Evolution of the business acceleration system of entrepreneurial structures in Russia

In conditions of economic instability, the importance of supporting entrepreneurs is increasing. The growth in the number of accelerators arouses interest in their effectiveness. Is the acceleration system capable of adapting to changing conditions? The aim is to generalize approaches to assessing changes in the acceleration system and to develop stages of its evolution in Russia. The author’s analysis of foreign and Russian publications, regulatory documents and accelerator practices was carried out using the methods of content analysis and generalization. A reasonable scientific approach is to consider accelerators as an adaptable kind of incubators. The author’s typology of the stages of acceleration evolution in Russia has been developed: 1) “Preaccelerator period” (1990s - mid-2000s); 2) “The period of primary institutionalization of accelerators” (mid-2000s - 2018); 3) “The period of building the acceleration system” (2018 to the present). It allows you to trace the process of the origin of ideas, the formation and development of the institute of accelerators. Changes in approaches to acceleration and its elements are revealed. The development strategy of the Corporation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises indicates the emergence of a more comprehensive understanding of the acceleration system in the administrative approach. Accelerators widely represented throughout the country are able to make the greatest contribution to economic development. The transformation of the acceleration system at the municipal level carries the greatest risks of lagging behind the best federal experience. Next, empirical assessments of the contribution of accelerators to the development of the country and municipalities are required.