Developing an effective mechanism to support innovative start-ups in the context of technological sovereignty

Each region’s contribution to shaping the country’s technological sovereignty is crucial. Given the Kaliningrad Region’s unique geographic location, systematic rather than targeted work on priority technologies and industries will have a constructive effect on regional development and enable the use and scaling of these technologies in other regions. Among students at Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, certain challenges have become apparent, and their solutions form the basis for developing an effective mechanism for supporting innovative start-ups. For example, students lack knowledge of the NTI market, cross- cutting and critical technologies, the digital economy, priority areas for science and technology development in Russia, and regional development challenges. This paper explores the development of a support mechanism for technology start-ups in accordance with a new model of sovereign acceleration tailored to regional characteristics and the specialization of the region’s higher education institutions. A modified matrix has been developed, the analysis of which should be used to understand the position of one’s enterprise relative to state priorities. The paper presents the results of a study on tasks for interaction with potential interested entrepreneurs in the region, highlighting value propositions for mutual interest and practical orientation of innovative startups. It also explores various possible forms of collaboration with an industrial partner to form a project pool within the framework of a technological sovereignty model. Indicators for assessing the effectiveness of the support mechanism in industrial partnership areas, the tools of various foundations, and the university system as a whole are proposed for assessing the dynamics of technological development.