Smart Region Conceptual Model: Evolution of Approaches, Architecture, Stratification
Relevance of the work is stipulated by the fact that currently, under the influence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, digitization and convergence of technologies, the previously established paradigm of sustainable development is transformed into smart sustainable development at all levels including regional. The aim of this article is to develop a conceptual model of stratified architecture of smart region on the basis of analysis, generalization, and systematization of scientific investigations and established regional practices of formation, institutionalization and implementation of new forms of spatial development of territories under conditions of digital transformation of economy. The empirical base of the research is presented by laws and regulations of national and regional level in the sphere of social and economic, spatial development and digitization, as well as by the rating data of innovative development of entities of the Russian Federation by Higher School of Economics. The methodological base of the research includes historical and evolutional, and ecosystem approaches, dialectic, categorial, subject–object, retrospective and monographic methods, terminological, comparative, and content analysis of scientific publications and empirical sources, methods of generalization, typology, classification, and systematization, principles and approaches of system engineering in building digital system architectures of various objects. In the course of the research, the genesis, evolution of successful practices, problems and discussion issues of implementation of new forms of spatial development have been generalized and analyzed in the context of Smart Sustainable Development; the architectural stratified model of smart region has been proposed combining a set of basic principles of its technological organization implemented in the form of digital technologies, interrelation of the technologies with each other and ambient environment. It has been concluded that formation and development of smart region model with accounting for all considered factors should be based on modern methodological achievements of system engineering allowing to consider smart region as a complicated architectural stratified sociotechnical and economic system, its practical implementation is significantly influenced by established traditions of state and regional management as well as interaction of state with population and business.