Strategic Directions of Digital Transformation in the Regional Economy of Russia

The relevance of the study is determined by the key role of digital transformation as a driver of global economic growth and Russia's national priority in digitalizing the economy and social sphere, which requires a deep understanding of the factors influencing this process in the regions.

The purpose of this research is to develop and test a multifactor model that explains the differentiation in the levels of digitalization across Russian regions under the influence of a complex set of drivers and to determine the contribution of each to the development of digital infrastructure and human capital.

The research methods included regression and variance analysis to identify and quantify the strength of the factors' influence on the resulting digitalization indicators (penetration of fixed and mobile broadband internet, share of ICT employment). The analysis was based on Rosstat data from 2010–2023 for Russian regions. The results showed that digitalization is a deterministic process most strongly influenced by three groups of factors: demand-side (concentration of high-productivity jobs), geographical (level of urbanization), and institutional-investment (volume of targeted ICT funding). Significant interregional differences were identified, with the development of digital infrastructure and human capital responding to the factors with varying intensity.

The conclusions confirm that the digital transformation of Russia's regions is a multifactorial and region-specific process. Its successful stimulation requires a differentiated approach that considers local economic and institutional conditions, as well as a balance between the development of infrastructure, human capital, and innovation demand from the real sector of the economy.

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