Development of the North 2.0: challenges of making a new theory

Abstract

It is proposed to create a new theory of economic development of the North on three primary sources — the Soviet development school, the European school of regional studies, the North American school of frontier studies. Each of these schools relies on a broad conceptual foundation (location of productive forces, endogenous economic growth, innovative search), the fusion of which is capable of radically and positively transforming the theory of modern time. Comparison of the nature of the development process today and in the Soviet times reveals significant differences: an increase in spatial and temporal irregularity (polarization), multiactorism, glocalization, and the role of the grassroots “design” level. Numerous projects of new development implemented in the Russian Arctic and the North have common features in the form of an experimental nature, pilot-clone schemes for saving on experience, a plurality of equal status supply and training bases, etc. Large resource corporations that lead the world are directing actors of the territorial structure of the process of new development, and it depends on the internal organizational and institutional structure of the company itself.

Keywords

• the North and the Arctic development
• glocality
• Soviet theory of colonization
• frontier theory
• endogenous economic growth