DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT OF THE DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF RUSSIA’S NORTHERN REGIONS

Abstract

Digitalization is one of the main factors that improve the quality of life, well-being of the population, making it possible to make many social services available, which is especially important for northern territories with hard-to-reach settlements. The purpose of this study was to assess the digital infrastructure of the northern regions of Russia by ranking them according to the level of digitalization. The research tasks included: building a database of series of variables in the context of the regions of the North of Russia for the period 2014–2020, a retrospective analysis of the dynamics of their digitalization for the period 2014–2021, ranking the regions of the North of Russia by the level of digitalization based on the construction of an integral index. The object of the study is thirteen regions of Russia, the territory of which is completely related to the Far North and areas equated to it. It was revealed that a high share of digitalization in the regions of the North of Russia is a consequence of urbanization, there is a digital inequality, primarily due to the geographical factor. Recommendations are given for improving the digital infrastructure of the regions of the North of Russia. The scientific novelty of the study is determined by the use of the index method for ranking the regions of the North of Russia by the level of digitalization for the period 2014–2020 on four sub-indices: the activities of households, the population, authorities and organizations, which made it possible to trace the dynamics of indicators and evaluate the effectiveness of measures to develop the digital infrastructure of regional spaces. The methodology is based on publicly available statistical data and can be used for territories of various levels when conducting retrospective analysis and strategic forecasting procedures. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that the results obtained may be in demand in assessing the effectiveness of digitalization in the preparation of strategies and programs for the digitalization of regional space. The prospects for further research are determined by a deeper analysis of the degree of influence of variables on the level of digitalization of regions and the formation of proposals and recommendations for adapting digitalization processes, taking into account the current international situation.

Keywords

• digitalization
• ict
• digital divide
• digitalization index
• north of russia