DIGITAL MATURITY IN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: THE CASE OF THE KOMI REPUBLIC

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Tatyana V. Tikhonova

Institute of Socio-Economic and Energy Problems of the North, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar, Russia, tikhonova@iespn.komisc.ru, ORCID 0000-0002-2912-1696

 

Abstract. Digital transformation is underway across all sectors of the Russian economy. This study aims to assess the level of digital adoption among waste management facilities and the region’s readiness to adapt to the digital transformation of municipal solid waste (MSW) management. The research objectives include evaluating the level of digital maturity, examining the outcomes and effects of digitalization, and developing recommendations to promote the more effective use of digital technologies. The study focuses on the MSW management sector in the Komi Republic. The study’s novelty lies in assessing both the opportunities and constraints of digital development in the regional waste management sector as a means of reducing systemic instability. The findings reveal substantial variation in digital maturity among facilities and demonstrate the positive effects of digital technologies, including improved waste collection performance, better landfill management, and enhanced monitoring of waste collection and transportation processes. An expert survey conducted using the author’s questionnaire identified key barriers to digitalization, including weak information security, negative prior experiences with digital technologies, regulatory constraints affecting the use of domestic technological solutions, limited internet connectivity in remote areas, insufficient technical skills, and lack of interest from businesses. Opportunities for advancing digital transformation lie in the adoption of analytical tools, particularly modeling approaches for optimizing waste collection, transportation, and recycling systems. The practical contribution of the study lies in diagnosing the current state of digitalization and identifying the sector’s demand for digital technologies. Future research will involve surveying businesses engaged in the collection and processing of secondary raw materials to define concrete steps for the targeted implementation of digital transformation strategies.

Keywords: digital maturity, municipal solid waste, digital transformation, digitalization, Komi Republic, digital technologies

Acknowledgments: This research was carried out within the framework of the state-funded project “Digital Bioeconomy of a Northern Region: Approaches and Directions” (state registration no. 124012700509-1).

For citation: Tikhonova T. V. Digital maturity in municipal solid waste management: The case of the Komi Republic. Sever i rynok: formirovanie ekonomicheskogo poryadka [The North and the Market: Forming the Economic Order], 2026, no. 1,  pp. 182-194. doi:10.37614/2220-802X.1.2026.91.013.

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