Clusters as a framework of innovative development of regional economy under sanctions

In this article the authors analyze the issues of innovative development of the regional economy that are important and relevant for today’s realities in a dynamically changing external environment and sanctions policy. The main attention is paid to the processes and factors ofclustering, as well as improvement of interaction efficiency between universities and enterprises, taking into account the digitalization of the economy. The purpose of the study in this paper is to analyze the factors of innovative development of regions with the help of a cluster-type technological infrastructure. The characteristics of the effective functioning of clusters are studied, which can provide an increase in the efficiency of the processes of interaction between entrepreneurs and universities. The authors also analyzed potential ways of digital technologies use to strengthen the integration between technological entrepreneurship and educational organizations, primarily the leading regional universities. In accordance with the goal, the article details the following research objectives: characterization of the features of innovative development of regional economy under sanctions; analysis of competitive advantages arising from the use of digital economy methods; analysis of the clusters functioning and the impact of innovative entrepreneurship; grouping criteria that determine the degree of efficiencyof integration of enterprises and universities. The research methodology is based on the application of the principles of a systematic approach, scientific comparison, retrospective and prospective analysis. In the context of the sanctions policy and within import substitution in the economy, the appearance of national innovation system of the Russian Federation and further development of domestic scientific and technical potential, the effective commercialization of the results and achievements of research and development determine the prerequisite for the growth of the efficiency of innovative activities of entrepreneurship and, first of all, its active and direct participants - small and medium innovation-oriented enterprises. The characteristic of the industryis also presented and on its basis an analysis of the competitive advantages of Volgograd region was carried out. Further, the article discusses the features of the role of innovative potential of enterprises in the interaction between universities and entrepreneurship, identifying the main criteria for the effectiveness of the integration of universities and enterprises.