TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION OF INDUSTRIAL REGIONS OF THE RF AND KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

The current stage of economic development is characterized by transformation processes occurring at the global, regional, local levels, and affecting the main areas of activity: economic, technological, social, political, etc. In the article, in order to specify transformation processes in the technological sphere, attention is focused on the regional level, namely in the industrial regions of the Russian Federation. Transformation in technological development is considered on the basis of changes in the integral index of technological development of industrial regions, calculated by the author over a five-year period. It is shown that the knowledge economy (which is also undergoing profound changes) is the basis (along with other factors) of technological development. In this context, the possibilities of regional technological development are connected, on the one hand, with education and science, with a person — the bearer of knowledge and competencies, with the level of human potential in general; on the other hand, with the level of innovativeness of the economy, which requires high-quality scientific support, highly qualified scientists and specialists.