Science and Innovations

The main scientific potential of the country is concentrated in Moscow. About 250,000 science officers, constituting a third of all science officers in the country, work in the capital and capital region. There are 11,000 doctors of sciences and 33,000 candidates of medical sciences (Masters of Arts in Medical Sciences) among them. In addition, more than one million students and about 50,000 post-graduate students study in Moscow. About 67 percent of the scientific experts of Moscow are involved in the sphere of business sciences; about 26 percent are involved in the state scientific institution; and about 7 percent are involved in higher education. The Program of Applied Scientific Researches and Projects in the interests of the city of Moscow during the period from 2006 through 2008 is on-going in Moscow and is directed to developing the scientific, technical, and innovative potential of the capital.

The structure of financing the Moscow science program does not differ from the general financing program of the country: 15.8 percent of available funds are allocated to basic research, 15.2 percent is allocated to applied sciences, and 68.9 percent is allocated to developmental design, 1 percent is allocated to the rest needs and expenses. More than 60 percent of the funds come from state budgetary financing, more than 24 percent comes from business, more than 10 percent comes from foreign investments, and approximately 2 percent comes from off-budget sources. The share allocated to Moscow prevails in many aspects of budgetary financing. Moscow advances other regions of the country in the innovative sphere on the average of 10—15 percent. Among the innovative enterprises of the city, 40 percent have their own scientific divisions and scientific researches and workings out are performed at 44 percent of the enterprises. The sector of high school science has become one of the most advanced in the innovative system of the capital, uniting in it functions of research and design, industrial introduction and preparation of scientific staff.

Development of the scientific sphere of the Moscow region is carried out according to FCP (Federal Special-purpose Program) «Researches and workings out in perspective directions of development of the scientifically-technological complex of Russia for 2007—2012.» The measures undertaken by the Government of Moscow play an important stimulating role in science development, among which are financing research and developmental works on a competitive basis in the form of grants, support of commercialization of scientific workings out in the form of creation of small enterprises focused upon the introduction of innovations, financing the creation of pre-production models and models, assisting the enterprises in attracting off-budget financing, financing on a competitive basis complex projects in which the participants are the firm-developer and production company at the same time, and transferring rights to use the results of scientific and technical activity to the small innovative enterprises.

The policy of large-scale innovative development is carried out by the Government of Moscow according to «The Complex Program of Innovations in the City of Moscow for 2008—2010.» The program provides conditions for the accelerated development of the capital’s economy on the basis of innovative components, the development of manufacture of hi-tech production, and its advancement at the internal and external markets. Formation of corresponding innovative chains is promoted in every possible way by such organizations as the Department of Support and Development of Small Business of Moscow, the Fund of Assistance to the Development of Small Forms of the Enterprises in the Scientific and Technical Sphere, and the Russian Fund of Technological Development. The Government of Moscow pays special attention to the development of the private-state partnership when the innovative workings out financed for the state account move ahead on the market at the expense of means of private enterprises.

A similar partnership develops most actively in science cities and technoparks, in which there is concentrated the large scientific and technical potential in the most advanced directions of science, such as nuclear, aerospace research, research in the area of automatics and instrument making, electronics, and biology. With the Moscow region are located cities that have applied for and already received the official status of a science city, such as Dubna, Zhukovskiy, Korolev, Pushchino, Reutov, Troitsk and Fryazino, Chernogolovka, Dolgoprudniy, Protvino and others.

A great variety of technoparks rent laboratory and floor spaces on favorable terms, promoting the advancement of innovative projects. These parks include the scientific park of the Moscow State University, the technopark on the basis of the Kurchatovskшy Institute, the technopark of Zelenograd on the basis of MIET, and the MEFI technopark. Conditions are created on the scientific platforms of these establishments for the expansion of activity of small scientific personnel, which, in process of development, then move to the industrial zones of the city of Moscow.

The venture funds that solve a problem of crediting innovative projects help to promote the development of innovative activity. The main principle of such funds is an individual share in the created innovative manufactures. With the assistance of the Department of Support and Development of Small Business of the Government of Moscow, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation and of some private enterprises, the Moscow Venture Fund and the PIF «Regional Venture Fund of Investments into Small Enterprises in Scientific and Technical Sphere of the City of Moscow» have been created. Currently, industrial and production special economic zones are being formed technically and implemented as experimental platforms for the formation of an innovative policy and the acquisition of necessary innovative experience in the country. Two of them are located in the Moscow region, the technical—implementation zones in Zelenograd (Moscow) and Dubna (Moscow Region).

The capital is the main center of inter-regional and international scientific, technical and economic cooperation. This activity is regulated by the agreements of the Government of Moscow with regions of the Russian Federation and the CIS countries on economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation. Regional innovative systems can provide economic stability and competitiveness at the expense of regional industrial and resource specialization. Moscow actively promotes formation of the regional innovative policy and creation of innovative complexes. The State Unitary Enterprise «Moscow Industrial-Shopping Centre of Integration and Development» (МPTCIR) actively participates in work with regions in which the structure of thirty regions of Russia and the CIS countries are presented. The Department of Science and Industrial Policy of the city of Moscow actively promotes their work, in particular, participation in exhibition events.

The important challenge is coordinating the regional acts concerning scientific and innovative spheres with federal certificates, including the bases of the policy of the Russian Federation in the field of developing science and technologies for the period through 2010 and the further prospect and basic direction of the policy of the Russian Federation in the field of developing an innovative system for the same period, where the transition to innovative development of the country is defined as the main objective of the state policy in the field of science and technologies.