Kuzbass Trade and Transport Hub: Strategic Relevance for Sectoral and Regional Development

Abstract

The socio-economic development of regions and states depends on the combination of existing strategic factors, as well as on their competent implementation. Recent decades saw rapid dynamics and changes in the functioning conditions of economic systems: new trends have lead to new challenges and shocks at the global, national, regional, industry, and corporate levels. The deteriorating economic situation and the increasing pressure on the material and technological resources create additional restrictions and obstacles to sectoral and regional development in Russia. The disproportionate distribution of resources makes regions look for asymmetric and radically new strategic solutions, thus consolidating all available resources for a qualitative economic breakthrough. The Strategy of the Socio-Economic Development of the Kemerovo Region (Kuzbass) for the period up to 2035 was approved by the regional government. It establishes the fundamental transformation of Kuzbass into a large Siberian trade center and hub as a strategic priority for all directions, including industrial and regional development. The scale of the priority necessitates additional study of certain aspects of this strategic direction. The research objective was to determine the strategic relevance of the Kuzbass trade and transport hub in the strategizing of regional and sectoral development. The author assessed the interests in this strategic priority and their systematization by appropriate groups, defined the conceptual structure of the Kuzbass trade and transport hub, highlighted the relationship with the strategic contours of the Strategy of Socio-Economic Development, explained the role of the future hub for sectoral and regional strategizing, and indicated its social and economic efficiency.