Mikhail Mishustin: “Over recent years, funding for domestic research and development has steadily increased. Last year, it exceeded two trillion roubles, placing Russia eighth in the world by this indicator. This figure must increase significantly. The President has set the goal of raising research and development spending to two percent of GDP within the next five years.”
Mikhail Mishustin holds strategic session on improving scientific and technological development management system
Mikhail Mishustin holds strategic session on improving scientific and technological development management system
Mikhail Mishustin holds strategic session on improving scientific and technological development management system
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Good afternoon, colleagues,
Today, we will keep working on our approaches to improve the system for managing scientific and technological development.
Previously, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the situation that has emerged under sanctions-related restrictions and the challenges this sector is facing, which is critical both for the advancement of economic sectors and for the country’s overall wellbeing.
We also identified the need to develop a new model for managing Russian science –one capable of increasing the level of coordination among scientific, technical, technological, and industrial activities. This will further strengthen the foundation upon which new innovations and practical solutions are created.
Today, we will discuss the current state of affairs in this area in detail.
Over recent years, funding for domestic research and development has steadily increased. Last year, it exceeded two trillion roubles, placing Russia eighth in the world by this indicator. This figure must increase significantly. The President has set the goal of raising research and development spending to two percent of GDP within the next five years. Private investment must also double. At present, it accounts for approximately one-third of total funding of science.
It is important to continue creating conditions that enable business investment to become a key source of financing for innovative developments. To this end, we must further develop a comprehensive system for attracting investment.
This is particularly important because Russian businesses are showing growing interest in scientific results and new technologies. Companies, especially those operating in high-tech sectors, including the fuel and energy complex, metallurgy, space, and aviation industries, are increasing their spending on innovation, particularly in projects aimed at technological leadership, one of the key requirements of which is ensuring long-term demand for research and development outcomes. I would also like to note that nearly half of companies still prefer one-time contracts with scientific organisations rather than establishing long-term strategic partnerships.
Innovative projects are complex processes that require significant resources: time, funding, and human capital, because they aim to not merely create a one-time product, but to develop a promising technology that can be integrated into a company’s production processes. This is why long-term and close cooperation is so vital. To achieve this, we must continue developing the institution of the qualified customer and expanding its capabilities.
Our flagship initiatives, such as Priority 2030, advanced engineering schools, and youth laboratories, have also been focused on addressing these challenges. More such platforms will be established. They represent not only educational programmes but also mechanisms for scientific and industrial cooperation that help reduce the time between generating new knowledge and creating new technologies and products.
This also includes the university campuses currently being built in 23 regions. Each of them will feature modern research infrastructure, which helps to attract talented young people and highly qualified specialists to science. Several of these facilities are already operational.
We are also expanding the network of world-class research centres. Their purpose is to implement science-intensive innovations they develop in the real economy. Recently, decisions were made to establish three additional centers in medicine, space exploration, and social sciences. Their activities now cover all priority areas.
Another pillar of innovation are unique facilities being created as part of our large-scale megascience projects. These facilities are primarily intended for fundamental research, but they also have important applied uses. For example, companies in microelectronics use synchrotron radiation facilities to study components, while pharmaceutical companies employ them in the search for new active substances.
All of this creates significant opportunities for stronger interaction between fundamental and applied science, establishes conditions for the commercialisation of research and technologies, and, importantly, contributes to the development of the intellectual property market.
Of course, this also fully applies to medical science. Thanks to scientific research and the practical implementation of its results, including through national technological leadership projects, new medicines, medical devices, and equipment are being developed, along with innovative methods of treatment and rehabilitation.
Regenerative medicine, gene therapy, and neurotechnology are advancing rapidly. These areas serve as important tools for healthy longevity and life preservation and are fundamentally transforming quality of life, too.
Today, we will discuss what additional measures are needed to ensure the effective implementation of scientific results in medicine.
Colleagues, clearly, the new model of science management requires the pooling of resources and closer cooperation among the state, businesses, and scientific organisations, as well as unified approaches to project planning and cost management, and also the refinement of investment mechanisms and, where necessary, devising additional instruments. This is particularly important for priority areas of scientific and technological development and for knowledge-intensive solutions implemented through technological leadership projects: establishing an effective system for evaluating scientific developments and ensuring the end-to-end traceability of results (wherein the Russian Academy of Sciences plays a key role); introduction of artificial intelligence technologies, which we are actively developing today. The president is supervising these matters. He has emphasised that in the coming years such technologies should be introduced across all sectors and integrated into most management and production processes. This also applies to improving the quality of scientific research and innovation activities.
And these are only some of the tasks that must be addressed in order to respond promptly to emerging challenges and, of course, to achieve independence in critically important sectors.
This also applies to improving the quality of scientific research and innovation activities.
These are only some of the tasks that must be addressed in order to respond promptly to emerging challenges and, of course, to achieve independence in critically important sectors.
