Innovative potential of a region and the efficiency of its use

 The interest in the topic of innovative development of regions has increased in recent years. The main condition for building an economy based on innovation is the presence of innovative potential as a set of opportunities in innovation. At the same time, it is not only the innovative potential important itself, but it is also important the effectiveness of its use. Thus, the problem of increasing of the innovative potential of the region and the effectiveness of its use is relevant, and this fact led to the choice of research direction, the results of which are presented in this work. Modern research of innovative potential is mainly associated with the development of its theoretical aspects and the methods of its evaluation. There is a growing interest in the concept of "knowledge economy", and in the question of the ensuring of the sustainability and security of regional development now, so in connection with it the works at the intersection of these problems and the problem of formation and development of innovative potential appear. It should be noted that in the scientific literature and in practice, the problem of assessing and improving of the efficiency of the innovative potential of regions is given relatively little attention, and therefore this area of research has novelty and is of scientific and practical importance. So, the purpose of this study was to determine the directions of increasing of the innovative potential of the regions and the effectiveness of its use, in particular, on the example of the regions of the Republic of Belarus. In the course of the study, such methods as the analysis of scientific literature, legislation, statistical research data; analysis and synthesis; tabular and graphical methods of data visualization and others were used. The result of this study is the development of conceptual directions and practical recommendations of improving of the innovative potential of the regions of the Republic of Belarus and the effectiveness of its use. The results of the study can be of scientific, theoretical and practical interest and can be used by regional governments in the process of making of informed management decisions in the field of innovation. The implementation of the measures of improving of the efficiency of the innovative potential of the regions will contribute to their socio-economic development.