The article presents key results of the annual survey of heads of Vologda Oblast industrial enterprises, conducted by the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science “Vologda Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences” since 1993 and addressed to the main regional producers. The current research stage was carried out in the first half of 2018, the sample size was 220 industrial enterprises – the largest players in relevant industries of the region. 54 respondents participated in the survey directly. The work is aimed at determining a current state of the industry as one of the key sectors in regional economy. We paid special attention to investment and innovation aspects and institutional environment impact on development of the industrial segment and quality of interaction between its subjects and regional authorities. Accordingly, the Vologda Oblast industrial enterprises are a research object and the results of their economic activity are a subject. The information base consists of the data from questionnaires and domestic scientists’ works devoted to the functioning of enterprises and a nature of emerging problems in the industry and the development of promising areas of industrial growth stabilization and activation. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the identification of problems in regional industrial development on the basis of opinions shared by representatives of the real sector of the economy. According to the received answers, the regional industry is characterized by an insufficient investment growth component and low innovative activity. The industrial segment development is accompanied by inert crisis phenomena and there are often no positive changes in the performance of enterprises. The work results can be used to improve forms, methods and tools for managing regional development
Keywords
region, regional economy, innovation, investment, economy, industry, economic policy, development factors, survey