Assessment of the Level of Digitalization of Russian Regions Under Conditions of Socio-economic Uncertainty

The paper aims to identify the peculiarities of the digital development of Russian regions in terms of socio-economic uncertainty and determine the vector of regional policy to ensure accelerated digitalization of territories. The authors analyzed the main indicators of digital development households, organizations, and public authorities of Russian regions in the pre-pandemic period compared to the period of an active course of the pandemic, as well as at the stage of military and political instability. The research identifies Russian regions where digital development processes accelerated during the period of social and economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as regions where digitalization limitations became evident. The analysis allowed the authors to conclude about the multidirectional influence of socio-economic uncertainty on the course of digital development processes in Russian regions. On the one hand, the transformation in consumer behavior and the new external conditions of socio-economic uncertainty during the pandemic led to an accelerated digitalization of regional economic systems. On the other hand, the socio-economic uncertainty of 2020 has caused dramatic changes in the implemented business models, formats of organizations, and the nature of employment, which manifested itself in the reduction of most indicators of digital development of organizations in 2020. For each selected group of Russian regions, the authors proposed state policy measures in the field of digital development, which is supportive and accelerated in nature. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Long-Term Effects of COVID-19: How the Pandemic Highlighted the Global Digital Divide

The article is a study of the prerequisites for the formation of the global digital divide, as well as its structural features, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors identify technological, economic and social components of the global digital divide. The authors analyze the indicators assessing the technological component of the global digital divide for the period 2015–2020. The authors used indicators of the dynamics of the global ICT market and the dynamics of the e-commerce market to study the economic component of the digital divide and the impact of the pandemic on it. It is concluded that the pandemic has increased the importance of digital technologies in general, as well as opportunities to reduce the global digital divide. The social component of the digital divide is manifested in the different levels of realization of the opportunities of individuals and households with the help of ICT technologies. The authors proved that the gap in access to digital technologies and their use contributes to the emergence of a divide in knowledge and human development opportunities. The article proposes public policy measures aimed at bridging the global digital divide. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.