SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC REGIONS

Abstract

In recent years, Russia has been characterized by a reduction in government spending on the activities of social sectors. This trend requires a search for possible solutions for the problem of providing residents with high-quality and affordable social, medical, and rehabilitation services. In such conditions, the issue of using the potential of social entrepreneurship in the development of the state's traditional sectors of social infrastructure - health care, education, etc. This is of particular relevance for the Russian Arctic, where qualitative growth of the economy is impossible without the implementation of measures aimed at improving the level and quality of life of the population. However, in the Arctic, formation of human capital is associated with much greater costs and difficulties than in non-Arctic territories. In this regard, the aim of the work was to study the potential of social entrepreneurship in development of social infrastructure of the Russian Arctic territories. Social entrepreneurship, defined both as an internal resource and a factor of territory self-development, is one of the innovative solutions aimed at improving effectiveness of social investments. This study showed that expanding the access of social enterprises to work in the sectors of social infrastructure will not only increase availability, quality and diversity of social services in a particular region of the Arctic, but will also have a positive impact on the growth of social and entrepreneurial activities of residents of these territories. Practical significance of the results obtained is determined by the possibility of their application in the practice of public administration, as a basis for informed decision-making, as well as a basis for analytical research on social entrepreneurship in the Russian Arctic, individual regions and the country as a whole.