COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CLUSTER POLICY IN ASIA COUNTRIES

Nowadays, the cluster concept is one of the most important tools of the government to enhance competitiveness and innovation through sectoral specialization and cooperation. The article focuses on the application of cluster policy in the territorial context of Asia in order to make a comparison between different approaches to the implementation of the cluster concept in different economic environments. A comparative analysis of cluster policy concepts based on the characteristics of targeting, institutional coordination, and policy instruments studied so far for countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea is presented. The study is based on the processing of secondary data obtained through content analysis of relevant literature, official government documents (reports, programs, plans, and strategies). The results obtained demonstrate the diversity of cluster policy in Asian countries in the context of different historical conditions and at the present stage of their development, but certain features and aspects thereof can be of unconditional interest for Russian practice and can be successfully used by public authorities of other countries to improve national and regional competitiveness on the basis of the cluster approach, among which the author singles out: the use of the cluster approach as the basis for the development of cities of monospecialization; synchronization of the policy of ministries and other institutions to support clusters, and the development of programs for the development of clusters for the long term in a phased implementation of measures to support clusters; using the potential of special economic zones for the formation and improvement of industrial and innovative clusters in the Russian regions, etc.