Innovative "postscript"

Why the call for modernization has no effect
Alexander Brechalov, Forbes.ruTo whom is the President's call for an innovative turn of the economy addressed?

It seems that in some regions it is turned to emptiness, as if someone shouted "Ow!" loudly in the forest.

Money has been allocated under the innovative cry, and officials somehow need to master them. I will quote an absolutely specific regional official: "There is a plan, by such and such a date it is necessary to report on innovations. But I don't even have anyone to take the information for the report from." We have a question in the "Support of Russia": maybe, after all, before launching a mega-program, it is worth figuring out in which regions stimulating innovation would be relevant, in which area and in what volumes?

Together with Rosnanotech — thanks to Chubais, he once again proved himself to be an effective manager — we conducted a study on how things are with innovations in the regions. Its presentation will take place on March 23 in Moscow at the forum "Competing for the future today", which is held on the initiative of the "Support of Russia". I cannot disclose the figures yet, but it is clear from the interim results that there is a huge gap between what I would like to see and what is in reality. As in many other areas of our life.

It should be understood that in the Krasnodar Territory, in the Stavropol Region, in Rostov and, say, in the Tomsk region, the conditions for innovation are completely different. You can't sow everything that grows in the Krasnodar Territory in Tomsk, and you don't have to wait for a breakthrough in nanotechnology from Krasnodar. As with many other cities in the south, where agriculture, tourism and the food industry have traditionally developed — historically, people here are focused on these industries, they have such a mentality.

So, maybe it makes sense to focus regions on innovations in the industries to which they are predisposed, which they have been developing for decades? And, most importantly, there is a place to move in these areas. In the Rostov region, for example, there is an entrepreneur Yuri Roshkovan. He bought a collapsed collective farm in 2001, bought new equipment, introduced the Canadian technology of zero tillage "no till", when the remnants of previous crops are not removed from the field in autumn. This technology immediately reduces the cost of production (machinery and fuel are needed much less), and the soil is more protected from water and wind erosion, and time is freed up for other areas (Roshkovan, for example, is now not only engaged in agriculture, but also processing — bought popcorn production machines). He has a profitable farm, which in itself is a rarity. This is an example of how, using innovative methods, it is possible to achieve concrete results in any industry. This is a matter of knowledge and approach — you need to understand what to direct efforts to.

The idea to stimulate innovation is good. But our trouble is that unlike a business where, before investing money, they write a detailed business plan, decisions are made differently. So much money is being buried ineffectively that it becomes sad. As a result, officials draw a plan to report on abstract innovations. They come up with some round tables, hold forums, where university teachers come, having no idea about the innovative approach. But you can report back: who was present, what issues were discussed, what resolution was adopted, what plans were outlined. Unfortunately, we still live according to the scheme: the call is given, we need to work out.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru16.02.2011