FORMATION OF AGRO-INDUSTRIAL CLUSTER ON THE PRIORITY SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AREA OF THE MONO-INDUSTRY TOWN

Issues on the development of mono-industry towns in Russia through diversification of economics thereof may be addressed by formation of the priority social and economic development area (PSEDA). By the results of analysis of conditions to create intraregional (municipal) industrial clusters within the PSEDA mono-industry towns, the feasibility of such clusters is justified to turn into the priority residents of PSEDA, but also to obtain the synergistic effect of taking PSEDA advantages and the cluster approach in diversifying the economies of mono- industry towns. In contrast to previous definitions, the authors consider the intraregional (municipal) industrial cluster as the concept created with favorable involvement of regional and municipal authorities to develop the cluster strategy and use favorable conditions to expand private enterprises, association of entities to implement projects on diversification of mono-industry town economies and investment projects that meet the PSEDA requirements. The principles of PSEDA-based cluster formation in mono-industry towns are formulated. The most significant factors of sustainable development of clusters are highlighted to address mono-town problems. The stage-by-stage creation of municipal clusters proposed by authors is based on their ability to emerge during the extensive market mechanism performance and includes stages to assess the potential to form and develop cluster formations, but also the stages to identify the needs of participating entities in the course of particular interaction, creation and development of entity networks. The analysis of existing agglomerations, systematization of SWOT analysis findings, assessment of factors contributing to cluster formation offered the chance to determine the perspective for the agro-industrial cluster development in Yurga in the Kemerovo Region. The study results represent the particular contribution to the cluster theory, regional economy in terms of development of tools to form municipal industrial clusters within the PSEDA for the purpose to diversify economies of mono-industry towns. The practical significance of the research is the possibility to apply the study results in the activity of regional and municipal authorities when identifying intraregional agglomerations, creating cluster formations as PSEDA mono- town residents.