Timber industry as a priority of the Vologda oblast structural policy

Requests for structural policy in modern economic conditions require a search for its sectoral priorities. The adopted Strategy for the development of the forest complex of the Russian Federation until 2030 brings to the fore the development of the timber industry complex in the Vologda Oblast as one of the region that is most provided with forest resources. In this regard, the purpose of the research is to substantiate the development of the timber industry complex as an industry priority of the Vologda Oblast structural policy to accelerate the region's economic development. Achieving the research goal required solving a number of tasks: assessing the role of the timber industry in the region's economic development, studying the current state of the timber industry, calculating consequences for the regional economy from the export ban of roundwood abroad, as well as determining potential directions for the timber industry development. The study has identifi ed a more signifi cant impact of the timber industry on economic development in the employment than other key sectors of the Vologda Oblast economy. We have identifi ed the following problems of the timber industry in the region: active export of low-added value products, high physical deterioration of the material and technical base of production with insuffi cient investment for its renewal and modernization, reduction in the level of logging with growing forest consumption rate. The paper forms potential directions to develop the timber industry as priority sectors of in-depth processing of wood, and proposes analytical tools of structural policy to facilitate their implementation. The scientifi c novelty of the study consists in assessing the current trends in the development of the timber industry as a priority of the region's structural policy, as well as assessing the possible consequences of export ban of roundwood from January 1, 2022 using methods of intersectoral modeling. The results of the work can be useful to representatives of the timber industry, investors, public authorities and other interested parties. Further research will be related to the assessment of existing value chains in the timber industry, the search for and justifi cation of the directions of their transformation.