Innovation Course of Economic Development in the Northern and Arctic Territories in Russia and in the Nordic Countries

• Published in: Economic and social changes: facts, trends, forecast / Экономические и социальные перемены: факты, тенденции, прогноз
• Main Authors: Zaikov Konstantin S., Kalinina Marina R., Kondratov Nikolai A., Tamitskii Aleksandr M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Russian
• Published: Russian Academy of Sciences, Vologda Research Center 2017
• Subjects: economic development; innovation; science; arctic; international cooperation; nordic countries; development strategies; Sociology (General); HM401-1281; Arctic; Norway; Sakha; Iceland; nenets; Nenets Autonomous Okrug; Republic of Sakha; Yakutia; Yamalo Nenets; Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.15838/esc.2017.3.51.3; https://doaj.org/article/ac7b51d3796347de9c8b33b4e70c18ca

The policy of Russia in the Arctic is based on innovation modernization in the interests of national security, development of the smart use of natural resources, conservation of unique arctic ecosystems and local communities. The aim of the present research was to analyze specific features of innovation policy in Northern and Arctic territories of Russia and the Nordic countries. The article presents an original analysis of development of such a policy, which, in our opinion, can be carried out with the help of considering development scenarios of the Arctic zone and challenges of their implementation in the long term, with the help of studying the situation in the Northern territories and countries in national and global innovation activity rankings; with the help of studying approaches to the formation of innovation policy in the Nordic countries, the experience of which could be used by Russian Federation constituent entities that have similar geographical and geopolitical features. We considered two strategic scenarios of socio-economic development of the Russian Arctic zone and the innovative scenario deserves priority attention. Despite the government’s efforts to diversify the Russian economy, it still remains resource-driven. So far, innovation developments in the primary industries supported by the ideology of import substitution has not changed the situation for the better. The present article highlighted the challenges that hinder the implementation of innovation trends in the Russian Arctic economy. However, the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (the Russian Arctic) provides examples of successful implementation of innovation (in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug), as evidenced by national rankings. Russia’s neighbors in the Arctic region such as Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway and Finland, all of which entered a post-industrial phase of development over 30 years ago, are current leaders in global innovation rankings. It is of practical interest to study ...