PROSPECTS FOR THE REVITALIZATION AND STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE RUSSIAN MICA INDUSTRY: A FOCUS ON THE ARCTIC

This study examines the Russian mica market and assesses its potential for revitalization, a critical step toward ensuring the nation's resource sovereignty. The research is motivated by the fact that several sectors of the national economy remain dependent on imported raw materials despite the country's possessing major mica reserves. The goal of the study is to formulate a strategy for overcoming the industry's challenges and to articulate a pathway for its strategic development by leveraging the resource potential of the Russian Arctic. To this end, this work provides a comprehensive analysis of the Russian mica industry's current status, identifies its primary barriers to growth, and outlines promising directions for its revitalization. A central argument is the strategic importance of the Russian Arctic as a future resource base. The methodology incorporates analysis and generalization of statistical data, SWOT analysis, and Porter's five forces analysis to deliver an objective assessment of the industry's competitive environment and internal resources. The study's novelty lies in its systematic classification of the factors constraining the domestic mica industry and its proposal of specific modernization measures. These include adopting advanced processing technologies, utilizing secondary anthropogenic resources, and developing new high-value-added products. The findings confirm that, despite substantial reserves of muscovite, phlogopite, lepidolite, and vermiculite, Russia's import dependence persists due to technological backwardness and infrastructural deficits. The principal conclusion affirms the strategic potential of the country's northern regions, whose deposits could form the basis for import substitution and stimulate high-tech economic sectors. These results provide a foundation for crafting national policy and investment stimulation programs aimed at revitalizing the mica industry.