Nuclear industry cluster of Russia: Development problems and trends.

The paper describes the role of atomic energy in the energy balance and the nuclear industry development strategies of countries. The development problems of the Russian nuclear industry, which is the most important condition for ensuring energy independence and stable growth of the country's economy, have been identified. The paper describes the specifics of atomic energy, its strengths and weaknesses, as well as risks and opportunities. A brief overview of the theoretical fundamentals of the modern theory of clusters and various scientific approaches to the concept of a cluster is given, the domestic nuclear industry development specifics are shown, and the existence of the nuclear industry cluster in Russia, its effective functioning, and successful development is justified. The mechanism of state management and financial support of the nuclear industry cluster has been formulated, and the role of its research complex in the Russian nuclear industry development has been determined. The expediency of improving the mechanism for managing and funding the research complex of the nuclear industry cluster using the model of creating a state fund for supporting scientific, research, and innovative activities in the field of atomic energy has been justified, which, among other things, will improve the efficiency of budgetary expenditures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]