Russian journal of regional studies

Introduction. The global scientific landscape has changed over the past 30 years. Geopolitical shifts of recent decades have contributed to the formation of new growth poles. The objective of the study is to assess the global geography of scientific knowledge growth as a marker of scientific leadership and determination of Russia’s place.

Materials and Methods. The study is based on the spatial scientometrics approach using data from the Scopus international abstract database. This made it possible to conduct a spatio-temporal analysis of the distribution of scientific publications for geographic regions of different levels (from 1990 to November 2024). A total of 247 countries and territories were taken into account.

Results. It is shown that the greatest contribution to the global indicators of the number of scientific publications was made by four mesoregions – North America, East Asia, Western  and Northern Europe. It was determined that the European and American scientific systems significantly surpass the Asian one in terms of productivity. Urbanization has become a competitive factor on a macro-regional scale for the intensification of scientific activity. After 2010, a transition to a polycentric structure of the global scientific system was revealed with the formation of three most influential centers of scientific knowledge growth: European, Asian and American. First of all, China became stronger. Russia’s average annual contribution to the global publication volume is comparable to Africa. However, after 2022, a decline in publication activity was noted, which is associated with geopolitical turbulence.

Discussion and Conclusion. It is expected that the preservation of the international scientific influence of the Russian Federation is associated with the development of scientific and technical cooperation with friendly countries (primarily China as a new world leader in science). The applied value of the study lies in the possibility of using the obtained results in the field of assessment and management of science. The article provides a solid scientific ground for understanding the spatial patterns of concentration of the world scientific potential and creates a basis for forecasting the geographical trajectories of its development. This article will be useful for specialists in the field of geography of knowledge, spatial scientometrics and regional economics.

Introduction. Multipolarity is a model of world order in which the international system of checks and balances prevents national governments from unilaterally redefining the political and territorial status quo or isolating individual countries from the global community. The purpose of the study is to reveal the content of the concept of multipolarity in the discourse of the world economy and to determine the impact of the multipolar environment of international relations on the traditional roles of geo-economic actors in the world economic system.

Materials and Methods. Publications in Russian and foreign periodicals, as well as specialized monographs and reports of international organizations, have been used as sources of information for the research. The concept of multipolarity has been examined in the context of two different approaches to its interpretation: as an inclusive model of the world order and as a revisionist trend in international politics. The paper reveals the prerequisites for the origins of these different interpretations, characterizes the geo-economic aspects of a multipolar world, and proposes methodological approaches for assessing the competitiveness of states and non-governmental actors in these conditions.

Results. One of the key reasons for the growing interest in the concept of multipolarity was the crisis of the multilateral decision-making system in international financial and economic institutions. The accompanying growth of state interference in international market relations has increased the level of uncertainty of real and financial sector companies in their foreign economic activities and compliance with restrictive measures. These processes have actualized the use of methods for analyzing the “influence” and “power” of actors of international relations in the economic context. However, for this purpose they need to be modified taking into account the network nature of interaction of geo-economic actors in the world economic system. 

Discussion and Conclusion. The results of the work formed a theoretical basis for future research on the economic manifestations of multipolarity, foreign economic policy of countries, fragmentation of the world economy and financial system. Further modernization of the methodology of geo-economic analytics in the applied aspect, including the identification of channels for influencing the strengths and weaknesses of competing actors, taking into account their co-dependencies with other participants of the network, as well as for determining the boundaries of geo-economic blocks and channels of their conjugation, remains a relevant direction. 

Introduction. The growing use of the Indo-Pacific concept in the European and German discourses necessitates a closer scrutiny of its implementation. The author’s hypothesis, founded on the assumption of Germany’s central role in the European Union’s security and defence policy, consists in that Berlin, together with Paris, has been playing the role of a key contributor to the preparation and implementation of the European Union’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. The research is aimed at defining Germany’s and European Union’s stance with regard to the Indo-Pacific region.

Materials and Methods. The methodology involves qualitative narrative analysis as well as elements of discourse analysis in addition to conventional approaches such as scrutinising a number of sources to draw the underlying trends. The study is based on Germany’s and European Union’s official documents pertaining to the Indo-Pacific.

Results. The article shows that the transregional cooperation between Germany and the Asian nations is currently undergoing a transition stage from primarily economic cooperation to interaction in more sensitive spheres such as security. All of this is happening against the backdrop of increasingly pronounced securitisation processes in the region caused in no small measure by the US vs China face-off.

Discussion and Conclusion. Both German and European stances can be characterised by a whimsical combination of pragmatism and value-based rhetoric. Among the values listed in the official documents are liberal freedoms including press freedom, civil society, free trade etc. Albeit having arguably less at stake in the Indo-Pacific vis-à-vis France, Germany has also exerted a considerable influence on the development of a joint European Union vision of the Indo-Pacific that was ulteriorly materialised in a formalised strategy. The paper contributes to the literature by revealing the peculiarities of Germany’s and European Union’s Indo-Pacific policies.

