Approaches to developing ratings of Russian regions by level of IT industry development

The proposed study is dedicated to the analysis of existing approaches to developing ratings of Russian regions according to the level of development of the IT industry. The relevance of the study is determined by the high strategic importance of the software industry for the development of the Russian economy, its innovative orientation, the need to develop effective public policy in the area under study, as well as a systematically realistic assessment of the current state and level of development of the IT industry on the territory of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The complexity of a representative ranking of Russian regions according to the level of development of the software industry is determined by the lack of detailed and reliable statistical data reflecting the performance indicators of the Russian IT industry, the influence of extraterritorial factors in the location of the production potential of the IT industry, as well as the high spatial mobility of both IT companies and IT specialists. The study examines a methodological approach to forming a rating of Russian regions according to the level of development of the software design industry, elaborated by the Association of software development companies “Russoft”. Based on this approach, the study proposes an additional list of statistical indicators identified taking into account the competitiveness factors of the Russian IT industry, on the basis of which a methodological approach is developed for rating regions by the level of development of the IT industry. As part of the study, the proposed methodological approach is tested, the results obtained are compared with the results of the rating of Russian regions of “Russoft”, groups of constituent entities of the Russian Federation are classified by the level of development of the software industry, and the differences identified are analyzed and interpreted. The results obtained as part of the study can be used by research and expert analytical organizations as part of the development of methodological tools for assessing the level of development of the Russian IT industry in the context of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, federal and regional executive authorities when preparing strategic documents in the field of development of the Russian IT industry, modeling the state support instruments, as well as identifying priority industry areas and territorial centers for the development of the Russian IT industry.