Challenges of making the project of mineral resource center in the Kola support zone of the Russian Arctic

The article analyzes the managerial innovation of the Russian government on a new type of territorial management of the Arctic macroregion - support zones of development. The authors present an overview of the mineral deposits developed and planned for development within the boundaries of the Kola Peninsula and investment projects of the largest mining companies of the Murmansk region and, above all, the project “Kola Chemical and Technological Cluster” in accordance with the requirements developed by the federal regulator for forming mineral resource centers in support zones of development in the Arctic Particular attention is paid to the deposits of strategic and scarce minerals attractive for private investors. They will not require significant expenditures from regional authorities and local selfgovernments for development activities or any other methods of the state support and are socially significant for the region. The authors also discuss methodical approaches to management decisions when selecting the most efficient projects for implementing, the goals of socio-economic development and ensuring the ecological safety in the Arctic region under the global climate changes. Basing on the draft federal law “On the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation”, it was concluded that the mineral resource center of the Murmansk region was not likely to be included in the pilot project in 2018-2020 to form the Kola support zone of development in the Arctic. Proposals on harmonizing the requirements for registering applications of the Russian Arctic regions for forming the mineral resource center of the Kola support zone with the order on inclusion of mineral reserves in the state balance list. The authors justified methodology for developing investment projects and the procedures for their state comprehensive and environmental assessments. Some proposals for enhancing the efficiency of activities of applicants and participants in the support zone are made.