The Role of Knowledge Economy in Regional Economic Diversification in Russia

Abstract 
The purpose of the study is to substantiate the need and the possibility of diversification of the Russian regional economic system, including resources-extractive regions, in the form of a gradual transformational transition to the knowledge economy. The research is conducted on the basis of systematic approach. The work resulted in the selection of a new transformation model of the regional economic system, i.e. diversification based on the development of the knowledge economy, with the diversification index for this model being proposed. Besides, the positive impact of the level of development of the knowledge economy in the region on the diversification of its economic structure was proved and the increase in the level of diversification of the economy of the resource-extractive region with the development of the knowledge economy infrastructure was confirmed. The scope of practical application of the results is the development of regional socio-economic policy on the basis of the proposed approach to the diversification of the regional economic system in the process of its long-term transformation towards the establishment of the knowledge economy. 

Keywords 
resources-extractive region, regional socio-economic policy, transformation, diversification, science, education 
Funding 
The study continues the search for alternative solutions to the key problems of the development of the economy of resources-extractive region, initiated by the staff of the department of economics of T.F. Gorbachev Kuzbass State Technical University (KuzSTU) in the research project “Formation of the knowledge economy in the resources-extractive region (Kemerovo Oblast instance)”, conducted in 2012–2013 with the support of The Ministry of education and science of Russian Federation, agreement 14.B37.21.1996, and is carried out in the framework of priority  areas of research and analytical work of the research center of KuzSTU “Regional center for economic and social studies and expert evaluations of development projects” 

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