The subject of this research is the peculiarities of innovation potential of student youth and working youth of the industrial regions of Russia. The article examines the means of sociological cognition of innovation problematic within its subject field. Comparative analysis is conducted on the structure of innovation potential of student youth and working youth in the regional context. Methodological framework is comprised of community and environmental approaches. The empirical base contains the results of survey among the student youth (2019, N=1828) and working youth (2018, N=1078) from sixth industrial regions of the Russian Federation - Republic of Bashkortostan, Volgograd Oblast, Kaluga Oblast, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Perm Krai, and Krasnoyarsk Krai. The scientific novelty consists in proposed by the authors research strategy - Complementarity in Mixed Methods Research. Methodological complementarity of the community and environmental approaches along with the four empirical models within the structure of innovation potential (intentional, alternative, resource, and up-to-date) allowed viewing the innovation potential of student youth and working youth in the context of dialectics of common and special. Contradiction was detected between the subjective and environmental characteristics of innovation potential of the youth. Current state of educational and industrial environment of the agents of innovative development devaluates the high intentional and achieved level of innovation potential of student youth and working youth.