Kuzbass-2035: Strategy Gazing or Reset

Abstract

Since Kemerovo Oblast was established in 1943, the region’s long-term development has been explored within two all-Union conferences (in 1948 and 1988) and five strategic documents by various collective bodies. The latest strategy was approved in December 2020. However, life in the oblast looks different from that “predicted” future. We are aware that no expert can foresee how Kuzbass will advance 25–30 years from now. Behavioral patterns of authorities, businesspeople, and residents are changing almost constantly with globalization and progress in science and technology; and these changes may accelerate significantly moving forward. Therefore, contemporary regional strategizing is not trying to guess how fast the region will develop. Its critical objective is to understand what basic economic idea will underlie development models and tools, which regional competitive advantages can be of use to the state and investors today, and what should be done to gain a competitive edge on the one hand and minimize internal/external risks on the other. Researchers at the Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering SB RAS have accumulated experience in strategic planning for Siberia and its regions. They are currently partnering with leading academic organizations that specialize in this area to draft an Asian Russian development strategy. This paper presents the author’s evaluation of modern strategic development processes in Kuzbass from the standpoint of the Siberian School of Strategic Planning, plus an analysis of the proposed growth drivers and governance tools. It also puts forward the idea of resetting strategic plans for the development of Kuzbass as a testing ground for new development tools meant to be applied in the Asian part of Russia.