2. BACKGROUND. RUSSIAN INNOVATIVE
DEVELOPMENT
KEY CHALLENGE IN TOMSK REGION
RESEARCH FOCUS
RESEARCH STAGES
FINDINGS
RECOMMENDATIONS
CONCLUSION
2

3. THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN places its
stakes on building of innovation infrastructure
for business (it uses income from oil and gas
industry) and stimulation of innovations in
large industrial companies
LONDON
KALUGA REGION
- places its stakes on
attraction of large
European enterprises
and involvement of
small and medium
enterprises (there is no
gas and oil industry in
the region)
KRASNOYARSK REGION
PERM REGION
LIPETSK REGION
THE REPUBLIC
OF MORDOVIA
ULYANOVSK
REGION
SAMARA
REGION
THE REPUBLIC
OF BASHKORTOSTAN
TOMSK REGION - places its stakes on
universities (6 universities) and science
organizations of Siberian Branch of Russian
Academy of Sciences as sources of innovations
(having oil and gas industry at the same time)
NOVOSIBIRSK REGION
ALTAI REGION
IRKUTSK REGION
3

4. FACTS ABOUT INNOVATIONS IN
TOMSK REGION:
•
•
-
15% in Gross Regional Product of
universities, Siberian Branch of
Russian Academy of Sciences in
Tomsk and innovation business
•
KEY CHALLENGE:
The highest concentration of
scientists in the region in Russia
-
1st regional innovation strategy in Russia was launched in
2003 in Tomsk.
In 2010 Administration of Tomsk region in co-operation
with Universities defined priorities of innovation
development.
-
2,4% of domestic R&D costs in
Gross Regional Product
-
Every fifth citizen of Tomsk is a
student
- Low level of commercialization of research results at
Universities and Research Centers though federal and
regional support of R&D is quite essential
- A small amount of new companies, jobs, products and
technologies appeared in priority fields (inconsiderable
rise of income from innovations in the regional budget)
One question appeared in this situation: WHAT WE NEED TO
UNDERTAKE TO BUILD AND ACCELERATE REGIONAL
INNOVATION CLUSTER?
4

5. What research teams conduct R&D in the spheres of energy
efficiency, energy saving, environmental protection and costeffective use of resources?
What is the level of interaction between research teams and local
innovation business?
What kind of support do research teams need from the regional
authorities to increase the efficiency of scientific research and
results of commercialization?
What local key institutions should be established in order to build
and accelerate regional clusters of energy efficiency and resource
saving technologies in Tomsk?
5

6. (retrospective monitoring) includes the data
collection posted for the last two years in regional, federal and
international web-sites devoted to R&D conducted by Tomsk
research teams in the sphere of energy efficiency, energy saving,
environmental protection and cost-effective use of resources
is semi-structured interviews with 77 heads and
participants of research teams of Tomsk universities and
institutions of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of
Sciences
includes discussion of promises and potential of
R&D commercialization together with international and Russian
experts
6

7. WEAKNESSES OF RESEARCH TEAMS:
•
They are distant from the market, companies’ needs (they don’t often take into consideration
business needs and don’t know how to do it)
•
They often conduct “research for the sake of research” and don’t pay attention to
commercialization
•
There are those who are aimed to create a product, but they don’t have funding, other resources
and competence to go through all the stages of innovation process
•
There are difficulties in communication with business, because business show low demand for
R&D results, business from other regions is more interested in them (first sales – outside Tomsk
region)
•
According to the experts researches have been the reflection of science schools evolution since
1950-1960’s: «If we try to characterize the situation in energy efficiency, energy saving,
environmental protection and cost-effective use of resources from the point of view of science,
we can say the following: it’s obvious that R&D being conducted are not breakthroughs.
Researches are the reflection of science schools evolution since 1950-1960’s. All ideas shown
were reviewed in the technical literature of 1950-60’s.
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8. TYPES OF RESEARCH TEAMS:
1. Research teams that conduct research and publish their results in Russian scientific articles in
Russian journals and proceedings
«I am doing researches and commercialization is not my point.»
«Our research group has been working since 1960’s. Young research staff comes gradually. We present results of
our research work in papers, science editions, patents, and we don’t have aim to commercialize research results.
This is not a scientist’s goal.
2. Research teams that generated product or a service based on their research and have a few
successful attempts to commercialize their product but not on the regular basis
«We are ready to commercialize, but we have some difficulties»
«We have a good product that can be perspective on the market. We have some experience in bring it to life that
showed it needs adjusting. But we experience difficulties in finding companies that can invest in product adjustment
and helps to come to the market.
3. «Competence centers» are research teams that have both members who are responsible for
research and those who are responsible for product generation and it’s positioning on the market
«We combined research potential of university laboratory and possibilities of company established.
Our development has made the whole way from idea to the patenting stage, implementation and
serial production . We are currently on the market. We have more than 100 developments. Our team
work both for the company set up by University and for the University as research officers. We do a
research at the University and compete on the market at the company.»
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9. INVENTORY
Priorities in R&D, which can be the
guidelines in putting aims and
identifying sources of new products,
technologies and companies for
Administration of Tomsk region,
Universities and Business, were
defined.
Sector-specific priorities of the R&Ds of research teams
that could be the basis for creation of clusters for energy
saving and cost-effective use of resources are the
following:
• Renewable energy sources and energy storage devices
• Heat power engineering, heat and electric networks
• Rational use of natural resources
• Water purification up to drinking standards
• Elimination (and reduction) of ecological damage
• Biodegradable materials and waste treatment
• Hydrocarbons treatment and reduction of their negative
impact on the environment
• Biotechnologies for ecosystem support and restoration
• Comprehensive monitoring, prediction of environmental
state and the Earth surface
9

10. What research teams conduct the R&D in the sphere of energy
efficiency, energy saving, environmental protection and costeffective use of resources?
What is the level of interaction between research teams and local
innovation business?
What kind of support do research teams need from the regional
authorities to increase the efficiency of scientific research and their
results commercialization?
What local key institutions should be established in order to build
and accelerate regional clusters of energy efficiency and resource
saving technologies in Tomsk?
10

11. Create platform for researchers communication
Create platform for communication of Tomsk regional authorities,
researchers and business
Create a system which informs Triple helix participants about
conducted researches.
Create a Demonstration center of energy saving and effective use
of resources technologies [implemented at present]
Create specialized technology transfer centers oriented on
priorities in the universities [in development at present]
11

12. TO BUILD REGIONAL INNOVATION CLUSTER WE NEED:
•
•
•
•
•
•
To constantly improve instruments for cooperation between universities, government and business
To Create of different instruments to support research groups of different types, defining the role of
each in the cluster
To Define the concrete research directions to increase the efficiency of research groups support
To enhance responsibilities of research groups instead of support
To get support of research groups from the regional authorities to build up communication with
business
To debug the system which inform Triple Helix participants about the list of R&Ds, Russian and
international review of research results to improve efficiency of targeted funding. Lack of such
system slows down the cluster development process.
•
Next step is to conduct research how business perceives Universities and government in the
process of regional innovation cluster development.
12