Identifying Bottlenecks in Regional Innovation Policy in Russia: An Infrastructure-Differentiated Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17059/ekon.reg.2026-2-4Keywords:
regional innovation policy, innovation policy bottlenecks, infrastructure constraints, partial least squares, PLS regression, benchmarking of regions, innovation policy performanceAbstract
Low innovation performance despite significant potential remains a pressing issue in Russia, particularly under conditions of strong regional differentiation. At the same time, empirical evidence on how infrastructure factors influence the effectiveness of regional innovation policy remains limited. This study aims to identify constraints in innovation policy through the quality of supporting infrastructure, taking regional heterogeneity into account. The sample includes only regions that are comparable in terms of development level and policy orientation. The methodological framework is based on infrastructure analysis, where policy effectiveness is linked to the quality of resource, research and educational, human capital, financial, and regulatory infrastructure. We analyse panel data (1,870 observations) using the partial least squares method. By integrating differentiated regional analysis with an infrastructure-based approach, the study provides a novel framework for assessing innovation policy effectiveness in Russia. The results indicate that the main infrastructure constraints are concentrated in the financial, resource, and research and educational domains. We identify several statistically significant negative relationships, including the relationship between the share of business funding in R&D and technology exports, as well as between federal project funding and the share of innovative products based on Russian intellectual property. In resource infrastructure, machinery and equipment renewal appears to act as a constraining factor. In research and educational infrastructure, limitations include weak commercialization of research output and a long lag between publication activity and practical implementation. No statistically significant effect is found for human capital infrastructure. These findings can support regional authorities in Russia in adjusting innovation policy and prioritizing resource allocation. The main limitation of the study is its focus on linear relationships only.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Соловьева Ирина Александровна , Подшивалова Мария Владимировна , Хайруллина Ольга Юрьевна , Кулакова Валерия Анатольевна
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