Priorities of partnership: science-business-authorities

In recent years the Administration of the Novosibirsk region together with partners in such fields as science, education, manufacturing and business has managed to arrange a system-defined activity of forming a market of intellectual products and creating a favorable environment to promote investments in science, education and hi-tech manufacturing.

There are regional laws in effect that are aimed at providing state support to enterprises and organizations of material production, science and scientific services. Among them are laws “On Scientific Activity and Scientific Technological Policy of the Novosibirsk Region”, “On State Support of Investment Activity in the Novosibirsk Region”, “On State Support of Commodity Producers in the Novosibirsk Region”'.

Efforts are being made to advance the system of supporting complex innovation projects, which deal with transfers of high technologies and which involve scientists as well as specialists from academic and industrial institutions, colleges, small, medium-sized and big enterprises, representatives of the Administration and business. For example, there are such projects, as the one to develop protein-vitamin-mineral additives for the agro-industrial complex and the interregional and interindustrial program “Power Electronics of Siberia”. Under this program Novosibirsk's scientists are implementing projects for Krasnoyarsk-45 (induction heating installations for the first phase of isotope separation production), RAO UES of Russia (continuous power supply chargers), the Volzhsky automobile plant (power drive systems and rare-earth magnets for them are supplied by Tomsk-7). Also, production and supplies of electronic ignition systems to the GAZ and VAZ automobile plants have been expanded. On the whole, the program provides for developing all technological sectors and stages, from material production to supply of complex systems of power electronics. The program has already made it possible to start forming a technological cluster, i.e. a of companies and organizations, including the state-owned ones.

Also, the development of the innovation activity infrastructure is up. A solid experience has been gained by the Novosibirsk Technopark. Among twenty innovation centers, which make up our Technopark, the Koltsovo Innovation Center has a special importance because of its particularly high concentration of intellectual potential. In 2003 by the order of Russia's President, the Koltsovo settlement in the Novosibirsk region was given the status of Naukograd (a science city) and the program of its social and economic development was started.

By the joint decision of the region's Administration, the Presidium of the Siberian Branch of RAS (the Russian Academy of Sciences) and the Novosibirsk Technopark, science-intensive firms' associations SibAcademSoft and SibAcademInnovation as well as the management company Power Electronics of Siberia have been set up; they successfully coordinate activities of small innovation companies. For example, the integration of science-intensive firms in SibAcademInnovation has allowed them to concentrate their efforts on implementing joint projects: establishing the Instrument Center to market engineering developments and to manufacture scientific and technological products on a small scale; organizing a single patent service; setting up joint representation offices and service centers; arranging marketing and consulting structures. Companies integrated in SibAcademInnovation are participating in a coordinated way in programs of the State Foundation To Promote Development of Small-Scale Enterprises in the scientific and technological sphere. The instrument-making program supported by this Foundation and the RAS Siberian Branch has been successfully fulfilled since 2003. The program to start financing new science-intensive enterprises has been launched.

There are three unique scientific townships with a lot of institutes and organizations being located there. Among them are institutes of the Siberian Branches of RAS, Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (RAAS), Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (RAMS) and the Vector State Scientific Center of Virology and Biotechnology as well as the Novosibirsk State University, branches and representation offices of different colleges, a pilot plant, about 100 science-intensive companies, SibAcademBank. As a whole, they constitute a scientific and technological innovation zone of the national importance.

The main principles of activities of these scientific centers are the complexity and multi-discipline nature of research works, advanced development of the basic science's main spheres, integration of science and education, practical realization of scientific achievements.

Of special importance is the development of territories with high scientific and technological as well as innovation and education potential. The quality of the social sphere, scientists' and specialists' living and working conditions is the key factor of efficiency in the sphere of research works and scientific developments. A particular attention is paid to these questions in the draft program of developing territories with high scientific and technological, innovation and education potential. The Administration of the Novosibirsk region provides state support to constructing and acquiring residential apartment buildings on credit for young scientists (in the current year the living conditions have been improved for 150 young scientists in the Academgorodok and Koltsovo science cities).

A technological innovation center is being established in Academgorodok on the basis of academic and engineering-and-design institutes, the Exhibition Center, the Technology Transfer Center, the Pilot Plant of the RAS Siberian Branch, the Siberian Center of Pharmacology and Biotechnology, the RAS Center of New Medical Technologies and science-intensive companies.

The most important area is the upgrading of the system to train scientific and engineering personnel as well as managers of innovation companies. Under the President's Program of training management personnel for the national economy such subjects as management, marketing, finances and credits, innovation business management are being taught. One of the priorities is the work with graduates, who, at present, number over 600 persons. The Association of the President's Program Graduates has been set up. With the participation of this Association the region's Administration holds innovation project contests, which have already helped determine a number of areas that have promising prospects for the region.

For the fourth year in a row the region's Administration has been implementing the target program of training specialists for the countryside and towns of the regional importance. The training is paid for with regional budget funds. Young scientists' contests are held, the region's Administration provides scholarships to students, postgraduates and those, who seek doctor's degree.

The system of managing intellectual property, which is a special kind of nonmaterial assets, is being improved. The region's Administration provides the State Public Scientific and Technical Library of the RAS Siberian Branch with annual funds for replenishing its stock. There are regular seminars on intellectual property, the Federal Institute of Industrial Property representing ROSPATENT has been established on the Library's basis. In 2002 the Siberian Institute of Intellectual Property (extra education) has been founded in Novosibirsk.

There is a constant replenishment of the Database of innovation projects and programs at the Siberian Regional Center of the Russian Technology Transfer Network (RTTN), which, by its standards, is compatible with the European Innovation Relay Centers (IRC Network). We invite scientists and specialists to actively use it (www.rttn-siberia.org).

The time-tested system of arranging interregional and international cooperation is in effect at the Siberian Branches of RAS, RAMS and RAAS. In coordination with the Ministry of Economic Development the Interregional Center for Authenticity-Determining Expertise has been set up on the basis of the RAS Siberian Branch. The Center handles commodities and technologies, which are to be exported and which are subject to export control.

As far as forming a regional innovation system is concerned, we have to make more active efforts for technological renovation and quality improvement of science intensity of manufacturing, for promotion of establishing corporate design offices and scientific research institutes, for development of venture funds, for securing of investment attractiveness of new enterprises. All this requires a coordinated partnership of authorities, science and business.