STUDY OF REGIONAL ASPECTS OF INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY OF DOMESTIC                                       SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES 

Sherstobitova Tat'yana Ivanovna, Candidate of economic sciences, associate professor, sub-department of marketing, commerce and service, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), em@pnzgu.ru
Pateeva Yuliya Rastyamovna, Master degree student, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), em@pnzgu.ru

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Background. The low innovation activity of Russian enterprises, especially in small business, is still one of the most vital problems, because it defines the national economy’s development strategy. The factors causing the regional aspect of enterprises’ innovative activity are of particular interest. The purpose of this paper is to study these factors in the context of the two groups of companies - the metropolitan (Moscow and St. Petersburg) and regional (Penza, Saransk, etc.) and to determine the characteristics of their development.
Materials and methods. The study was conducted by absentee survey. The responses from 46 respondents were received. They were divided into two groups (A and B, respectively) – the metropolitan (Moscow, St. Petersburg) and regional (Penza, Saransk, Tomsk), so we can analyze the regional aspects of innovative activity. The study’s subjects were enterprises engaged in innovation. The vast majority of the samples are represented by small and medium enterprises. We offered to fill the form to the decision makers, heads of technical departments, senior managers responsible for technological developmentand innovation.
Results. A comparative analysis of the innovation activity of capital and regional small businesses revealed some differences in innovative incentives for the two groups. Among the various factors that influence the innovative activity of companies, was found the particular importance of effective communication with investors, state agencies, consumers.
Conclusions. There are some differences in the implementation of innovative activity by metropolitan and regional businesses relating to the nature of innovation, investment sources, evaluation of the results of the innovation. As the motivating factors for regional innovation enterprises were identified mainly technological factors (capacity utilization, technological obsolescence), while for the metropolitan businesses – financial factors (increased profitability). This fact determines the differences in the innovative goals and directions of metropolitan and regional businesses.

innovation, small innovative enterprises, factors stimulating innovation, the regional aspect.

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