This article is a second chapter of the analytical review of existing theoretical models of a relationship between economic growth / GDP and indicators of science and innovation activities and empirical approaches to testing this relationship. Aim of the paper is a systematization of existing approaches to modeling of economic growth geared by science and innovations. The novelty of the current review lies in the authors’ criteria of interconnectedness of theoretical and empirical studies in the systematization of a wide range of publications presented in a final table-scheme. In the first chapter of the article, the authors discuss evolution of theoretical approaches while in the second chapter they present a time gap between theories and their empirical verification caused by the level of development of quantitative instruments such as econometric models. Results of the current study can be used by researchers and graduate students for familiarization with current scientific approaches that manifest a progress from theory to the empirical verification of the relationship «economic growth-innovations» for improvement of different types of models in spatial econometrics. To apply these models to management practices the presented review could be supplemented with new criteria for classification of knowledge production functions and other theories about the effect of science on the economic growth.

In recent years, when regional budgets have not had sufficient resources to provide direct financial support to entrepreneurs and investment projects, the stimulating function of regional tax incentives have been playing a big role. At the same time, currently applied regional tax incentives are predominantly social rather than stimulating. In this regard, the article examines the possibility of developing stimulating tax advantages with the least negative effect for the regional budget. On the example of the Novosibirsk region, the dynamics and structure of the regional budget revenues, as well as the tax breaks and associated shortfalls in revenue, based on the results of 2015-2016, are analyzed. In addition, a comparative analysis was conducted with benefit systems of subjects of the Siberian Federal District. As a result of the comparison, the weaknesses of the tax benefits provided in the Novosibirsk region and the reasons preventing them from performing the stimulating functions were identified. In accordance with the obtained results, the directions for improving and developing the stimulating tax benefits in the Novosibirsk region are proposed.

The article shows an attempt to determine possible investments and results from the implementation of state plans to localize in Russia the production of machinery and equipment most related to their imports. Problems of localization or import substitution aggravated as a result of the events of 2014. State (departmental) plans for import substitution adopted in 2014 did not contain indicators that characterize the import substitution process itself. In an article on the example of localization of oil and gas engineering industries, an attempt is made to determine some of these indicators. The methodological basis for calculating the required investments and the possible effect was a simplified model of the interbranch balance sheet, which was built on the input-output tables for 2014. The obtained results of calculations are mainly illustrative, showing the possibility of using the input-output tables for analysis and evaluation of the consequences of large government decisions.

The article deals with the problems of realization of transportation of raw materials on the pipeline infrastructure of Eastern Siberia and the Far East. One of the key ways to increase the economic efficiency of developing subsoil plots in Eastern Siberia and the Far East is to optimize the system for transporting raw materials through the pipeline infrastructure. A new impulse acquires a synergy from the implementation of investment projects on the basis of joint (shared) use of transport infrastructure.

In many oil and gas bearing provinces in Russia with the depletion of highly productive hydrocarbon deposits the main prospects for the growth of oil and gas resources are attributed to hard-torecover reserves. With a high level of development costs these reserves are unprofitable, high-risk financing items. Being as a rule on the verge of profitability, the projects of development of hard-torecover reserves mainly depend on the volatility of geological and economic conditions. This actualizes the development of new approaches, oriented not so much to the forecast of potential income and other performance indicators, but to a greater extent on profitability criteria determining of a particular mineral-raw materials project. In the article, the method of searching for maximum permissible values of key characteristics of the subsoil use project is proposed for consideration, special attention is paid to ways to reduce costs when developing deposits taking into account the «learning effect».

To assess the prospects and forecast of the development of the gold mining industry of the Kyrgyz Republic as the dominant sector of the mining industry, calculations were made using a revenue method to obtain the most plausible results in the 2013-2052 timeframe. By means of calculations, two scenarios are modeled: inertial and optimistic. The forecast of the development of the gold mining industry reveals three stages of its evolution. The first three years of the main volume of ore mining account for the existing mines (Kumtor, Makmal, Salton-Sary, Tereksay, Zhamgyr, Karakizak, Ishtamberdy). Further from 2016-2017 the vigorous growth of production volumes is forecasted; We will reach the highest productivity in 2022 - more than 40 tons of gold excluding production at the Kumtor mine and about 60 tons of gold, including Kumtor. Since 2023, a sharp decline in production volumes begins as the mining of deposits is completed. The end of the Kumtor field development, according to preliminary forecast data, is taken in 2024 and, as a consequence, a decrease in the receipts of money to the budget and employment. Analysis of the forecast scenarios shows, first, the notion of long-term developmental consequences, and secondly, it allows us to understand what mechanisms of both the scale and the structure of the costs need to be used to overcome the constraints of further economic growth. For example, the infrastructure created through foreign investment, taking into account the support of mining developments, should be maximally integrated into regional development plans of the republic.

The economy, as a conceptually diverse area, is a complex system where large volumes of qualitative and quantitative information are often presented in poorly structured or unstructured form. The use of semantic web technologies allows to adjust to a single, flexible structure and to integrate not only quantitative but, what is especially important, qualitative indicators and create conditions for computer processing in the future. Within the framework of the research, a methodology and algorithms for searching for sources and collecting economic data and their reduction to the structure of the established ontology of innovation activity and economic potential have been developed. The relevance and scientific novelty of the study is due to the subject area, as well as the application of semantic web technologies to the collection of information from heterogeneous distributed sources, including weakly structured and unstructured ones.

