New technologies and regional development in the modern period

Abstract

The article describes the possible impact of modern technological changes (disruptive technologies, digitalization, and automation) on regional development in Russia based on the patterns of geography of innovations and previous trends. The rates of non-resource growth over the past twenty years have been higher in those regions where inventive activity, intensity of R&D expenditures, share of researchers and employees with higher education were higher, but the same relationship cannot be traced with the intensity of the use of advanced production technologies (automation) and the availability of the Internet. During the declared pandemic in Russia in 2020, patent activity in the vast majority of regions decreased, the processes of production automation slowed down, but digitalization accelerated in terms of internet access and the development of online commerce. The creation of disruptive technologies is still concentrated in large cities and super-regions due to agglomeration effects, knowledge spillovers and concentration of human capital. But the effects of their introduction and distribution can be differentiated. In the leading regions with high proportion of creative professionals and entrepreneurs, development may accelerate, in old industrial regions, automation will increase the risks of temporary unemployment and inequality. For the least developed territories, the lack of digitalization potential and lack of highly qualified personnel may further worsen the situation.