From Competition to Competitive Cooperation: New Paradigm for Territories Development

The modern economic space demonstrates, on the one hand, the intensifying competitive struggle of various territorial entities for natural and financial resources, investments and business, for the population, qualified personnel, tourists, etc. On the other hand, the process of formation of competitive cooperation of territories, which does not exclude competition, and complements it, acting as a driving force for the development of the economy of regions and municipalities. The authors in the study assessed the current level and prospects of territorial competition, clarified the goals of competition of regions and municipalities. Consideration of the territory as a subject of competition is explained by the fact that the regions acquire the quality of a mega- enterprise. The potential of cooperation between the territories in the modern competitive economy is revealed. In modern Russia, competitive cooperation between territories is still very rare. A number of features of the evolution of competitive cooperation of territories are revealed: cooperation is specifically limited in time; any cooperation is inherent in risk; its formation and implementation always involve certain financial, intellectual, labor and other costs. The results of expert surveys conducted by the authors in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and in 2019 made it possible to highlight positive and negative results, as well as the consequences of interregional and intermunicipal cooperation in a competitive economy. An assessment of the readiness of territories (regions, municipalities) for cooperation is given. The paper draws attention to the fact that the regions and municipalities of Russia have different economic potentials, differ in the volume and specificity of resources, have features of spatial position, etc., which determines the possibilities for the development of their competitive cooperation. In the process of research, general scientific methods were used, in particular the dialectical method, the unity of the historical and logical, abstractions, analogies, expert surveys, etc. The results of the study can be used in the development and implementation of strategies for the socio-economic development of regions and municipalities in the modern competitive economic space.