Assessing the knowledge index of the region

Abstract

Economy of knowledge is an economic formation, where today’s generation of young people will work. It is quite good that many scientists try to forecast what it will be like. The article studies different approaches to assessment of regional knowledge index. The authors put forward a new methodology of its estimation on the basis of key matrix determinant and its logarithming. To assess the knowledge index 16 indicators divided into 4 groups are used and they gave an opportunity to build a four-dimensional matrix. According to the author, this approach is more objective and can eliminate some inaccuracy of methods designed by other authors. On the basis of this methodology the knowledge index was estimated, which shows conditions for shaping economy of knowledge in Russian regions. The rating of federal districts and regions-leaders was built and regions-outsiders in respect of economy of knowledge shaping were identified. Indicators that exert the most serious effect (positive and negative) on the knowledge index of regions were found. More detailed results for the whole period of analysis – 2000–2015 – for all regions of the Russian Federation can be found in the Situational Center of the Russian Plekhanov University of Economics.