The article is a comprehensive study of the theoretical and methodological foundations, practical features and prospects for implementing the concept of «smart territories» in the Russian Federation. The purpose of the study is to conduct a systemic analysis of the specifics of implementing this concept in Russian conditions, including a multi-aspect assessment of its development potential based on a summary of the results of the implementation of the Smart City projects of the Ministry of Construction of Russia and the Digital Region of Rostelecom, an analysis of current digitalization trends and expert forecasts for the development of these trends in the medium term. Based on a comparison of scientific approaches with domestic practice, it was found that the Russian model of «smart territories» is formed as an extrapolation of the principles of the «smart city» to peripheral (suburban, rural) and industrial zones, which reflects the specifics of the spatial development of the digital economy in Russia. A summary of the results of the Smart City project for 2024 revealed the dominance of organizational and managerial results. It has been proven that the Digital Region initiative of PJSC Rostelecom played a significant role in the formation of «smart territories», ensuring infrastructural and technological convergence. Based on the survey conducted by the author and the received expert assessments regarding the prospects for the development of current trends in «smart cities» and their spread to «smart territories» in the medium term, it was determined that the trends associated with the digitalization of the financial sector and the transport industry, which together ensure the achievement of a synergistic effect in other subsystems of «smart territories», are characterized by the greatest weight. Based on the study, the author summarizes the forecasts for the development of «smart territories» in 3–5 years, including increased «intellectualization» of transport systems, increased efficiency and security of financial resource management, increased use of digital models for spatial planning, improved IT infrastructure support and the spread of artificial intelligence technologies. The results of the study contribute to the theory of digital transformation of territories, and practical conclusions can be used to adjust state strategic and project initiatives in the area under consideration.
E. I. Moskvitina (Wed,) studied this question.