Emelyanenko Alina V.

The study highlights the importance of creating thorough instruments for comparing the efficacy of regional innovation policies, a subject that is especially pertinent when incorporating new regions into national economic spaces. The author proposes the formalization index for the intellectual property support. This specific composite indicator aggregates key parameters of the institutional environment, including the existence of specialized legislation, subsidy programs, infrastructure (such as the Center for the Promotion of Intellectual Property), and agreements with the federal authority (Rospatent). The index was tested using six regions of Russia with different levels of innovation development, as well as the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). The study conducted a correlation analysis to examine the relationship between the formalization index and the innovation activity coefficient. The results revealed a strong positive correlation (r = +0.72) along with a threshold effect. A significant increase in innovation activity was observed when the formalization index surpassed a value of 0.6. The author identified an «institutional paradox» in the Donetsk People’s Republic: scientific potential exists alongside an extremely low level of institutional support and, subsequently, commercialization. The formalization index is proposed as a valuable instrument for identifying problem areas and developing targeted regional policy measures.