From Knowledge to Wealth : Transforming Russian Science and Technology for a Modern Knowledge Economy

Watkins, Alfred

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: AGRICULTURE;    APPLIED R&D;    BASIC RESEARCH;    BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES;    CAPITAL MARKETS;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-2974
RP-ID  :  WPS2974

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Russia possesses a sophisticated scienceand technology (S&T) infrastructure (researchcapability, technically trained workforce, and technicalresearch universities) which, even today, is a world leaderin many fields. Despite this world class basic researchcapacity, Russia's exports are primarily raw materials.At a time when wealth depends to an increasing degree onknowledge, Russia does not have an effective system forconverting its scientific capacity into wealth.Russia's S&T resources are isolatedbureaucratically (they are deployed in the rigidhierarchical system devised in the 1920s to mobilizeresources for rapid state-planned industrial development andnational defense), functionally (there are few links betweenthe supply of S&T output by research institutes and thedemand for S&T by Russian or foreign enterprises), andgeographically (many assets are located in formerly closedcities or isolated science/atomic cities). Overcoming theseinefficiencies and adjusting the S&T system to thedemands of a market economy will require a major program ofinstitutional and sectoral reform. Part I of this paperdescribes the ambiguous legacy of the Soviet S&T systemand the status of the Russian S&T sector after 10 yearsof transition. Part II describes the evolution of theRussian system of intellectual property rights protectionfrom Soviet times to the present and argues that Russia willnever develop a successful commercialization program untilit clarifies the ownership of the large stock ofintellectual property funded with federal budget resources.Part III outlines a comprehensive 10-point sectoral reformprogram to improve the efficiency of government research anddevelopment spending and link the Russian S&T systemwith market forces.