The article is devoted to certain aspects of the regional policy in the EU. Its theoretical and methodological preconditions, as well as a place in the general ideology of cohesion are studied. The current results of the European equalization policy are estimated using the GDP per capita indicator for 1995-2003 and 2004-2015. At first glance, the intentions and goals of the European cohesion policy do not remain declarations, the processes of countries convergence on economic criteria are growing in strength. This is proved, in particular, by the results of pulling the new Eastern European countries-members of the EU to the average level. Meanwhile, formal quantitative estimates from the arsenal of mathematical statistics make it cautious to talk about convergence processes as a reality. In any case, some systemic indicators of variation do not indicate trends of equalization. The European Commission has an understanding of the limited capabilities of integrated tools to fully and adequately take into account and describe all the diversity of specific situations.

The article shows the importance of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) for the Russian economy; demonstrates the characteristics of domestic transactions from the position of target companies and acquirers. We exhibit results of a two-level analysis of the current regional characteristics of the domestic M&A market: by federal districts and by constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The developed methodology for identifying dependencies between regional economic indicators and the number of M&A transactions (for the target and acquiring companies) is one of the first attempts to conduct econometric analysis for domestic M&A transactions. For the period of 2008- 2014, we constructed regression models for panel data, using a pooled model, a model with fixed effects, and a model with random effects. The article discusses the estimates from the econometric study of the regional orientation of agents of the Russian M&A market. We specified the factors which influence the beginning of formation of a new profile of domestic M&A transactions and which change the regional priorities of investors.

The main goal of this article is to analyze the possibilities of using crowdsourcing in solving problems at the municipal level in the Russian Arctic zone. The analysis relies on the structural-functional method. This article presents the possibilities of using crowdsourcing at the municipal level of the Russian Arctic from the point of view of the main actors of the socio-economic development. It was revealed that crowdsourcing in the Arctic municipalities is a promising opportunity in the solution of local problems by the local population. The results obtained within the framework of the study allow to deepen the existing knowledge system of crowdsourcing as a new phenomenon of municipal management, and consideration of the application of the crowdsourcing principles at the level of municipal management will allow the authorities to develop objective measures for the qualitative development of the regions of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.

In the context of increasing competition and crises, companies are aspiring to affect consumer behavior by stimulating promotion of their products. However, with the growth of production diversity and fierce competition, familiar marketing methods, established in the practice of companies, cease to be effective. This fact forces marketers to invent unconventional methods of product promotion, among which is the associative approach that is gaining increasing popularity. The aim of this article is to describe the practical research of the product advertising campaign based on the association approach, as well as to give recommendations to marketers that are searching for new and more effective advertising methods. An online survey was chosen as a study method to interview potential consumers of the selected product - milk chocolate. The research revealed a significant effect of the chocolate package colour on the choice of consumers, as well as the influence of national factors on the perception of the product. The findings of the study can be used by marketers to develop an effective advertising campaign of a product.

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the research results (2012-2017) on the characteristics of virtual labor relations of youth in three regions of Russia. The development of virtual labor activity today has become a stable trend, both in the world and in Russia. The aim of the research is to substantiate the processes of institutionalization and professionalization of virtual labor relations of youth in the context of economic development and social management from the standpoint of modern sociological methodology. The research contributes to solving not only the scientific problem (limited scientific understanding of the phenomenon of virtual distance employment), but also social - improving the measures of social and economic policy in the field of job placement for unemployed youth. The methodology is represented by a mixed strategy, in the context of which the original mixing of the resources of structuralism, functionalism, institutionalism, quantitative and qualitative research approaches was made for the first time, which allowed to realize a comprehensive approach and to obtain information on economic and social-management problems, specifics and prospects of virtual labor practices of Russian youth, identify a number of distinctive parameters of virtual employment, determine the trends of its development in the regional context, implement data triangulation. When interpreting the empirical data of a questionnaire and interview, the results of a pool of socio-economic all-Russian studies (secondary analysis) were used, comparison with modern statistical data was carried out. The scientific and practical significance of the work consists in incrementing scientific knowledge in the field of labor economics, the sociology of labor, the development of methodology and methods of integrated research; the formation of the basis for optimizing the employment of unemployed citizens, the spread of Internet employment, forecasting its dynamics, reducing the level of socio-economic inequality in the country. The main findings of the research work are the following conclusions and provisions: youth virtual distance practices are characterized by an approximately equal degree of distribution in the Volga, Central and Siberian federal districts of Russia; significant problems in the implementation of these practices are represented by non-payment of remuneration by the employer, the need for independent accounting and tax reporting by the employee, poor quality of Internet services, a relatively high degree of need for «live communication»; the hypothesis about the positive impact of virtual labor relations on the socio-economic status of young people, the degree of social mobility of youth, overcoming social inequality is confirmed; in Russia, the system of professional education in teleworking, professional communities, virtual distance employment exchanges have been formed; virtual labor relations, thanks to their professionalization and institutionalization, have become a real employment tool for many representatives of Russian youth.