesof infrastructure development and assessing supply capabilities of trade and production enterprises.

While the modern economy demonstrates an increase in company mobility, neither economists nor company managers pay due attention to this developing socio-economic phenomenon. Therefore, we analysed how new organisations enter the market of companies and old enterprises leave it after losing their viability, noting the specific features of these processes. We examined the market of companies in Russia in general and in the Federal Districts of the Russian Federation in particular. We used the data from 1 January 2001 to 1 January 2020 published in the Statistical Register of Organisations of Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat). The research methodology includes synthesis, analysis, comparison methods, and systemic-structural approach. The obtained results showed that, since 2016, the share of officially liquidated companies in the Russian Federation and most of its regions exceeds the birth rate of organisations. This is inextricably linked to the worsening economic situation in Russia, including the business environment. We noted that privately owned companies and organisations with joint Russian and foreign ownership have the highest turnover. The average annual turnover of organisations in Russia amounted to 16.8% in the period 2001–2019. Among the federal districts of the Russian Federation, organisations of the Siberian and Ural Federal Districts have demonstrated the greatest dynamics of the market of companies over the 19-year period (18.1 % and 17.4 %, respectively). Corresponding changes have taken place in the structure of organisations in the market of Russian companies. The share of companies providing various services has sharply increased, including transport and communication companies, and real estate organisations. New organisations with an established business reputation are mostly registered in the regions with higher competitive immunity, characterised by a favourable business environment for small- and medium-sized enterprises. The research results can be used by authorities for managing the spatial development of territories, and determining the support for certain types of business activities in a particular region or municipality.

Currently, the Russian Federation is experiencing a transformation of migration flows from temporary to permanent. The largest share of migrants comes from the countries of Central Asia, where the demographic and economic situation stimulates a long-term increase in flows of labour migrants. In these conditions, it is necessary to examine issues of adaptation and integration of migrants. We review scientific literature on the adaptation practises of labour migrants. We applied the method of comparative analysis due to the importance the accumulated experience of European countries, which chose a policy of active integration. We analysed scientific publicactions, which are indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, E-library databases, and focused on the factors and models of adaptation of labour migrants from Central Asia in Russia and the countries of the European Union (EU). The study revealed the growing interest in the research topic, increased publication activity and joint research by representatives of different countries. In most cases, researchers note the role of social capital in the adaptation of migrants, the length of the acculturation process of migrants and the importance of participation of the host community in the process. We proposed to consider the experience of bilateral adaptation in the EU countries. As the flow of migrants to the EU countries from Central Asia increases, the interest in this topic on the part of Western researchers will grow. The research results can be used to improve efficiency in the research of migration processes.

The introduction of advanced technologies requires restructuring the labour market and redistributing the workforce. Therefore, the study of the demand for workers in the digital economy is necessary for preventing unemployment. We examine the impact of advanced technologies on unemployment in Russian regions. The transition to a new technological wave and the development of advanced technologies will differently affect the unemployment among various categories of population depending on their educational level. Using the combination of spatial analysis, statistical and econometric methods, we identified clusters of high-tech, medium-tech, and low-tech regions of the Russian Federation, described the impact and confirmed the proposed hypothesis. We have discovered that most Russian regions have a low potential to transition to a new technological wave. Simultaneously, in high-tech regions with sufficient potential to develop a new technological wave, digital economy does not require a large number of employees with university education. Moreover, such regions are experiencing an acute shortage of people with vocational education. Currently, selected Russian regions have resources, potential and reserves to develop the sixth technological wave, while others provide human resources. This situation leads not only to deepening regional differentiation but also to severance of economic relations between regions, hindering their interaction in the new conditions. The obtained results can be used to support proposals and measures for regulating labour market processes to develop scientific, technological and economic potential of the country.

