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The paper relevance is related to the need to develop new approaches to the innovative economy management. The paper purpose is to develop innovative development analytical model in the economic sectors context based on open innovations' theoretical concepts study and systematization. The paper presents the characteristics for innovative activity system-forming elements, including the innovative infrastructure at the meso-level. An innovation triple helix model is suggested by economic activity types in national innovation systems on economic and mathematical simulation basis. The paper materials can be used to develop innovation activities forecasts of science, business and the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The case of the disputed Southern Kuril Islands/Northern Territories is used to introduce the term 'hyper-border' in order to examine the instrumental and pragmatic nature of identity. It seeks to capture how, on one of Russia's most isolated borders, the quotidian realities and challenges of life 'beyond' the state had profound implications for how discourses around state, nation, sovereignty and identity are conceived. During the 1990s these islands became a site neither fully within, nor without the state. As the functions of the Russian state diminished and the border with Japan dematerialised, it was the Japanese state that came to provide welfare, infrastructure and economic opportunities for the islanders. This paper attempts to capture how the identity of islanders became articulated not on ethnic, religious or linguistic grounds, but on a purely pragmatic desire for a better life. Among some Kuril islanders an alternative vision of belonging was formulated, which sought to take them beyond the nation and into the state. This paper also traces the counter-function of the hyper-border and how an immense material and discursive response to these circumstances by the Russian state led to the recovery of the meaning of these distant islands. On a site between sovereignty regimes, this idea of the hyper-border attempts to capture how the fluctuating political authority of the state can render identity as contingent, malleable and instrumental. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper covers issues of Russia's national security in the Arctic as viewed from the military perspective. It examines the trends in the development of a reliable defense system for this country. It postulates the importance of greater defense capacity in the Russian Arctic, as nATO relentlessly builds up its military forces next to Russian borders, and the US military infrastructure continues to develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Russia has experienced twenty years of economic and social change, which had a substantial impact on the regional and sectoral patterns of the development of its economy, infrastructure, the quality of the environment and the well-being of its people. The current economic revival offers new opportunities and presents new challenges for the sustainable development of Russia. The paper employs the UN Sustainable Development framework of indicators and assesses sustainability of Russia using multi-criteria evaluation methods, namely the uncertainty randomization multi-criteria evaluation method “Analysis and Synthesis of Parameters under Information Deficiency” (ASPID). The analysis covers economic, environmental and social trends in Russia's development in 1985–2008 and assesses sustainability of this development from the point of view of multiple criteria. The results show the potential of employment of multi-criteria methods for the sustainability assessment at the macro level and offer useful insights into multidimensional nature of sustainability and the role of priority setting in the evaluation process. Such an analysis reveals the degree of harmoniousness of sustainable development policy. It shows how different sets of priorities determine the outcome of multidimensional analysis of sustainability and could potentially help in assessing progress and designing new policy instruments. This paper is one of the first to apply multi-criteria methods to the macro sustainability analysis in the dynamic setting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Regional climate change affects the state of inland water bodies and their water balance, which is determined by a number of hydrometeorological and hydrogeological factors. An integral characteristic of changes in the water balance is the behavior of the level of lakes and reservoirs, which not only largely determines the physical and ecological state of water bodies, but also significantly affects the coastal infrastructure and socio-economic development of the region. This paper investigates the interannual variability of the level of the Ladoga and Onega lakes, the largest lakes in Europe located in the northwest of Russia, according to satellite altimetry data for 1993–2020. For this purpose, we used three specialized altimetry databases: DAHITI, G-REALM, and HYDROWEB. Water level data from these altimetry databases were compared with in-situ records at water level gauge stations. Information on air temperature (1945–2019) and precipitation (1966–2019) acquired at three meteostations located at Ladoga and Onega lakes was used to investigate interannual trends in the regional climate change. Finally, we discuss the potential impact of the lake level rise and regional climate warming on the infrastructure and operability of railways in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the situation with forest roads in Russia in the context of harvesting, transportation, forest management and forest fire prevention. Russia harvests less than 30% of its allowable harvest potential. Forest fires burn volumes which are equal to half of the annual harvest. One reason is the insufficient density and quality of forest roads. The average density of roads is less than 1.5 m/ha, which is one-tenth of that in Nordic countries. We argue that better access to the forests, utilizing the technology transfer of the proven Nordic forest road solutions (NFRS) under local conditions, might have important effects on the strategy-making processes in forest infrastructure development in northwest Russia. For this purpose, A'WOT analysis is proposed to identify the related strategies and assign priorities to those strategies. According to this study undertaken in Karelia, where NFRS were introduced over 10 years ago, the top priorities regarding the relevant threats are the lack of legal framework under forest land leasing and the low profitability of forestry. The results indicate that the NFRS are viewed positively for the Russian conditions. The forest road market has virtually unlimited opportunities for growth. Together with a favourable policy in terms of national and regional development programmes it can support forest infrastructure development. Forest fire prevention, multiple uses of woodlands, and different environmental service markets are seen as potential opportunities for NFRS. However, the results also indicate that there is substantial uncertainty and scepticism concerning how such markets would be of benefit to leaseholders who would like to adopt intensive forestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the creation and regular upgrading of the Khibiny Mountains ore-mining area model, including objects of geological environment, relief, open-cast and underground mining, industrial and social infrastructure. The authors show feasibility of creating such a model and indicate its potential users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the actual situation in Latvia concerning the transport terminal establishment. It presents the theoretical base of the terminal establishment, i. e. transport infrastructure survey, transportation analysis. Location is a key factor for all the transport operators whose main activity is moving freight from one place to another one using different modes of transport. Reduction of the delivery time is one of the elements that could make the important difference when a transport operator is being chosen. That is why transport terminal must be located in hub points of transport and distribution activities. Decisions on terminal placing are extremely important, as they influence indicators of its activity for many years. The method of nonlinear programming for the decision of a problem of an optimal location transport terminal in Latvia is offered in this work. Basic difference of the given method consists in use of nonlinear criterion function in which except distances to the client points connected with the terminal, specific features of a transport infrastructure are considered. For a finding of coordinates of an optimal location of the transport terminal in Latvia is used gradient method. The evaluation of locations for establishment of terminals in Latvia is presented. These terminals will be the first transport terminals in Latvia established according to contemporary requirements and will provide necessary co-operation with big trading companies and other terminals in and out Europe and Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]