“We will pursue the development of the Skolkovo Innovation Center along with the implementation of other innovation projects and technology parks” - this is the core message of the article by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, which was published by Vedomosti on Friday.
In his article entitled ”The era of simple solutions is a matter of the past”, the head of the Russian government speaks in favour of zeroing duties on import of scientific equipment and materials, calling upon major Russian companies to more actively invest into science, and upon the government – to find some way of encouraging such investments.
The global economic situation is improving at a slower pace that had been reckoned before, Medvedev remarks, the same naturally goes for the Russian economy. Russian GDP growth rates in the current year will in all probability not exceed 2%. This is the first time since 2009 when the Russian economic indices have proven to lag behind the global economy average. The increasing business and entrepreneurial expenses are making the production at the bulk of old capacities unprofitable, just like the implementation of major investment projects.
Dmitry Medvedev visiting Startup Village in Skolkovo’s Hypercube. Photographic courtesy: SkReview
Output expansion is sustained practically exclusively on account of implementation of major investment projects with the participation of the state capital and of state-controlled companies, raising public sector employees’ incomes, scaling up the agricultural subsidies and a number of other sectors in the context of high oil prices.
But this source of development has a limited potential due to its dependency on the favourable oil trends being retained. “Our country is basically standing at a crossroads at the moment’, the Russian PM believes. “Russia has a choice: it may well pursue its very slow progress with its near-zero economic growth rates. Or it may choose to take a big step forward. The second venue is understandably fraught with risks. And yet, choosing the first scenario – which suggests an illusory possibility of maintaining the present situation of economic security — is fraught with an even greater danger. This road leads straight to losing it. It is a road to nowhere”. Entrepreneurial freedom, a healthy competitive environment are essential conditions required for modernisation and innovation-driven development, says the article the publication of which coincided in time with the International Investment Forum held in Sochi. ‘What we need is to create a system of reproducing new commercially attractive technologies helping to improve labour productivity, environmental safety, and serving for consumers’ convenience. The main obstacle here is the quality of and general situation with our regulatory policies. In the coming months we expect to have the essential legal base completed”, writes Dmitry Medvedev.
Today our access to the advanced global technologies is rather restricted. The reasons for this are varied: the political situation, customs restrictions or regulations. Importing any technology into Russia proves to be more expensive than what our competitors are doing. “I believe it is appropriate to have duties on import of scientific equipment and materials zeroed, as well as expand the practice of grant awarding and budget subsidies for import of scientific equipment, spare parts and scientific research materials”, highlights the article.
“We will continue our work in developing the Skolkovo Innovation Center and implementing a number of other innovation projects, technology parks’, Medvedev said in his article. – “Our major companies and investors should more actively invest in science and set up new educational institutions. Let Gazprom and LUKOIL, RUSAL and Rosneft set up their own universities. Well, departments at universities, at least. And the government must think about what it can do to encourage these investments. One possible venue is to alleviate the tax burden”, sums up the Russian head of government.