Foresight methodology in the strategic development of industry in the Penza region

The subject of the study is the specifics of forecasting and strategic planning in the regions. The object of the study is industrial enterprises of the Penza region. Today, the task of Russia's transition to an innovative model of development, technological modernization, and digitalization of the economy is complicated by a situation of uncertainty, the need to respond to big challenges, and the complexity of building strategic plans. The purpose of this study is to consider the possibility of applying the foresight methodology in the formation of development strategies of the Penza region, including industry, and the choice of mechanisms for their implementation. The study examined scientific works of foreign and domestic scientists in the field of strategic planning and foresight, the Strategy for Social and Economic Development of the Penza Region through 2035, and the Law of the Penza Region on Strategic Planning in the Penza Region. The methodology of system analysis, SWOT analysis, general scientific methods of synthesis, induction, deduction, as well as comparative and bibliographic methods were used. The theoretical aspects of foresight, the experience of its application in the world, country and region were studied, a list of tasks of industrial enterprises in modern economic conditions was determined, in solving which the foresight methodology can be used, its advantages over traditional planning and forecasting methods. The novelty of the study lies in the proposal of measures to reduce the subjectivity of foresight studies and the development of recommendations for the introduction of foresight into the methodology of forecasting and planning the development of industry in the Penza Region, the creation of a system of criteria for selecting foresight participants, the formation of a scheme of the influence of various factors on the readiness of the region (industries) for strategizing.