Drastic and inclusive technology progress is changing the economy of Russia and foreign countries. This progress significantly impacts production forces. . This paper analyzes theoretical and applied approaches to the investigation of production forces development. I reveal the role and importance of innovations in science and technology as well as their impact on various segments of the economy. I analyze the conceptual framework used for technological shifts. The paper describes the indicators showing the level of scientific and technological potential development in various countries and regions including the Urals. I define growth areas in technology and assess their contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) growth. The administrations and authorities at federal and regional levels impact the development of science, innovations, technologies and breakthrough areas. The development of these spheres leads to the increase in productivity of social activities, production and business activity. The paper reveals the impact of the technological breakthrough in such latest fields as the alternative energy sources, drones, electric car industry, storage and delivery of energy. This fields transform the economy and society. Furthermore, they change theoretical concepts of functional and institutional social structure. The development paradigm is to be modified from fuel and raw model to the innovative and technological one. The economic development and scientific and technological potential are interrelated. I discuss the reason of close attention to the development of science, technologies, innovations in the developed countries. as well as the measures to stimulate their development. The article studies the mechanism and tools of science and education funding in various regions of the world. The results of the research may be used for updating the strategy of scientific and technological development of Russia and its regions in the current situation as well as for choosing necessary conceptual approaches to the development of the economy.

In current geo-economic conditions, we need to consider the foreign economic factor as an instrument for structural changes, for the diversification of regional economy, as well as for the realization of a policy of import substitution, including exportoriented one. The article generalizes and systemizes preconditions and sources of the research of regional foreign economic activity in the works of the scientific school of the Institute of Economics of Ural Branch of RAS since the middle of the 1980s. The Institute was one of the first among the regional centres of the academic science of the country, which has addressed the foreign economic relations of a region. The purpose of the article is to systematize both the evolution of scientific definitions and the development of the Ural school of regional foreign economic research during the 30-years period. We apply the interdisciplinary approach and a broad range of methods: a historical method, an economic and statistical method, a comparative analysis, etc. The paper has systemized and characterized the research directions carried out by the staff of the Institute and in cooperation with Russian and Ural colleagues from other institutions. There are geo-economic shifts; international comparative research; regions’ involvement into global economic relations; realization of Ural export potential in terms of neo-industrialization and import substitution; international economic cooperation in the framework of SCO, BRICS, Eurasian Economic Union, etc. The Academician A. I. Tatarkin played an invaluable role as the Head of the Institute from 1990 to 2016. He initiated, facilitated and led many research directions. Thanks to this, the Institute of the Ural Branch of RAS over the years has being a kind of regional research-communicational platform, where scientists can search the mechanisms and tools for the realization of the foreign economic potential of the region with an account of national priorities. It underlines a high practical importance of the research in this sphere

The article examines the development trends and influence of the big business on the world and Russian economies. The paper describes the dynamics of the main indicators of big business development via indicators of the total revenue, capitalization, foreign economic activity. In this research, I determine the contribution of the various components to the formation of gross domestic product (GDP) in different world regions, particularly in the USA, China and Russia. The dynamics of the indicators reflecting big business’ development, and positive and negative sides of the business’ monopolization is analysed. Special attention is paid to explore the emerging centres of scientific, technological, and economic power (primarily in South-East Asia). Furthermore, the paper analyses the newly formed mechanisms and toolset for stimulating the big business’ development such as tax and amortization benefits and privileges that lead to reducing the business’ tax burden. The research shows the internal and external factors, including political ones, which either stimulate or hinder the development of big business in various world regions. The analysis of the business activity of the 500 largest world and American corporations and 400 largest Russian companies illustrates the dynamics of the big business’ development in the leading regions of the world including the USA, China and Russia through. This analysis has revealed how much big business affects the development of the world economic relations. The obtained results can be used for developing the scenarios of the advancement of the Russian economy. Additionally, they can be applied for assessing the potential and real opportunities for the big business to increase the main development indicators and discover the possibilities for stimulating the country’s economic growth.