Ten Steps to Innovatize Russia
10 main innovative events of 2012
The Center for the Study of Regional Problems has compiled a rating of 10 key events in the field of innovation in 2012. It was compiled on the basis of a survey of 50 experts – managers of the largest innovative companies, as well as high-tech market analysts.
Experts called Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) the most significant event of the year. The interviewed experts agreed that joining the WTO will bring tangible benefits to the Russian high–tech industry - the reduction of customs duties will make the most modern construction, scientific and measuring equipment more accessible. Experts also expect that joining the WTO will simplify the exchange of engineering samples between Russian and foreign research centers, as well as make it easier for domestic manufacturers of innovative products to enter international markets.
The Moscow International Forum "Open Innovations", organized by the leading Russian development institutions – Vnesheconombank, the Russian Venture Company, RUSNANO and the Skolkovo Foundation, took the second place in the rating. Experts note that the Forum brought together representatives of government, business and science on one platform, whose activities are related to the development of the innovative economy in Russia. The interviewed experts are sure that the need to coordinate the actions of all participants in this process is long overdue. The program events of the Forum were attended by more than 5 thousand people.
Legislative initiatives of the government are in the third place of the rating. In the spring of this year, the President issued a package of decrees ("On long-term state economic policy", "On measures to implement state policy in the field of education and science", etc.) aimed at supporting the innovative sector of the economy. Among the instructions are the creation of 25 million high–performance jobs by 2020 and an increase in the total funding of state scientific funds to 25 billion rubles.
Experts awarded the fourth place to the adoption of the law on the creation of the Advanced Research Foundation (FPI), an analogue of the American defense agency DARPA. The Foundation is established in the form of a non-profit organization supporting research projects in the military-technical sphere. The ideologist of its creation is Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, a well–known and consistent lobbyist of the Russian defense industry. Most of the experts interviewed agree that such a fund will be useful, since the Russian military industry still has a high scientific potential.
In fifth place is the creation of a register of innovative products, technologies and services recommended for use in Russia. Any Russian innovative company or individual entrepreneur can get into the register – of course, after the application passes the examination. According to the experts interviewed by the rating compilers, the registry can help Russian manufacturers find their consumers, because buyers may simply not guess about the existence of many innovative products.
Experts called the creation of the New Technologies Foundation the sixth most important event. The fund with a volume of 4 billion rubles was organized by Rostechnologies together with a Russian venture company. Within 10 years, its creators plan to finance more than 200 projects. The experts who took part in compiling the rating called the fund being created one of the few examples of real interaction between Russian development institutions.
Experts give the seventh place to an event in the field of education – the first set of teaching staff at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology. This step will allow Skoltech to launch modern educational programs in such areas as information technology, energy and biotechnology.
In eighth place is the initiative of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives to create a National System of Competencies and Qualifications (NSCC). The task of the project is to compare the existing vocational training programs in universities with the requests of employers. According to the experts interviewed, the system will allow the state to figure out which personnel the country's economy lacks the most.
The ninth line of the rating is occupied by the creation of the IPOboard electronic system on the MICEX exchange. IPOboard is the country's first web–platform for attracting investments by non-public companies of the innovative sector of the economy. The rating compilers emphasize that the new platform is able to significantly reduce the barriers that Russian innovative companies face when entering an IPO.
In tenth place is the statement of the Moscow government about its intention to direct up to 20% of the state order to innovative products and technologies. The relevant bill is currently being developed by the Moscow Department of Science and Industrial Policy. Experts are sure that Russian hi–tech manufacturers will definitely benefit from this.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru20.12.2012