ИСТИНА

Purpose: The regional economy depends on the structure of industrial production which has been established earlier. This study makes it possible to determine the hi-tech spheres in which the entrepreneurship is going to develop more successfully. The purpose of the investi-gation is to determine the technological proximity of the industrial production branches with the high-tech economy sector for further defining the egress from the previous development path. Methodology: In order to determine possible egress of the region from the previous develop-ment trajectory there has been proposed a method of proximity evaluation between the high-tech sector and the existing structure of industrial production in the region. The characteris-tics of high technologies relatedness to other industry branches in the Russian regions have been defined. Findings: For the Russian regions it was determined that less than 30% of sub-branches can be considered as connected with the high technology sector - 25%. The regions having the comparative advantages in the high-tech types of industry and sectors related thereto have been revealed. We have demonstrated that individual regions can progress through investment into interregional connections and entrepreneurship domestic innovations. Research/practical implications: Considered as the investigatory contribution of the paper can be the alternative proposed to the comparative advantage index in the form of a localiza-tion coefficient to be used at evaluation of the technological proximity of industrial branches. The results of this study can be of benefit to representatives of the regional managerial bodies in the course of the economic policy development in the sphere of entrepreneurship. Originality/value: Proposed in the article is a method for evaluation of technological prox-imity of industry branches which differs from the traditional use of the localization coeffi-cient. The calculated proximity indexes make it possible to determine such high-tech indus-tries to the development of which there are the necessary prerequisites in the region, i.e. the technologically similar industrial production is under development.