Аннотация:The complexity of knowledge generation has led to the growth of international networks of scientific cooperation, and integration into these networks is a vital factor of competitiveness. The development of cross-border scientific cooperation pursues two general objectives: firstly, regional development due to the peculiarities of the economic-geographical position, and secondly, economic development by reducing costs and increasing the efficiency of knowledge sharing as a result of a combination of geographical and a-spatial types of proximity. This article focuses on the study of the border cities of Russia in the context of determining their ability to create scientific knowledge, as well as the potential for integration into cross-border scientific cooperation networks. The study uses scientometric methods in combination with qualitative assessments, which made it possible to obtain more holistic ideas about the development trajectory of the scientific space of the Russian borderland. The results of this study showed that the border cities of Russia concentrate significant scientific potential. However, its implementation depends on the population size of the city, the distance from the border and a strong scientific center, the degree of institutional, cognitive, cultural, and other proximity to neighboring cities of the bordering states, and the development level of research in the latter.