Foreign researchers consider the phenomenon of grandparents’ labour in the framework of the economy of parental labour. Since the early 2000s, Russian scientists have been actively studying this problem due to high socio-economic disparity of Russian regions, and important strategic objectives stated in the Demography National Project and the Strategy of Spatial Development of the Russian Federation for the period until 2025. We identified and described specific regional situations, namely, models of grandparents’ labour in the socio-economic space of the country. To analyse grandparents’ labour, we examined individual questions of the “Comprehensive monitoring of living conditions” survey published by the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat). The research methodology includes both hierarchical (based on Ward’s method, the square of the Euclidean distance, and other measures) and non-hierarchical cluster analysis (the k-means method). We proposed a method for studying grandparents’ labour based on research of parental labour and international demographic studies on grandparenthood. The empirical analysis revealed 6 models of grandparents’ labour in the socio-economic space of Russia. These models differ in the level and intensity of involvement of older women in the sphere of grandparents’ labour and their potential in this area. For each model of grandparents’ labour, we identified the core regions (groups of regions) involved in the clustering. We explained why the government should be interested in the activation and stimulation of grandparents’ labour in Russian regions. Further research should focus on examining the particularities of grandparents’ labour depending on the actors: men, grandparents living with their grandchildren and apart from them, living in the same city, in the same or different regions of Russia.

Considerable inequality among Russian regions is rooted in social and economic disparities, territorial distribution of production and resources, fiscal capacity and ethno-cultural characteristics. Th e Siberia n Federa l Distric t include s regions with pronounced industry and demographic specificity, causing significant differences in the quality of life of the population in different age groups. We assess the parameters of active ageing depending on regional and territorial aspects to develop measures for establishing the active ageing policy, equalising the opportunities for the older generation to lead a productive life after reaching retirement age. We hypothesise that the differences in individual and social conditions shape the activities of older adults in urban and rural settlements. Based on the international methodology of the Active Ageing Index, we assessed the indicators of active ageing for urban and rural areas of the Siberian Federal District. We revealed some shortcomings of the original methodology and suggested relevant proxy indicators, compensating for the lack of data in Russian statistics. The mean Active Ageing Index for the Siberian Federal district is 26.41 for urban and 23.91 for rural areas. The maximum value of the Active Ageing Index among macro-regions of Russia is 32.2 in the Northwestern Federal District; the maximum among European countries is 44.9 in Sweden. The value of employment indicator in urban areas in Siberia exceeds the rural one by 8 percentage points. However, the parameter of participation in society is lower by 3.5 percentage points. In terms of opportunities for active ageing, this indicator is higher by 7 percentage points in urban areas, while values of the indicator of independent and secure living are almost the same in both areas. The study results may be applicable in the development of social policies promoting active ageing among rural population.

Universities play a crucial role in local economies, providing educational services and participating in research and development. This is particularly important for Russia where regions are highly differentiated in terms of both socio-economic development and technological progress and innovations. However, many regional universities in Russia have traditionally focused primarily on teaching, with less emphasis on research activities. In this paper, we aim to deepen the understanding of the impact of scientific activities of universities on regional economic and innovative development. For this purpose, we estimate different specifications of a fixed-effects model using panel data from Russian regions for 2010–2016. We aggregate the number of universities’ publications per researcher at the sub-national level to incorporate regional scientific activity in our model. Considering other important socio-economic characteristics of regions, we revealed that the association between the publication activity of universities and innovative development of the region remains significant, while the relationship between economic development of the region and the scientific activity of universities disappeared completely. A number of robustness checks demonstrated that statistically significant results remain only when the relative number of publications indexed in international citation databases (Scopus and Web of Science) is used as an explanatory variable. Simultaneously, the publications indexed in specific Russian lists and databases as well as publications in regional scientific organisations that are not universities do not contribute to innovative development of the region. The results can be used for planning the funding of research activities in universities and setting performance targets for universities.

The development of the domestic tourism market, including the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, is important for overcoming the consequences of the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A comprehensive and reliable methodology for assessing the tourism potential is necessary for effective decision making and attracting tourists. Based on the analysis of international and Russian experience of assessing tourist destinations, we identified the shortcomings of the existing methods and substantiated the necessity of a nuanced approach to assessing the tourism potential of regions using authors’ balanced scorecard. Our methodology relies on the balanced approach, demonstrating the compliance of the assessment results with the interests of tourism stakeholders. The developed method considers information needs and main interests of tourists, business representatives, regional population and authorities. Based on key parameters of the tourism potential of the Arctic zone, we defined the structure of the balanced scorecard (economic, infrastructural and cultural-natural aspects) using systems and structural-functional analysis. Further, using the multivariate mean (with target values of indicators as a standardised coefficient), we calculated integral indicators, eliminating the influence of dynamics of other regions on the assessment results. Structural and comparative analysis of a matrix of integral indicators allowed us to examine the dynamics of the tourism potential of the Russian Arctic and ways to improve it (on the example of Arkhangelsk oblast). Correlation analysis of the relations between the tourism potential and tourist flows within a time lag confirms the reliability of the developed methodology. Research results can be used by authorities managing the Russian Arctic for identifying the ways to increase its tourism potential.

