Possibilities of applying the matching concept in regional economic policy in the Kursk region

Relevance. Matching is one of the most effective ways to allocate resources in the absence of a pricing mechanism. The article analyzes the pros and cons of matching in comparison with administrative and market methods. The concept of using matching as a tool of regional economic policy is substantiated. The Kursk region is taken as the object of the study. The statistical base is used to understand the complexity of the problem being solved in the information and digital space when using the Gale-Shapley algorithm and its varieties. The purpose is to substantiate the conditions for the use of matching and, in particular, the Gale‒Shapley algorithm for isomorphism of natural resources, physical and human capital at the regional level. Objectives: adaptation of the concept of "matching" to regional economic policy; assessment of the comparative effectiveness of the application of the concept of "matching" to regional economic problems; identification of industries and areas of activity at the level of the Kursk region with a positive expected net benefit from the introduction of matching. Methodology. The article was prepared within the framework of the methodology developed by Nobel laureates in economics Alvin Roth and Lloyd Shapley. Results. The most promising areas of digitalization, informatization and the introduction of matching mechanisms in the Kursk region are the fields of education and healthcare. Conclusions. The Gale-Shapley algorithm in the conditions of digitalization allows stable equilibria in the process of paired interaction of economic agents. Matching leads to a more effective correspondence between the factors of the first (land, natural resources), second (capital, infrastructure) and third (human capital, people) nature. An optimal economic policy should combine matching tools with traditional mechanisms of state regional regulation – administrative and market mechanisms.