Digital Public Administration and Regional Innovation in the Russian Agro-Industrial Complex: An Expert Assessment

The systematic transition of public administration processes to a fully integrated digital platform that eliminates all forms of bureaucracy has become the foundation for the reform and growth of the Russian agro-industrial complex (AIC). However, the impact of this innovation on the innovation potential and competitiveness of enterprises remains understudied in both theoretical and practical terms. This study addresses this gap through a targeted survey of 30 agricultural operators in the AIC bureaucracy and testing hypotheses regarding the relationship between the use of digital public administration platforms, innovation, and performance. Using a sequential mixed-method research design integrating descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis, this study demonstrates that expert support for digitalization of governance through technology-enabled support programs has had a positive impact on innovation and competitiveness. However, structural barriers, such as high access thresholds to document management systems, digital inequality between regions, and temporary limitations of institutional capital, significantly influence these relationships. This study contributes to the literature on institutional theory, digitalization, innovation systems, and agricultural governance reform. The findings highlight the need for comprehensive and equitable digital administrative reform that goes beyond the simple electronic migration of existing bureaucratic processes. Historically, since the Soviet era, public administration in Russia’s agribusiness was centralized following the rapid privatization of the 1990s and transitioned to a modern platform-based governance model, providing context for understanding the achievements and limitations of contemporary digitalization strategies. The digitalization of agricultural governance in Russia is characterized by state-led modernization, geopolitically driven import substitution, and a pressing need to protect the sovereignty of digital infrastructure. It offers valuable lessons for developing countries undergoing similar transformations.