The environmental deterioration in Russia requires the identification and analysis of the main challenges facing the country and its individual regions in this sphere. Additionally, it is necessary to find ways to overcome these problems. Th e issu e is particularly relevant for resource regions where new economic activities develop. the Lower Angara region in Krasnoyarsk krai is one of such regions. The study considers the environmental problems in connection with the socio-economic conditions of a particular territory. I used the method of economic and mathematical modelling based on the author’s models for optimising environmental protection measures. The research combines the obtained results to built a comprehensive model of the future ecological situation that may develop in the region. The analysis discovered various causes of environmental challenges. The first reason is planning exxessive output at individual facilities. In particular, calculations have shown that in the conditions of the Lower Angara region, the unit capacity of the pulp and paper industry should not exceed 300–350 thousand tonnes (instead of the planned 720 thousand tonnes); the capacity of the aluminum plant should not exceed 200–250 thousand tonnes (instead of 600 thousand tonnes). Second, an excessive concentration of production in certain areas (primarily, in Boguchansky and Kodinsky industrial hubs) increases the environmental burden. Third, pollution control is complicated by unique production capacities of various facilities that require special purification systems. The fourth reason is the effects of synergism and additivity of contaminants. The fifth cause is the actual and potential negative consequences of the construction of hydropower plants on the Angara and Yenisei rivers. The results of this research can be used for creating a strategy for the integrated development of territorial economic systems to organise environmental protection activities and substantiate management decisions at the regional and local levels of governance.

Nowadays, authorities pay more attention to the problems of regional development, reduction of socio-economic inequality of rural and urban areas, improvement of the efficiency of the agriculture, and degradation of rural population. All those issues are considered in the state programme of the Russian Federation «Integrated Development of Rural Areas». Thus, we assess whether the goals set in the state programme were achieved and substantiate the priority areas for future investment. We hypothesise that the achievement of the goals set at the federal level depends on the quality and implementation of rural development programmes adopted at the regional level. We revealed the uneven economic, social, infrastructural development, investment imbalances in various areas, changing sources of funding in the process of problem solving, lack of clear goals of agricultural policy and statistical information on its indicators of achievement. Classification and generalisation of views of other researchers on the topic allowed us to scientifically prove the existence of social problems, income inequality between urban and rural population, poor infrastructure and insufficient funds allocated to support rural areas. Further, we developed an algorithm for comparing the main parameters of rural development in Lipetsk oblast and nearby regions, complying with the criteria set by the federal programme. Using this algorithm, we assessed the effectiveness of the measures taken. We identified the most sensitive problems to be solved for reducing territorial inequality and the lag in socio-economic development, and increasing the competitiveness and attractiveness of Lipetsk oblast in terms of living conditions and investment. Finally, we proposed and substantiated the main directions of improving the regional investment policy. Regional authorities can use the research results in the implementation of the rural development policy.

Mobile money has become a mode of banking for the unbanked residents and the system has been gaining patronage among citizens of developing countries. This trend especially refers to sub-Saharan Africa, where the level of financial inclusion is low. Thus, the expansion of the mobile money as well as easy access to it promotes the development of the financial sector in the region. To define the role of the financial elements in innovation growth in sub-Saharan African countries, we examined the relationship between mobile money activities, remittance, financial development, and innovation growth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using partial least squares (PLS), we conducted a comprehensive analysis to econometrically establish the nexus between innovation development and financial activities in sub-Saharan African region. The results show that significant positive relationship exists between all the independent variables and innovation growth (the dependent variable). Thus, this study indicates that mobile money services, financial development and remittances have significant impact on economic growth. However, mobile money services are the most influential variable. Hence, these results can be used by policymakers to encourage and improve mobile money payment and banking system as this could facilitate the pooling of resources and their effective allocation to productive sectors, thus leading to the promotion of innovative growth in the region.

