From smart city to smart region: Case of EU

The authors study the current trend in digital environment - a shift from smart cities to smart regions as a key to a successful economic and social development through digital technologies. To start with, the authors compare different approaches to "smart city"and "smart region"concepts and their elements, which are used to study central case of the discussed issue. Emphasis is placed on the European Union as a pioneer in smart region evolution. To evaluate its devel-opment different rankings, digital projects, initiatives and strategies in the EU are analyzed. The EU case specifics are projected onto the Russian Federation. © 2023 Author(s).