Clusters and Territorial-Industrial Complexes : Similar Approaches or Different Concepts? First Evidence from Analysis of Development of Russian Regions

In this paper the correlation between the cluster concept and the concept of territorial-industrial complex (TIC) is discussed. The cluster has been attracting a special attention of scholars and policymakers since almost 15 years due to considerable contribution of its theoretical results to raising national and regional competitiveness. The concept of TICs were elaborated by Soviet regional economists and economic geographers in 1920-1980s that realised the idea of optimisation of industrial production within a certain territory in the planning economy according to its endowments of natural and labour resources. An analytical framework is used to compare these two approaches: we distinguish three main schools of the competitiveness theory and identify a system of main competitiveness factors with spatial forms of R&D and production organisation that form regional innovation systems as a basis of national competitiveness. This paper argues that the cluster concept and the concept of TICs differ fundamentally at least in seven criteria though, at first sight, they seem to be similar theoretical construction. A particular attention is paid to the development of clusters in Russia as a one of key elements of regional innovation systems and their interaction with TICs. Finally, a classification of spatial forms of R&D and production organisation with two dimensions is proposed