For citation:
Latov, Yu. V., & Kapoguzov, E. A. (2026). Institutional Factors of Russia’s Technological (In)Dependence in the Modern World-System. AlterEconomics, 23(3), 521–547. https://doi.org/10.31063/AlterEconomics/2026.23-3.1
Abstract:
The article examines contemporary discourse on national technological sovereignty through the lens of world-systems theory. It reviews existing approaches, identifies gaps in the literature, and conceptualizes the struggle for technological sovereignty as competition between nation-states within the capitalist world-system. The analysis draws on comparative studies of scholarly approaches and national economic development models from the 19th to the 21st centuries, with particular attention to the institutional conditions shaping Russia’s technological independence. The study clarifies the concept of technological sovereignty by distinguishing between its positive and negative dimensions. The positive dimension refers to a country’s ability to independently pursue comprehensive high-tech development, including innovative breakthroughs, while the negative dimension refers to the absence of critical dependence on other countries in high technologies. From the perspective of world-systems theory, Russia’s post-2022 policies can be interpreted as an attempt to restructure its position in the global economy and reduce dependence on the technological dominance of core countries. The renewed focus on technological sovereignty since the 2010s is linked both to Russia’s aspirations to strengthen its position in the world-system and to broader changes in the global hierarchy of states. The study argues that Russia’s long-term technological strategy will depend partly on the emerging structure of the world system, including whether global leadership shifts toward another dominant power or a more polycentric system develops.
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