INNOVATIONS IN THE EMERGING MARKETS: REGIONAL DIVERSITY OF INNOVATIONS IN RUSSIA

摘要

For emerging markets, like Russia, it is essential to increase the competitiveness of knowledge-intensive sectors, so that the economy will not rely only on exporting of natural resources. Achieving sustainable economic growth is possible with increasing productivity and resource use efficiency, innovativeness, and diversified industrial structure. The improved infrastructure and innovation environment facilitates regional development and increase the investment attractiveness. FDI has had a very significant role in the development of competitiveness in the transitional economies of Central and Eastern Europe According to World Bank study, the productivity of Russian R&D is very low in international comparison. We aim to introduce the regional innovation systems of Russia and to compare them based on the set of statistical indicators. The regions are classified based on the innovation capacity, innovation output and growth measures. We analyze the innovation and R&D indicators of 88 Russian regions, based on the database of Russian statistical agency Rosstat (2009). The Methodology of EU Innovation scoreboard is partly replicated. Our analysis of regional innovation performance is grounded on two main subsystems of innovation system as knowledge exploitation and knowledge generation and on the set of indicators, generated from the most commonly used in previous research indexes with amendment to available statistical data on Russia. Authors propose to use Knowledge generation, knowledge flow and knowledge utilization (commercialization) indicators for analyzing innovations in Russian regions. Theoretical and managerial implications of the study are focused on improving our understanding of the structure and competitiveness of Russian regions and the factors, driving innovative capabilities and innovation output. What should be done in Russia to improve the conditions for innovations? The development of innovative activities requires good macroeconomic conditions, attractive investment environment for local and foreign companies, and more easily available financing.