Economic Sciences/13. Regional Economy

Buresh O.V., Zhuk M.A., Frolov A.V.

Orenburg State University, Russia

Cluster Approach to Formation of Regional Economic Space in the Context of Information Society

At the present time international economics shifts from countries competition towards regions competition’ stage. In the modern conditions Russian regions are attempting not only to persist, but also to get further development on the newest, world-suitable level by using different approaches. The region administration process in the midst of galloping progress of information space is characterized by a higher level of uncertainty, impetuous market changes and globalization effect. Therefore completely new requirements come to the fore. Today the resources possessed by the region are not important in such volume as the capabilities of regional government and business-community to quickly adapt present resources in reaction to market challenges as well as evolve and create new inputs. The main aim of the regional development is going to be the creation of favorable business climate at the regions territory.

The basis for regional development are resources, thereby people, information, innovation, culture – are the main. The knowledge is situated at reproduction principle for mentioned resource types, at that in distinction from such resources as financial, natural, infrastructural, knowledge-based resources are objectively reproducible. The regional education system, based on innovative approach is laid in the foundation of resources effective reproduction. Besides, general trend of international economics growth shows that innovation and knowledge become general factors determining regional competitiveness.

Thus it’s necessary to build special information system between higher education and real life, a sort of cognitive educational infrastructure which should transmit professionally relevant knowledge to educational system. Formation of innovative education in higher school is one of the significant national tasks. Exceeding arrays of scientific-technical knowledge under the influence of innovative mechanisms become the foundation of new postindustrial civilization. Therefore contemporary higher education orients not only at traditional scientific values, but also at values of integral synthesis of different knowledge branches, innovative values for new knowledge development. Professional acquirement is not homogeneous. It’s possible to highlight at least two knowledge levels: general professional – which is cohesive, characteristic, determining and dividing one educational program (profession) from other; scientific-subject (disciplinary) knowledge – having sci-tech, researching character and application, reflecting development of scientific idea in the certain knowledge branch.

As the mature economies shows, for the country which development is targeted at high level of productivity, i.e. this country has to be competitive at the international market, it is necessary to possess companies, different organizations at various economic niches with high productivity. This development is determined by the group of nearby located and interconnected enterprises and accompanying organizations, consolidated and complemented by each other in economic activity [2]. Such combinations are called clusters.

Formerly existing system of interaction and complementation of education and science in centralized government structure was basically dual and functioned under government control and for government demands. Concurrently the state formed the order as for specialists preparation, so for sci-research directions, being simultaneously the holder of intellectual and industrial potential of the country. The weakening of centralized government participation in the described process is delivered relevancy to enhance mutual interest and interaction for universities and the industrial sector. For higher education institutions with intense intellectual potential realization of such cooperation became feasible through strengthening of sci-research and applied activity to the benefit of industry.

Business development and society structural changes lead to incipiency of the third acting side in the former dual scheme, which has great sense. This is – employer, to wide extend - primarily business-community, non-state companies, SME, etc. parallel with substant organizations of government ownership. Thus the dual scheme of interaction between education and research in government order sphere is no more dual, but aspires to be trine, where employer objectively has importance and weight. The actual situation can be specified as the developing cooperation of inter-complemented structures (universities and enterprises), concomitant knowledge branches and professional activity with the aim to increase federal and regional competitiveness at the markets of final products and scientific outcomes. The described collaboration forms a cluster (corporate triangle) – group of enterprises and contributory organizations including educational institutions, which are connected and inter-complemented for business and professional activity. The forming corporate triangle, where science is a fundamental and determinative component, consists of: employer, consuming scientific results and determining requirements for graduates of educational institutions at the modern level of society development; education, which should consider employer requirements, stipulating competitiveness and demand of graduates; science, which activity should be aimed at providing of society interests through satisfying interests of industrial and business sphere for national growth, procuring high level of well-being for citizens and national competitiveness at international market all in all. The conditions for organization and development of innovative sci-educational business-networks (clusters) are creating at the regional level, as the most effective structure of establishment of «education–science-industry» system at the present level of Russian society. Taking into account society development trends, it’s important now to consider cluster approach as the basis of educational projects formation for higher professional educational institutions.

Thereby, inclusive of high-speed changes in economy, rapidly shifting demands of the real sector, production, non-productive sphere in qualified administrative employees, specialists and workers, as well as taking into account substantial acceleration of knowledge «ageing» period, educational institution should search new operating methods and innovative education techniques. In this connection the problem of the training system forming of socially- and professionally-mobile specialists on the basis of educational-scientific-productive cluster moves to the foreground.

The conceptual idea of specialists’ professional competences training as innovative intellectual product, equipped by up-to-date tool-kit, technologies and methodology of professional activity and project management lays in the core of the new model of specialists training in higher education system corresponding to modern requirements of developing informative economy and globalization. The advantage of it is concluded in the following situation that not a separate enterprise, but a cluster starts to compete on the market. Herein university improves the quality of graduates and volume of sci-productive activity due to professional achievement and educational-research experience. The university under the cluster creation is transforming to the system of accumulation and augmented reproduction of ideas, knowledge and technologies, becoming the centre of new intellectual and research technologies, influencing at regional education development, science, high-tech inoculation and production optimization.

References

1. Idrisov A. Strategy of Regional Development: Prerequisites for Project Realization // Strategy and Competitiveness, № 4, 2007.

2. Porter M. International Competition.- M.: International Relations, 1993.

3. Asaul V.V., Krishtal V.I. Self-Organization and Economic Integration: Common Points// Economic Revival of Russia, Х21-2, 2007.

4. Makarova T.S. Creation of Integrated Information System of Online-Educational Resources. Terms of X All-Russian united symposium «Internet and Modern Society» (IMS – 2007).