Home – Home – Jornals – Region: Economics and Sociology 2026 number 3

One of the priorities for the development of regional economies in Russia is the application of the cluster approach. The formation of clusters contributes to strengthening the connectivity of the economic space, consolidating resources, and reducing costs for cluster participants in production, logistics, and service activities. However, clusters, as integrated network systems constituting a dynamic network of interconnected organizations united by a common sectoral focus, objectively necessitate an effective mechanism for communication among the cluster participants as elements of this system. In modern conditions, digital technologies are primarily intended to ensure effective communication. Thus, the presence of a modern digital infrastructure in a region becomes a key motivator for the clustering of economic activity and, for the region itself, a factor in attracting investors and enhancing its competitiveness. For governing bodies, given the increasing role of digital technologies, an urgent task is to assess a region’s readiness to provide digital infrastructure for hosting industrial, scientific, and technological clusters. To conduct this assessment, indicators adapted to Russian conditions were used, drawn from a number of international methodologies (e.g., DESI, NRI and RIS3). The evaluation system covers five key areas of analysis: telecommunications infrastructure, digital public services, development of the IT sector and innovation, digital literacy of the population, and information security. Six subjects of the Russian Federation were selected as model regions for pilot testing of the analysis methodology: the Republic of Tatarstan, Kaluga Oblast, Tyumen Oblast, Lipetsk Oblast, Moscow Oblast, and Leningrad Oblast. The pilot test was limited to these six regions due to the lack of uniformity in the nomenclature of digitalization indicators reflected in different sources (e.g., the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, the “Gosuslugi ” portal, regional strategies and programs) and relevant to the research objectives. Consequently, the pilot testing was confined to those regions for which the designation and availability of indicators ensured comparability according to the evaluation criteria adopted for the study. One of the results of the research was the identification and quantification of interregional disparities in digital development. The leaders with the highest and most balanced indicators across all areas were the Republic of Tatarstan and Moscow Oblast; Tyumen Oblast and Leningrad Oblast occupied middle positions, while Kaluga and Lipetsk Oblasts were among the outsiders. The analysis of successful practices allowed for the identification of key factors for effective digital transformation that fosters cluster development: the existence of an approved strategy and high-level political support, active partnership with the private IT sector, systematic investment in human capital, ensuring universal access to digital infrastructure, as well as the implementation of principles of data openness and feedback. The developed system provides a tool for the objective assessment of region’s readiness for clustering and for the formulation of targeted digitalization strategies by public authorities.