Interregional water transport cluster as a tool for economic convergence and integration

Abstract

Abstract The aim of the study is to develop a conceptual project for creating an interregional water transport cluster along the Don River. The presented theoretical studies have been carried out using the methods of analysis and synthesis of the existing scientific developments in the field of territorial and inter-territorial transport infrastructure organization. Observation and static analysis methods were used in practice to determine the economic connectivity level of the regions along the North-South axis of the European part of Russia. According to the study results, the following results have been obtained: - the role of inland waterway transport as a factor of convergence and integration of regional economies, territorial consolidation on the systemic cluster approach basis to the spatial organization of the economy has been proved; - the effectiveness of the network-centric interregional cluster formation on the cooperation principles for the passenger and cargo shipping revival along the small rivers-confluents of the Don river in order to ensure maximum transport accessibility of remote areas and the corresponding multiplier effect for the development of all sectors of the economy has been substantiated; - the idea of forming and maintaining a mega-regional ecosystem along the North-South axis along the Don River on the basis of dredging consequences’ interregional monitoring, as well as the formation of water tourism embedded cluster along the rivers of the Don basin has been proposed.