In recent years, participatory budgets are one of the most dynamically developing institutions of social participation. The implementation of the participatory budget in local government units is an endeavor to increase the degree of involvement of the inhabitants of a given community to co-decide on spending budget funds. Implementation of a participatory budget requires a well-constructed procedure, which will engage the highest possible number of residents and lead to a more rational and efficient utilisation of budget resources of local government units. We analysed the problems of the implementations of participatory budgets in the Polish communes of Jaworze, Cieszyn, Kęty and Bielsko-Biała (South of Poland) and discussed challenges, which accompanied this process. We hypothesised that the complicated and ambiguous participatory budget procedure is the reason for a low efficiency of spending funds under participatory budgets in the analysed communes. The analysis was based on the literature review of amendments to Polish legislation that define the notion of the participatory budget and lay foundations for its functioning. We compared various constituents of the procedure applied in the examined communes, used in the process of the participatory budget implementation. Research results indicated that the participatory budget model should be changed to optimise expenditure of local funds, increase local community satisfaction and accelerate the development of the commune. The results may be used to assess the effectiveness of the spending of funds under the participatory budget in other municipalities of the region.

The article aims to solve the problem of unequal income distribution in Malaysia. Income inequality did not change significantly since 1990. Inclusive growth is an alternative way that can help the government overcome the unequal distribution of income. However, there are no measurements or detailed studies conducted in Malaysia. Moreover, the country’s distribution policy for the 2016–2030 period focuses on inclusive economic growth. Based on the above gaps, we constructed the Malaysia Inclusive Index and estimated the income distribution using this new composite index. To construct the index, we applied the Z-score method. We obtained data for this study from the World Development Indicator, Economic Planning Unit, Department of Statistics, Malaysia and annual reports from various ministries. The main research findings show yearon-year growth from 1990 to 2016, indicating that economic growth in Malaysia is increasingly inclusive. Therefore, to achieve inclusive and equitable economic growth in distribution, the government is advised to consider not only fiscal aspects, but also holistic components comprised of education, health, housing and employment of the B40 group (lower class). Simultaneously, the M40 group (middle class) should not be left out. Income distribution factors and the Malaysia Inclusive Index (MII) determinants such as investment, inflation, education and national income should be considered when developing national distribution policies, as these factors are crucial for inclusive growth in Malaysia.

The chronic government deficit (fiscal deficit) and increase in the price level (inflation) have become major concerns for economists and policymakers. While numerous studies have examined the twin problems of the fiscal deficit and inflation for both developed and developing economies, their results are inconclusive due to different estimation techniques, chosen time periods, selection of variables, etc. Therefore, we examined the fiscal deficit-inflation nexus in India for the period from 1980–81 to 2016–17 by employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) approaches. The results of the ARDL approach found no evidence of linear relationship between fiscal deficit and inflation in the Indian context. Further, the empirical findings of the NARDL model confirmed the nonlinear relationship between fiscal deficit and inflation in the long run and no association between money supply and inflation, supporting the ideas of the Fiscal Theory of the Price Level (FTPL) in the case of India. FTPL postulates that public debt and taxation policies drive price level; monetary policy has an indirect role only. Therefore, fiscal policymakers should focus on reducing fiscal deficits. Simultaneously, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) should regulate lending interest rate so that a mix of fiscal and monetary policies can be applied for controlling inflation in India.

Numerous interpretations of the competitiveness of regional agri-food system in the scientific literature are predominantly fragmentary depending in specific goals of research. This creates problems for universalizing approaches, identifying areas of their complementarity, and integrating new definitions. To systematize existing interpretations of the competitiveness of regional agri-food systems and identify new areas of research, we carried out a structured review of the scientific publication from peer-reviewed academic journals indexed in international and Russian databases. We applied the method of content analysis to identify the definitions of the “competitiveness”, “sustainable competitiveness”, “regional agri-food systems”. Moreover, we calculated the average percentage of journal articles mentioning these categories per year. Cluster analysis of journal articles allowed identifying general concepts of the competitiveness of regional agri-food. As a result we systematized the definitions of the concept of «competitiveness of regional agri-food systems» depending on research area, actors and the level of sustainability of competitiveness. The systematization and classificatio n o f researc h investigatin g th e competitivenes s o f regiona l agri-food systems enabled determining new areas of future research. Firstly, a more detailed analysis of the factors of the sustainable competitiveness of regional agri-food systems, particularly in pandemic and post-pandemic periods is of critical importance. Secondly, searching for a comprehensive toolkit for ensuring sustainable competitiveness of regional agri-food systems, as well as cooperation and competition among the agri-food companies in the Internet can be a focus for future research.