The Research Institute of Economics is a structural unit of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Business and Law of the Kutaisi University, which carries out the study of economic problems and scientific-research activities. The research institute was established in November 2021, when its statute was approved by the order of the university rector No. Dz-173. The institute began its active activities in November 2022, after the appointment of the head. Prior to that, since 2010, the scientific-analytical center of economic problems was functioning at Kutaisi University, which was headed by Professor Nikoloz Chikhladze.

The aim of the institute's activity is to take care of the development of research in the direction of economic problems and to ensure the involvement of qualified researchers in the field in university processes, to establish an effective system for promoting innovative research activities and to share the best research practices in cooperation with local and international partners.

The functions of the institute are:

• organization of scientific-research activities focused on modern knowledge and quality in the university;
• support for fundamental and applied research in the direction of generating and sharing new knowledge;
• promoting and encouraging the involvement of university academic staff and students in research;
• promotion of organization of international conferences, seminars, webinars, workshops, symposiums;
• In order to popularize the results of research, establishing contacts with foreign universities, organizations and the business sector in close cooperation with the relevant structural units of the university;
• promoting the integration of research results in the educational process together with the faculty;
• stimulating the practical application of research methods and skills to students with the faculty;
• Based on the evaluation of the scientific-research potential of the personnel provided by the center for the promotion of scientific-research activities and the reports on researching the research directions in demand in the society, taking into account the mission and strategy of the university, determining the research priorities and presenting them to the faculty council.

The institute carries out the following activities:

• conducts seminars, discussions, conferences, training courses, presentations, competitions and various activities;
• cooperates with various public organizations, governmental structures, international and local organizations;
• participates in projects and competitions, acts as the initiator of projects and competitions;
• cooperates with educational and scientific-research institutions of different countries;
• brings scientists-researchers and professors-teachers from different countries and organizes their presentations and lectures at seminars at the university;
• publishes a scientific journal and thematic collections on economic and business issues, both in print and electronic form;
• translates and publishes foreign textbooks on business, economic and social issues into Georgian;
• It helps the academic staff and students of the university to get involved in ongoing scientific research as well as research grant projects, local and international conferences and various scientific research events.

The following research priorities have been approved by the Faculty of Social Sciences, Business and Law on the proposal of the Research Institute of Economics:

• Regional economy: growth, development, environmental issues and changes;
• Behavioral economics (within microeconomics): the role and influence of psychological, emotional, social and cognitive factors on the decision-making process;
• Economic development: human resources, human development, income distribution, migration.