Spatial characteristics of transportation infrastructure provision in the context of global competitiveness of Russian regions

Abstract

The objective of this study is to identify spatial features of the region's transport infrastructure provision in the current context of reorientation to East Asian markets. The set objective required solving a number of tasks: conducting a retrospective analysis of the transport network development by length, density, structure of transported cargo, and road surface condition; compiling a list of indicators and conducting a cluster analysis to identify the relationship between the state of the transport infrastructure and the implementation of the region's export potential; conducting a cluster analysis based on the criteria of "industry – transport – trade" and identifying groups of regions with similar characteristics. It was revealed that the infrastructure factor is of decisive importance for the global competitiveness of the region in the system of criteria of "industry – transport – trade". Most of the regions form groups of neighbors, which is a consequence of the long-term policy of forming a transport network. In addition, long-term orientation toward Western markets has exacerbated the disproportions and discrepancies between the goals of reorientation to new markets and the current state of transport provision. The regions bordering Kazakhstan (the Samara, Saratov, Orenburg regions, the Altai Krai) are in the most advantageous position. Disproportions in transport provision lead to the fact that many regions will not be able to maintain the level of global competitiveness in the medium term. Developed regions of Western Russia will reduce their level of global competitiveness due to the lack of access to European markets, and the regions of Siberia and the Far East will not be able to increase it quickly enough, since, in addition to other factors, the problem of transport provision has worsened due to the increased load on the main transport arteries. Recommendations are presented for improving the level of balance in transport provision, which will contribute to increasing the level of competitiveness of the regions.