The article presents the results of the authors’ study based on the hypothesis that aaddressing the multidimensional highly complex tasks of technological modernization and new industry against the background of a wave of breakthrough innovations is only possible within the framework of proactive management. Its methodological, instrumental and competence basis results from «smart» partnership of regional science, education, and business. In this case, the management ńconsulting of a new type, being fundamentally different from the traditional one, plays the role of the partnership coordinator. These differences are expressed in specific intellectual logistics and organizational architecture of consulting projects, close connection to universities, innovation centres and various research structures of the region as well as the high specialization, which is reached by the involvement of the virtual teams of cross-disciplinary experts in the developments, the flexible products designed on the basis of the modular principle. In this regard, the study presents a number of new scientific results proving the hypothesis. The paper substantiates the approach to the organization and methodology of consulting activities for complex, rapidly developing systems which requires expanding the range of competencies and scope of the interaction of various actors — carriers of interdisciplinary knowledge. In accordance with this approach, the authors introduce the concept of integratory consulting for advanced development that offers a package of intellectual services for addressing challenges of the future. We have developed the methodology of the integrated system of research, consultations, training and transforming action that makes it possible to generate pre-emptive actions amid crisis, risk and threats. The article has proposed and tested an organizational mechanism of cooperation between parties (science, education, business) involved in smart partnership and consulting. The mechanism employs a cutting-edge forward-looking business model that meets contemporary requirements and tasks.

The increasing electrification of the transport infrastructure, residential and commercial sectors of a “smart city” induces structural changes in energy sector. This investigation will enhance our understanding of mechanisms to develop a regional power industry, which would serve intellectual technologies of future urban environment considering national features. The authors define electrification as the process of bringing the most advanced energy carrier — electricity — to the national economy. This process integrates the spheres of electric power consumption and electric power generation. The article identifies the features and key trends in a new electrification stage in «smart cities». The paper shows that the energy sector of such cities combines centralized and decentralized technological solutions. This requires a certain readjustment of the distribution and sales divisions of the regional electric power industry. In particular, modernization of low-voltage distribution networks, improvement of tariff policy, implementation of programs of energy demand management are needed. The authors reveal priority areas for electrification in smart cities. Firstly, these cities need to develop electric transport, electric cars and associated infrastructure. Secondly, the introduction of various control systems for residential appliances will make households smarter. We show the impact of electric cars on the electricity market and loads in a regional energy system. In particular, we analyse the foreign experience of electric cars integration into power network. As regards the electrification of smart homes, the authors outline the basic «energy» conditions for their design, and requirements to be met by regional contractors, producers of energy equipment, utilities and grid companies. We develop a system of technological and economic solutions for moving relevant projects to an active phase. These projects include controllable generation power equipments, energy saving equipments and storages, power plants structure optimizing, electrical grinds shortening. Moreover, the authors propose a variety of differentiated electricity tariffs that would encourage electrification in smart cities.

The article presents the results of the authors’ research into ways of improving managerial education and organization of anticipatory learning that are required for achieving a technological breakthrough in the national economy. The authors prove that in order to address complex tasks associated with modernization and emergence of Industry 4.0, to make decisions under uncertainty, unpredictable changes and considerable risk, managers need to possess interdisciplinary competencies in engineering and economics and pre-emptive action. The authors’ hypothesis that calls for change in managerial education is based on the idea that the new generation of managers will engage in the complex processes of creating fundamentally new technologies and markets as well as of modernizing the existing industries. To verify the hypothesis, we performed an analysis of development trends in global managerial education and universities’ responses to new challenges. The analysis allowed identifying the key characteristics of educational models employed by leading universities. They are focus on breakthrough technologies as well as on design and research component, orientation to cross-disciplinary educational products. The results of the analysis and surveys of experts have enabled the authors to determine the content of relevant interdisciplinary competencies for a technological breakthrough and to formulate the principles of anticipatory learning. These principles are represented in the organized process of creating knowledge and competences for addressing future problems corresponding to global trends and national development programs. The article describes the experience of the Research and Educational Centre for Interdisciplinary Investigations and Educational Programs (REC ENGEC) at the Ural Federal University in implementing a new paradigm of managerial education. It was designed within the framework of the research field «Pre-emptive management in rapidly developing industries» and the multi-project «New leaders for technological breakthrough». Overall, the results are of interest to the universities, including corporate ones, as well as to innovative business structures and research institutes participating in the process of transformation of educational models to response the new challenges of the technological revolution.

The training of digital economy specialists requires new approaches to the educational process, which should contain updated training materials and flexible teaching formats and methods. Moreover, it should create competencies for working in the conditions of uncertainty and maintain readiness to solve complex problems in the process of professional activity. Close integration of scientific and educational activities is the only possible approach to attain this goal. Thus, we suggested a mechanism for rapidly transferring the latest results of scientific research to the educational process at universities in order to organize anticipatory learning. We demonstrated the organizational principles, content and methods of this mechanism on the example of managerial training. We have substantiated and described the research area «Pre-emptive management in rapidly developing industries and sectors», as well as the key provisions of anticipatory learning and its knowledge base. Further, we have discussed the possibilities of applying the technology platforms for designing branded educational products with flexible modular structure. Thanks to such structure, the training programs function as a continuous conveyor for continuous competency building. In the paper, we present a conceptual project and an operational mechanism of a university-based scientific and educational platform. Testing on the Ural Federal University (UrFU) has proved the efficiency of the suggested methods and validity of the research results. The proposed platform can be used for establishing world-class Research and Educational Centres in the region aimed at developing global research and industrial cooperation in order to create breakthrough innovations.