Technological sovereignty as a national goal of the Russian Federation: regional dimensions and current challenges

The complex and interdisciplinary nature of technological sovereignty, which spans macroeconomics, political science, sociology, and regional economics, determines the relevance and significance of this study. The study aims to assess indicators and drivers of technological development in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and in the country as a whole. Comparative and regression analyses were used to identify and quantify the effects of various drivers on technological development indicators in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The analysis was based on data from the Federal State Statistics Service for 2000–2024. The number of advanced production technologies developed increased overall, with substantial growth beginning in 2017 and a slight decline in 2023. The level of digitalization in the Russian Federation increased considerably. Between 2003 and 2024, the number of connected subscriber devices increased 9.2-fold, while the number of organizations using servers increased 4.5-fold. In 2024, 90% of households had broadband Internet access. Expenditure on technological innovation had a positive and economically significant effect on the share of innovative organizations in Russian regions. The study identifies the role of technological development in interregional inequality in the Russian Federation. On the one hand, new digital technologies create conditions for equalizing opportunities among Russian regions; on the other hand, technologies are adopted and used primarily in the most developed regions, including Moscow, the Moscow Region, St. Petersburg, and the Nizhny Novgorod Region, thereby widening interregional disparities. The findings reflect the complex, nonlinear dynamics of technological development in the Russian Federation, which should be taken into account when developing regional strategies.