Introduction. Political processes in Russia’s regions have attracted the attention of researchers for a period. They are not the least interested in regional elections to parliaments, which analyze not only the balance of power between political parties, but also the phenomenon of co-optation, i.e. granting leadership positions to the opposition in exchange for the status quo. The available studies show contradictory results when testing the factors influencing cooptation, which are mostly institutional factors of regional politics and career characteristics of the deputies. The aim of this article is to test the influence of these factors on cooptation.

Materials and Methods. The research materials are electoral results of the systemic opposition (represented by the CPRF, LDPR and Just Russia). Regression analysis was used as a research method based on the results of 89 parliamentary elections 2019‒2023 as the most relevant. Based on the available research, the selected variables of influence on co-optation were divided into institutional (the role of the head of the region and features of the regional parliament) and personal (political or business experience).

Results. It was revealed that the most significant institutional factors were the features of the structure of the regional parliament (the number of leadership positions and the number of seats). Among personal characteristics, the main role is played by party experience and previous leadership in the previous parliament. The experience of deputies in business was also significant.

Discussion and Conclusion. The results confirm that the decision on co-optation is most often based on the previous career experience of parliamentarians, and these personal characteristics are key ones compared to the institutional features of regional politics. The results obtained, in addition to the research interest, may be in demand by regional branches of parties, their functionaries and representatives in legislative bodies to understand the factors of performance improvement.

Introduction. The concentration of resources in Moscow limits the development of some regions in the center of European Russia, but at the same time contributes to the growth of the economy of the nearest regions. The aim of the study is to identify the specific features of regions depending on the dynamics of their development and distance to Moscow and, by building models, to evaluate and compare the efficiency of their development.

Materials and Methods. The work analyzed Rosstat data on the main indicators of regional development. Depending on the dynamics of GRP and labor productivity of regions in 2009–2021, groups of regions are identified and their features are analyzed. Based on the analysis of graphs and the construction of models, the effectiveness of investments in the economy of the region was assessed.

Results. It is shown that ring groups of regions with similar economic growth rates are formed around Moscow, shifted to the south. Three central regions (Moscow, Kaluga and Tula regions) are characterized by the highest rates of economic growth. Around them there is a ring of nine regions with low rates of economic growth. Further, a semi-ring of eight more successfully developing regions is formed. They are also losing population, but investments in their economy are growing, which allows for a rapid increase in labor productivity. The analysis of the data also showed that among the 25 regions under consideration, there is a relationship between the rates of economic growth and the northern latitude of the regional capital, and the northern and easternmost regions that close the semi-ring of rapidly growing regions have the lowest rates of economic growth.

Discussion and Conclusion. It can be said that the migration of the population to Moscow complicates the development of the regions surrounding it, weakening as the region moves away, but at the same time the growing market of the expanding Moscow agglomeration leads to an acceleration of economic growth in the surrounding territories. The results of this study will be useful for regional and federal authorities to develop a policy to reduce the differentiation of the socio-economic situation of the regions.

Introduction. The topic of the study is relevant because it examines key aspects of society and the economy, the understanding of which helps to make informed decisions about the location of logistics facilities and contributes to the development of an effective and sustainable logistics system. The aim of the paper is to examine the spatial distribution of logistics facilities, to identify the factors that influence their location and to present the methodological foundations that determine such a distribution.

Materials and Methods. The research analyzed scientific publications on the subject under consideration, as well as took into account the practical experience of carrying out research work carried out within the framework of the state assignment. Spatial analysis methods such as buffering, network analysis and suitability modeling were used in the work to assess the availability, interconnectedness and reasonableness of the location of logistics facilities. The use of GIS systems in the course of the study helped to analyze the development of the logistics infrastructure. The main element of the study was the aggregation of data on logistics facilities, which contributed to an empirical understanding of the characteristics, functions and spatial distribution of the infrastructure.

Results. The key factors influencing the location of logistics facilities are identified: economic, infrastructure, market access, political, environmental and technological. The role of geographical realities and economic conditions in the formation of logistics infrastructure is determined. The effectiveness of using geo-information systems for spatial analysis of logistics facilities has been demonstrated. A methodological approach to the selection of the optimal location of logistics facilities has been developed.

Discussion and Conclusion. The spatial distribution of logistics facilities is influenced by the interaction between geographical realities, economic factors and technological advances. Each factor should be critically analyzed when developing supply chain management strategies. Modern supply chains must adapt to these variables ‒ looking for optimal locations that combine costs with service requirements, while using technological innovations to maintain competitive advantages. With the rapid development of technology, the distribution schemes of logistics facilities are also changing. The article will be useful to logistics professionals, spatial planners, economists and government agencies involved in infrastructure development.