GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE: GROWING RISKS

In recent decades the spectacular progress in the transport and communication technologies radically changed the world economy. First of all, the global transport-communication infrastructure was formed by consolidation of transport branches, communication services (including telecom), value-added information networks and affiliated companies. From the functional point of view, the global infrastructure embraces logistic chains which unite the most advanced industrial enterprises by securing material and information flows. The article explains that such logistic chains formed a very complicated and vast network that consolidates the enterprises into some sort of quasi-monopolies. This means the emergence of globally integrated work process - from the very initial, further movement to enterprises of semi-produced items, later the output of ready-to-consume merchandises at final factories and the delivery to consumers. So, this process is developing inside the single system which is self-sufficient in its whole function and is virtually closed to any serious external intrusion. The system logistic quasimonopoly is not ready to adopt into its structure any new partners and is strongly hostile to competition. As a result, the outsiders have to work on markets under unique conditions when the prevailing part of the producing processes is concentrated within the semi-closed, quasi-monopolized structures. Such a situation on the markets became for many small and even middle countries practically hopeless. Baltic republics, Greece, Hungary and the Ukraine are losers. This indicates some other negative consequences that are arising. The article contains conclusion and recommendation to protect Russian interests.