PREREQUISITES AND ESSENCE OF INTEGRATING NEW AREAS OF ACTIVITY INTO REGIONAL ECONOMIES

The objective necessity of structural transformation and increasing the sustainability of reproduction processes in the economy of Russian regions is revealed. It is noted that with the growing complexity of the environment, the role of managing the regional economic system increases, implying coordination between federal and regional authorities, business, and the public. The specialized industries of the economic complex become a structural element of territorial development, determining the region's place in interregional and international division of labor. One of the promising tools for managing structural changes is the integration into the regional economic system of new areas of activity previously uncharacteristic for the region. The article provides an interpretation of the term “integration of new areas of activity”, highlighting its distinctions and relationship to the established concept of economic integration in specialized literature. The final part defines the sequence of integration stages and identifies problems associated with the process of incorporating new industries into the regional economy.