Interregional cooperation as a tool for managing differentiation of regional socio-economic systems: the cluster approach

The article draws attention to the problem of interregional differentiation of the levels of innovation and socio-economic development. Through the use of the main aspects of economic growth theory, models of new economic geography and also tools of spatial analysis and spatial econometrics, the author has constructed a regression model of resource and institutional factors influence on the level of regional development. The model is based on the classification of the first and second nature factors (according to P. Krugman) providing competitive advantages of regional development. The model constructed allows us to explain the nature of the dominance of specific groups of factors at the level of spatial development in economic systems with high interregional differentiation. Econometric testing of the obtained dependencies on the regions of the Russian Federation has proved the dominant role of the first nature factors - the profitable geographical location and natural resource endowment. The econometric analysis results have become the starting point for the conception of lowering territorial differentiation through the development of the second nature factors on the basis of integration forms of interregional cooperation. The author believes that a productive integration interaction of individual economic actors is possible within cluster-network structures, which are a special form of spatial organization of territories belonging to different hierarchical levels. Taking into account the positive world's experience of applying the cluster concept in the innovation policy over the last decades, the author puts forward a hypothesis that effective institutions of the formation and functioning of cluster networks, being factors of the second nature according to P. Krugman, are able to provide a smooth progressive development of the whole national economy. It can be possible first of all through the achievement of synergies as a result of interaction of the basic institutional sectors (business, science and government) primarily not within the same region but on the basis of interregional integration. In this case, competitive advantages of some regions will enhance economic activity development on the territory of others.