Improving the tools for assessing and managing export activities of SMEs in the region

Internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the access to foreign markets is one of the key issues in economics. Currently, the urgency of tasks related to the pace of economic growth, the increase in the gross regional product, and the expansion the territories’ budget revenues is increasing. Non-resource exports are mentioned as one of the sources of growth of the Russian economy until 2024 in the “May” decrees of the President aimed at increasing its competitiveness. Increasing the share of SMEs up to 10% in the total volume of non-resource exports is one of the key tasks of the national project “SMEs and support for individual entrepreneurial initiative”. At the same time, there is a number of problems hindering the effective use of the existing SMEs’ export potential as a source of economic growth at the regional level of the Russian Federation. The most acute ones are the following: low competitiveness of the SME manufacturing sector; lack of experience in foreign markets and absence of effective measures to support SME exporters; lack of strategies for using SMEs’ export potential, as well as of effective mechanisms and tools for their implementation at the regional level. In this regard, the aim of the research is to develop an approach to managing export activities of SMEs in the region. The article systematizes the research results in various scientific areas and theories related to the management of export activities of SMEs in the region, allowing to identify the main characteristics and features of this process. The author has developed an approach to assessing the specifics and specifications of SMEs in exports and their contribution to the total regional exports, allowing to determine directions for further support areas development. The analysis of the existing export promotion system is carried out. The directions, regulations and tools for the Federal and regional levels forming a unified system of SMEs management and support in terms of export activities are proposed.