PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AND THE DEVELOPMENT  OF SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC

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Ekaterina E. Toropushina

Luzin Institute for Economic Studies of the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Apatity, Russia,  e.toropushina@ksc.ru, ORCID 0000-0002-5263-2902

Abstract. For many years, different forms of cooperation between government, the private sector, and society have played an important role in Russia’s development. Public–private partnerships (PPPs) are among the key mechanisms that expand the government’s capacity to address social development challenges. Given the limited financial, technological, and innovative resources of the public sector, PPPs help advance projects aimed at reconstructing and creating social infrastructure, which is vital for the Arctic, where access to healthcare, education, cultural institutions, and sports facilities remains inadequate. This article contributes to the study of PPPs in the social sphere of the Russian Arctic and broadens existing knowledge in this field. The aim of the research is to identify the main trends in the development of social-sector PPPs in the Russian Arctic and to outline the key problems and opportunities for improving public administration in this area. The study employs content analysis as well as logical and comparative methods. The findings show that social-sector PPPs remain underdeveloped across the Russian Arctic. Although some experience in project implementation exists, social infrastructure development occupies only a marginal position in the PPP market. Addressing these issues will require differentiated mechanisms of government support, continuous refinement of incentives and benefits, the introduction of new financing tools for social projects, and the wider dissemination of best practices in PPP management. The practical significance of this study lies in the potential application of its findings to public administration and the regulation of PPPs aimed at developing social infrastructure in the Russian Arctic and in Russia more broadly. Future research will include a more in-depth examination of international PPP experience, the identification of best practices for social project implementation in the Russian Arctic, and a detailed comparison of PPPs with traditional public procurement.

Keywords: social infrastructure, public-private partnership, concession, project, Russian Arctic

Acknowledgments: This article is based on the research conducted at the Luzin Institute for Economic Studies of the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences under Project No. 123012500053-2 titled “The Scientific Foundations of Social Development Management In Russia’s Arctic Regions Amid Emerging Global Challenges”.

For citation: Toropushina E. E. Public-private partnerships and the development of social infrastructure in the Russian Arctic. Sever i rynok: formirovanie ekonomicheskogo poryadka [The North and the Market: Forming the Economic Order], 2025,  no. 4, pp. 7–22. doi:10.37614/2220-802X.4.2025.90.001.

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