Creating a Mechanism to Manage the Sustainable Development of Regional Innovation Systems Based on the Best Available Technologies

Abstract

The best available technologies (hereinafter—BAT) are an effective tool for retrofitting, improving energy efficiency, and ensuring green production. Their implementation is based on regularly updated reference books on the best available technologies (BREFs), which are compiled on a sectoral basis and may serve as a reference for enterprises planning their implementation. The practice of implementing BATs in developed countries has shown that it is preferable to compile such reference books based on domestic technological solutions, which is associated with the difficulties of introducing foreign technologies for each country (predetermined by, firstly, technical and process incompatibility, and secondly, differences in their affordability, which can significantly affect the feasibility of the BAT implementation). In this regard, it is advisable to update BREFs with domestic innovations forming the potential BAT market. In Russia, the main suppliers of innovations are regional innovation systems, the management mechanism for which does not currently include BATs as one of the priority innovation development areas. Herewith, as one of these priorities, along with retrofitting, improving energy efficiency, and greening the manufacturing sector, BATs may become a catalyst for innovation activity and creating regional innovation systems and their institutions aimed at developing potential BATs. In this regard, the paper justifies the need for a new approach to creating a mechanism for managing the sustainable development of regional innovation systems based on the best available technologies, which ensures the correlation between the actual demand for potential BATs from business entities and their supply by innovation organizations bearing risks for their development. The authors have formulated the essence of such a mechanism, determined its goals, objects, subjects, as well as the leverage tools, and forms of interaction of its main participants.