Modelling of Economic Clusters in the Russian Regions in the Context of Formation of the Industry 4.0

Abstract

The Russian cluster system includes more than 140 clusters. No one of them is calculated and no one checked. Some of them function in reality but others are paper items. Taking into account the peculiarities and problems of the Russian clusters the authors notice that the digital transformation and formation of the Industry 4.0 becomes a serious challenge to all the enterprises and a threat to those who cannot “catch” the trends. The focus of the Industry 4.0 is neo-industrialization based on digital, smart-, nano- and biotechnologies, quantum computing and robotics, resource saving. The Russian clusters are formed in the traditional branches, they use mainly the common system of contracts as the search of a new partner leads to the growth of transaction costs. The question arises if such clusters could exist in the context of the Industry 4.0. Methodologically while there are no actual statistics the research is based upon the institutional approach at which the revealing of interconnections between the individual organizations inside and outside the structure has a priority: the workers share their knowledge and experience with each other in the evident and non-evident manner, and the enterprises and organizations in the cluster share their contracts, standards and instructions. The authors conclude of the necessity to revise and restructure current cluster system. On the contrary, it is very important for the innovative activity to have a flexible structure, a new specialization and to invest into the new knowledge.