orld cities in the system of foreign economic cooperation: state of the art, current trends

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the role of «world cities» in the system of foreign economic cooperation at the present stage. The relevance of the topic is due to the increasing importance of the largest megacities as key nodes of global economic networks in the context of intensification of international economic relations. The purpose of the study is to identify the main trends and patterns characterizing the participation of «world cities» in cross-border economic interactions. The work uses a set of complementary methods, including comparative analysis of statistical data, case studies of individual megacities, as well as an expert survey of representatives of the business community and municipal administrations. The empirical base consists of materials from international organizations, analytical reports from consulting companies, and publications in specialized publications. It has been established that the competitive advantages of «world cities» are increasingly determined not so much by traditional factors (market size, infrastructure) as by innovative potential, the development of the service sector, and the effectiveness of urban management. New forms of foreign economic activity of megacities have been identified - the formation of cross-border metroregions, the clustering of knowledge-intensive industries, the formation of global «value chains». It is shown that in the future, the competitiveness of «world cities» will depend on their ability to generate unique competencies and act as platforms for international cooperation. It is concluded that it is necessary to adjust the development strategies of the largest megacities taking into account global challenges. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using its results in the development of programs to increase the foreign economic potential of cities. Further development of the topic involves comparative studies of specific practices and mechanisms of integration of megacities into the global economic space.