Structural and technological paths for the economic development of Russian regions

Framing an innovative model of economic development is becoming relevant in the context of a new technological paradigm, increasing technological competition in world markets, and sanctions pressure. Understanding the key characteristics of the technological profile of the economic system allows identifying areas for modernization and develop a set of measures to stimulate innovation activities. The purpose of the study is to identify the existing level of technological development and paths for the structural and technological development of Russian regions. The article analyzes regional technological structures, clusterizes structures according to their similarity, examines the dynamics of structural changes over the period from 2017 to 2023, and determines the contribution of structural and technological elements to the GRP growth index and the path for economic growth. An industry-specific approach is applied to identify the level of technological effectiveness of the regional economy - grouping industries according to their technological intensity. The Hausdorff metric is used to assess the similarity of the technological structures of regional economies. The Balassa index is used to determine the relative specialization of the regions. Groups of regions with a similar structure are distinguished based on hierarchical agglomerative clustering. The decomposition method is used to determine the contribution of structural and technological elements to the GRP growth index. The hypothesis of the study is that low-tech industries significantly contribute to the growth of GRP even in regions with a more balanced industry structure,, which indicates the insufficient influence of high-tech sectors on economic dynamics. The research allowed identifying 13 clusters, each of which is characterized by a certain level of technological development and 9 regions with a unique technological structure. The authors identified regions of inertial development moving along the existing structural and technological path and regions of transformational development that have changed their structural and technological development path. The results of this research can serve as a basis for developing recommendations to stimulate transformational processes in regions ensuring the transition from inertial paths to more innovative development models. An important area of future research is the formation of a regional structural and technological policy.