Regional economic policy captures the future of a country's regions as desired by central government in the most generalized form. This creates a certain level of ambiguity in its formulation, which can lead to different interpretations of future paths of development among different levels of the public authorities, both state and municipal. Analyzing the process of regional policy implementation from the perspective of possible cognitive discrepancies caused by organizational structures and public administration rules shapes an organizational and institutional approach to studying this process. This article discusses existing interpretations of regional policies, as well as the stages of policy implementation. We also propose approaches to resolving ambiguities through the application of multiple streams framework developed in political process theory. At the same time, this article emphasizes the importance of incorporating the concept of opportunistic behavior from new institutional economics. Taking these concepts into consideration provides opportunities to develop recommendations for improving regional economic policies.
The transition from globalization to geo-economic fragmentation seen as a politically driven process of dividing the global economy into competing blocks of countries and regions, emphasizes the issue of national technological sovereignty and creates opportunities and challenges. This article focuses on how tax policy instruments can be used to enhance the positive effects and mitigate the negative consequences of geo-economic fragmentation in the context of technology sovereignty. We explore the rationale for using tax instruments to address technology lifecycle challenges, foster growth poles and support the development of technology ecosystems. Then, we discuss policy directions for tax incentives to support technological development and strengthen Russia's technological sovereignty. Three main directionsfortax incentives include: (1) structuralshifts in taxincentivesfortechnologydevelopment, with an emphasis on the medium and later stages (growth, diffusion, and maturity) of the life cycle of critical technologies, as well as tax support for the timely and controlled market exit of obsolete and unsuccessful technologies; (2) the creation of a more favorable institutional environment for the functioning of technological development ecosystems through the recognition of innovators' right to risk and the deterrence of rent-seeking behavior (including the institutionalization of excess profit taxation); (3) the design, calibration, and adjustment of new tax instruments to enhance supply chain security, ensure data sovereignty, protect confidentiality, and promote interstate technological alliances with friendly countries within the framework of regulatory sandboxes in special economic zones. This approach to state regulation of technological development implies tax policy oriented toward performance indicators and ensuring national technological sovereignty, neither toward immediate economic returns nor short-term budgetary efficiency targets.
The article examines the reasons for the diminished role of contemporary Western economic theory, specifically the neoclassical mainstream, in providing expert, analytical and predictive support for the practice of economic policy. Over the past three presidential administrations in the United States, policymaking has increasingly been delegated to so-called "political entrepreneurs" rather than relying on academic scholars, or "professors", as characterized by Paul Krugman. A notable example of the failure of "professors'" recommendations is the approval of China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The article highlights the issue of academic monopolism within the mainstream economic community, particularly among American economists, as a contributing factor to the disconnection between theoretical research and real-world policy implementation. This monopolism is evidenced by the dominance of certain publications in leading academic journals and the concentration of Nobel Prizes within a narrow circle ofscholars. I also address the ideological function of economic theory, arguing that any economic framework inevitably reflects the ideological perspectives, values, and interests of politicians. The neoclassical mainstream's denial of this inherent ideological dimension is criticized as an anti-scientific stance. The theoretical underpinnings of Stephen Miran, who served as the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Biden's second administration, are contrasted with those of the majority of "professors". The article suggests that Trump 2.0's perceived radicalism and austerity and anti-science nature, as seen from the perspective of US academics, aligns with the economic interests and ideologies of an emerging elite in America, the "digital industrialists". It is anticipated that the vision of these digitalists for the economic order will shape a new economic theory in the foreseeable future.
A significant, and often decisive, contribution to the growth of GDP and employment in the economy, according to data repeatedly verified using broad international data, is provided by a small stratum of High-growth firms, (HGFs, or “gazelle firms”). However, according to the prevailing in the literature, the effectiveness of state support for the HGF is questioned due to the unstable and unpredictable nature of their growth. Many of the companies that received assistance not only fail to grow at their previous rates but also reduce production. The article proposes an approach to forecasting the continuation of rapid growth of a firm based on the assessment of the parameters of the free market niche that is available to the firm using a set of nonlinear micromodels. Based on the analysis of dynamics of 24 thousand permanent Russian firms for the period 2003–2022, firms were selected that had adapted well to the changing trends in the development of the Russian economy after the global crisis of 2008–2009 (95th percentile in terms of revenue growth rates and above for 2010–2014). It has been established that within this dynamic group of firms, large HGFs will demonstrate sustainable rapid growth in the future (2014–2022). On the contrary, the smallest and smallest HGFs, after the end of the period when they experienced rapid growth, experience a decline in revenue. The identified patterns may be useful for improving the methods for selecting firms supported as HGFs within the framework of industrial policy.
The article discusses the distinct characteristics of the "image" and "reputation" concepts, as the primary components of building a brand. Based on a comparative analysis, the article demonstrates these concepts do not represent identical meanings and carry different semantic connotations. Therefore, it is incorrect to consider them as the synonyms. The article concludes that reputation has a more significant impact on a brand perception than image, and that the organic nature of a brand reputation can create challenges in establishing a positive reputation. It has been determined that communication risks can include reputational threats, which served as the main argument for investigating the impact of the intangible nature of reputation in EdTech companies. Reputation has been found to be of particular importance to clients of online educational institutions, as it is formed for the account of the quality of elements that contribute to building trust in an online school. By understanding the features of distance learning for students, it has been determined that reputation is a major factor in their decision-making process when purchasing a training course. One modern source of reputational risk is implementation of innovative technologies by large companies to promote their growth. However, a single mistake in the communication process with a client could significantly impact the reputation of a company. The possible reputation risks associated with introducing innovative technologies to an online school have been discussed. The assessment of reputation risks allowed defining the most significant threats a school may face.
