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BACKGROUND. RUSSIAN INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT

KEY CHALLENGE IN TOMSK REGION

RESEARCH FOCUS

RESEARCH STAGES

FINDINGS

RECOMMENDATIONS

CONCLUSION

LONDON

IRKUTSK REGION

KRASNOYARSK REGION

PERM REGION

LIPETSK REGION

THE REPUBLICOF MORDOVIA

ULYANOVSKREGION

THE REPUBLIC OF BASHKORTOSTAN

NOVOSIBIRSK REGION

ALTAI REGION

SAMARAREGION

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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)

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 companiesKALUGA 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)

• 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.

• KEY CHALLENGE:

- 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?

FACTS ABOUT INNOVATIONS IN TOMSK REGION:

- The highest concentration of scientists in the region in Russia

- 15% in Gross Regional Product of universities, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences in Tomsk and innovation business

- 2,4% of domestic R&D costs in Gross Regional Product

- Every fifth citizen of Tomsk is a student

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What research teams conduct R&D in the spheres of energy efficiency, energy saving, environmental protection and cost-effective 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?

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(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

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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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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.»

TYPES OF RESEARCH TEAMS:

Sector-specific priorities of the R&Ds of research teamsthat 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

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.

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INVENTORY

What research teams conduct the R&D in the sphere of energy efficiency, energy saving, environmental protection and cost-effective 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?

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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]

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• 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.

TO BUILD REGIONAL INNOVATION CLUSTER WE NEED: