Public-private partnership as a mechanism of the Russian Arctic zone's sustainable development

The paper deals with the problem of sustainable development of the Russian Arctic – that is, the development of the region in the context of economic, social and environmental challenges. According to the existing strategic and programming documents, Russia will primarily develop projects in the field of infrastructure, transport and extraction of raw materials, as well as focus on national security issues. This is completely contrary to the concept of sustainable development, which seeks a balance between economic growth, the need to improve the environment and the solution of social problems. The authors identify the most promising industries that can contribute to the sustainable development of the region (in particular, economic growth without aggravation of the environmental and social problems) and analyze the possibilities of stimulating such industries through proven mechanisms of state support, which are widely used in traditional sectors of the economy. According to the authors, public-private partnership will play a crucial role for the sustainable development of the Arctic regions. Special attention is paid to the unique characteristics of the Russian Arctic region, which entail both opportunities (for example, rich natural resources) and restrictions (severe climatic conditions, huge accumulated environmental damage, undeveloped infrastructure, etc.).