Managing the digital transformation of creative industries to ensure the economic sovereignty of Russia: Problems and prospects in the Northwestern Federal District

Aim. The work aimed to develop recommendations for managing the digital transformation of creative industries using the example of the entities of the Northwestern Federal District (NWFD) based on the results of analyzing the readiness of their digital infrastructure for digital transformation for sustainable development and ensuring the economic sovereignty of Russia. Objectives. The work seeks to justify the need and timeliness of creating digital transformation management processes that ensure the development of creative industries; to compile profiles of digital infrastructure readiness for digital transformation of creative industries using the Northwestern Federal District entities as an example, which can be used to determine promising areas for their development; to identify the specific aspects of creative industries formation in the Northwestern Federal District entities; to prove the existence of a close connection between the level of digital infrastructure readiness and the level of creative industries development; to develop recommendations for managing the digital transformation of creative industries to draft proposals for inclusion in regional strategies for their sustainable development and ensuring economic sovereignty of Russia. Methods. The methodological framework includes methods of general scientific analysis based on a literature review, generalization and application of the experience of expert specialists, as well as special methods of economic research, including methods of formalized presentation using economic and mathematical models to study relationships. Results. Recommendations have been developed for managing the digital transformation of creative industries based on readiness of the digital infrastructure in the entities under consideration, which may be useful for preparing proposals for their subsequent inclusion in regional strategies for the development of creative industries. The authors have compiled profiles of the digital infrastructure readiness of the Northwestern Federal District entities for the digital transformation of creative industries, which enable to determine promising fields for their development. The work presents the consolidated results of the analysis of the digital infrastructure readiness of these subjects by the end of 2023. It also substantiates the fact that the increase in the digital infrastructure readiness level is closely related to the development of creative industries in the Northwestern Federal District. The differences in the level of readiness of the Northwestern Federal District entities for digital transformation are analyzed, and corresponding recommendations are given for managing the digital transformation of creative industries for their sustainable development and ensuring the economic sovereignty of Russia. Conclusions. According to the analysis results of the digital infrastructure readiness of the Northwestern Federal District entities, the leaders in 2023 were St. Petersburg, Leningrad and Novgorod regions, which were found to have a high level of the digital infrastructure readiness for the development of creative industries. There is an average level of digital infrastructure readiness in the Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Pskov, Vologda and Arkhangelsk regions, while creative industries are being actively developed in these regions. The Republic of Karelia and the Komi Republic, as well as the Nenets Autonomous District, have a low level of digital infrastructure readiness for digital business transformation in the Northwestern Federal District. A close relationship between the digital infrastructure readiness level and the level of development of creative industries in the Northwestern Federal District entities has been studied and identified. Recommendations have been developed for managing the digital transformation of creative industries, taking into account modern trends in the development of digital technologies, to prepare proposals for inclusion in regional strategies using the example of Northwestern Federal District entities for sustainable development and ensuring the economic sovereignty of Russia.