Prospects for Regional Economic Development in the Context of Digitalization
Relevance. The ongoing processes of digital transformation of the regional economy, the need for transformations of the regional economy that take into account the requirements of digitalization, the importance of managing the processes of development of the digital economy of the regions and the formation of a regional ecosystem of the digital economy determine the interest in studying the prospects of regional economic development in the conditions of digitalization. The purpose is assessment of the prospects for regional economic development in the conditions of digitalization, which predetermine the process of formation of the ecosystem of the digital economy of the region. Objective: research of trends in the use of information and communication technologies by subjects of economic relations in the Kursk region; analysis of the development of digital transformation of key sectors of the economy of the Kursk region; establishment of prerequisites for building effective interaction of participants in the process of digitalization of the regional economy. Methodology. The methodological basis of the study was: the method of statistical information processing; statistical analysis and synthesis; graphical method of data visualization. Results. Among the positive trends in the use of information and communication technologies by citizens in the Kursk region, an increase in the proportion of the population using the Internet is highlighted, as well as an increase in the proportion of citizens using the opportunities to provide public services in electronic form. Digitalization processes in key sectors of the Kursk region's economy are developing unevenly, and therefore a systematic implementation of the current strategy of digital transformation of key sectors of the economy of the Kursk region, which contributes to the creation of an ecosystem of the digital economy of the region, is necessary. The prospective development of the digital economy ecosystem of the Kursk region is possible on the basis of effective interaction of participants in the process of digitalization of the regional economy, the prerequisites for building which are the provisions of regional projects related to the Digital Economy program. It can be achieved after the data in digital form for all spheres of socio-economic activity of the Kursk region will represent the main factor of production. Conclusions. The digital ecosystem of the region's economy is in the process of formation. Its importance lies in ensuring the process of sustainable functioning of the digital economy of the region through the system of interaction between the population, business and the state within the digital environment based on the digital base of interaction.