Autarky versus globalization: innovation as a pillar
Abstract. Western sanctions are unsuccessfully trying to throw the Russian economy into a state of autarky, excluding it from the international economic and political processes. Autarky is characterized by the complete closure of the economy from the outside world, which leads to a decrease in the competitiveness of the country. In this regard, the article evaluates this perspective and identifies factors that contribute to ensuring the competitiveness of the Russian economy in the long term. For this purpose, two extreme economic models are compared: autarky and globalization, and their brief characteristics are given. It is shown that the option of full autarky for Russia seems unlikely. However, the inability to take advantage of globalization (primarily the exchange of knowledge, technology and foreign trade) limits the competitiveness of the Russian economy. There is no alternative to the need to ensure technological sovereignty, the development based on innovation. The relevant key factors have been identified: the availability of natural resources, the development of logistics and infrastructure, the preservation and attraction of foreign human capital, inexpensive finance, strengthening cross-border cooperation of border regions, control over the use of funds. In order to attract qualified labor resources from abroad, it is proposed to introduce a register of scarce professions and create favorable conditions for moving to Russia. Joint innovative projects with subsequent commercialization in the developing countries will contribute to strengthening the cross-border cooperation with neighboring countries of the "safe zone" (Kazakhstan, China).
Keywords: autarky, globalization, cross-border cooperation, innovation, technological sovereignty
Highlights:
♦ full autarky in the modern world is more of a utopia than the reality of the economy and an unlikely scenario for Russia;
♦ in order to maintain competitiveness, it is necessary to prevent military operations on the territory of Russia, create favorable conditions for high-tech production and innovations with a perspective for decades to come (think strategically, act tactically);
♦ key factors of ensuring the competitiveness of the Russian economy are natural resources, human capital, logistics, finance, cross-border cooperation, control.
Galina A. Khmeleva - Samara State University of Economics, Samara, Russia