MECHANISMS OF ADAPTATION AND BALANCING OF THE COMPETITIVE POTENTIAL OF RUSSIA'S REGIONAL ECOSYSTEMS IN THE CONTEXT OF EXOGENOUS CHANGES

The article examines the current problems of managing the sustainable development of the competitive potential of Russia's regional ecosystems in the context of global transformations. Based on the synthesis of institutional, evolutionary, and spatial economic theory, a conceptual model has been developed that integrates the environmental imperative, technological sovereignty, and social homeostasis as the basic principles of balanced development. Empirical analysis revealed significant imbalances between regions: an 8.6-fold gap in GRP, a 4.8-fold lag in innovation potential, and a concentration of 85.7% of investments in the most developed territories, which indicates a violation of the principles of sustainable development. Special attention is paid to the adaptation mechanisms of the regions in the context of a dual crisis – the COVID-19 pandemic (as an exogenous shock) and geopolitical instability (as a structural transformation). A system of balancing mechanisms is proposed, including strategic sustainability indicators, operational monitoring tools, and compensation equalization measures. The results of the study allow us to rethink traditional approaches to regional development and propose a new paradigm of «balanced competitiveness» that takes into account both the current challenges of the global economic architecture and long-term trends in technological transformation and greening of the economy.