Competitiveness of the region: the essence, factors and methodology of assessing Russian regions

The article is devoted to the analysis of the competitiveness of the region. The authors consider various approaches to understanding the definition of "competitiveness of the region" and the factors influencing its formation. The author's methods for assessing the competitiveness of regions (calculation of the integral index, rating estimates) are summarized, and a conclusion is made about the difficulties in applying the integral index of regional competitiveness due to the heterogeneity of the compared parameters. The analysis of the main economic indicators of the region is carried out and the position of the Kaluga region in the AV RCI rating of the competitiveness of the regions of Russia is assessed, according to the results of the study, key challenges in the socio-economic development of the region are identified.