Margarita A. Afonasova
Currently, the business and investment climate for conducting high-tech business in Russian regions remains extremely difficult. This paper outlines the main barriers on the way of digitalization of economy and entrepreneurship in particular. As an example, dynamics of manufacturing industries in the Russian Federation for 2016-2018 was analyzed. Special attention is paid to the prospects of digital transformation of regional economic systems. The causes of interregional divergence are revealed. The main factors contributing to the convergent development of regions in the conditions of economic instability and new challenges of the external entrepreneurship environment are investigated. The use of the concept of convergent development of the regions aimed at overcoming territorial disintegration and regional inequality is substantiated. Long-term investments are regarded as a stimulating factor for application of innovative technologies in competitive economic market. The authors propose effective institutional and regulatory measures aimed at the shaping the conditions for entrepreneurship learning, future transition to a digital economy and moving the entrepreneurship onto the path of steady growth.