Export of innovations as a form of integration

Michael is found, STRF.ruThe year 2009 will be decisive for one of the most ambitious projects, within the framework of which Russia is developing partnership with European countries in the innovation sphere.

The project involves the creation of a network of centers throughout the country that will help the interaction of developers and consumers of high-tech technologies, that is, research institutes and enterprises from Russia and the EU.

The joint project "Gate to Russian Business Innovation Network" ("Entry into the Russian Business Innovation Network") launched a consortium of three organizations a year and a half ago, which included: the Union of Innovation and Technology Centers of Russia (Union of ITC), the Russian Technology Transfer Network (RTTN) and the Russian Agency for Support of Small and Medium-sized Businesses. The main goal is to create a network of non–profit structures in the country that support small enterprises, research institutes and specific scientists in the field of scientific and technological cooperation between Russia and the European Union.

Ideally, each such structure should provide services in three directions (modules) at once: module "A" – business cooperation with EU companies and assistance in entering European markets with innovative products; module "B" - international technology transfer; module "C" – assistance in participating in the 7th EU Framework Program for Research and Development.

The first direction is supervised by the Russian Agency for Support of Small and Medium–sized Businesses, developing a network of European information correspondent centers - EICC or Euroinfocenters, which are partially funded by the Ministry of Economic Development. RTTN and the ITC Union are responsible for other areas. These organizations aim to introduce services in modules "B" and "C" on the basis of existing and emerging innovation centers of the country, which, in turn, are financially supported by the Fund for the Promotion of Small Forms of Enterprises in the Scientific and Technical Field.

20 million rubles for euroinfocentersAt the moment, the network of euroinfocenters, which is being developed by the Russian Agency for Support of Small and Medium-sized Businesses, is represented by one center in Moscow (has the status of a parent organization) and 13 in the regions.

Ideally, the EICC should be in every region of the country.

These centers provide free of charge to small businesses (and not only innovative ones) services that are not provided anywhere or by anyone on such terms, first of all, they help entrepreneurs to enter European markets with their products or services. "The centers can provide information on almost any issues of public policy of the European Union countries in the field of public procurement, trade regulation and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. In particular, information about tenders for public procurement in the EU countries, existing programs to support small and medium-sized businesses, tax rates, import and export duties in the EU and Russia," says Ilya Kiryan, an employee of the agency. Euroinfocenters also place information about Russian companies in the database of the European Enterprise Support Network (Enterprise European Network – EEN) through the Moscow head office. Olga Ermakova, head of the Moscow EICC, notes that in the last 12 months alone, the center has received applications from 428 firms from EU countries.

This year, the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia allocated 20 million rubles to organize the work of new euroinfocenters. Ten more will be added to the 14 already working in 2009. But, perhaps, there will be twice as many – up to 25, if local administrations provide co-financing and the MAYOR supports the applications. It is extremely difficult to predict what will happen next year due to the crisis: since the work of the EICC is export-oriented, and the Ministry of Economic Development may reconsider priorities in financing Russia's innovation infrastructure. In total, the Ministry is ready to allocate up to 800 million rubles for the development of this infrastructure in the coming year, as well as finance up to 80 percent of the costs for each specific project. The remaining funds should be provided by local authorities.

One of the main tasks of the Gate2RuBIN project – international technology transfer (module "B") – involves creating an opportunity for Russian innovative enterprises and scientific organizations to place both requests and offers (profiles) of technologies in the database of the European Entrepreneurship Support Network. In Russia, the NP "Russian Technology Transfer Network" (Obninsk, Kaluga Region), which places profiles coming from other innovation centers of the country, can work directly with the database.

As I already wrote STRF.ru the work of innovation centers should be financed primarily by the state. Now at the federal level, only the Fund for Assistance to the Development of Small Forms of Enterprises in the Scientific and Technical Sphere is ready to do this, and, like the Ministry of Economic Development in the case of euroinfocenters, on the terms of co-financing from regional budgets (although the ratio of funds here is different – 50/50).

This year, the Foundation supported 17 centers, rejecting only nine. Moreover, not all of them can qualify for further funding in the coming year. "We were not satisfied with the work of some of the winning centers," says Anton Yanovsky, a member of the Board of NP "Russian Technology Transfer Network" (representatives of the organization will advise experts of the Assistance Fund for a more effective analysis of the applications of the applicant centers).

It was recently announced that next year the Assistance Fund will support up to 20 innovation centers for a total of 15 million rubles. The funds will be distributed based on the results of the competition. Experts note that this amount is insufficient for Russia, but the Fund may not wait for a large number of high-quality applications from the centers.

The Russian authorities have decided to achieve the country's associate membership in the 7th Framework Program (7RP) of the European Union for Scientific Research and Technological Development. It can cost the budget up to a billion euros, which must be contributed to the general fund of the program.

With such amounts, only five percent of scientific organizations and small and medium-sized enterprises in Russia know about 7PP, as well as about the previous Framework programs of the European Union. And there are even fewer who are ready to join the projects implemented within its framework.

Back in 2004, the Ministry of Industry and Science created 11 national contact points (NCTS), whose main task is to provide all the necessary information to those organizations that wish to participate in Framework Programs. However, there is still no common network resource that would inform about the basic principles of participation of Russian institutions and companies in the scientific and technological program of the European Union.

Contact points work mainly with the academic scientific community – this has happened historically, explains the representative of the NCT "Information and Communication Technologies" Marina Melkonyan.

Responsibility for expanding the circle of potential participants from Russia in the Framework Program of the European Union since this year has been assumed by another force – the consortium of performers of the Gate2RuBIN project. A working group of representatives of the consortium and national contact points has already been established, the first task of which is to create mechanisms for the mutual exchange of information about the program and its possible performers.

According to experts, Russia may become an associate member of the 7PP in a year and a half, but even then only the "pool close to the CNT" will know about this program, then the number of participants in the program risks becoming a little more than now.

Head of the Commercialization Department of innovative Projects of the Obninsk Center for Science and Technology Alina Tsepenko is convinced that participation in the 7RP and the development of international technology transfer (module "B" of the Gate2RuBIN project) can stimulate state research institutes to "get promising developments off the shelves". Nevertheless, in the coming year, the participants of the consortium of performers of the project "Entry into the Russian Business Innovation Network" plan to initiate the conclusion of only five agreements on international technology transfer and five contracts with the European Commission. These very cautious indicators do not inspire much optimism.

Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru12.12.2008