Innovations

Building the regional innovation system which could unite authorities, scientists, financiers and business circles, boost social and economic development of the Republic and facilitate growth of population welfare is one the Government’s major strategic objectives.

Innovation policy is aimed primarily at facilitation of creation and mastering of state-of-the-art technologies, upgrading the operating enterprises using resource-saving and high-performance technologies, improvement of the quality and competitive ability of products manufactured in the region.

The innovation policy implemented in the region rests upon various forms of support, including formation and improvement of regulatory and legal framework, public financing, information support, infrastructure development, personnel selection and training.

The priority directions for innovation development, planned and implemented by the regional Government are:

• Encouragement of existing regional companies to introduce innovations into their operations
• Assistance in creation of small innovative enterprises
• Investment attraction (primarily into hi-tech sphere)
• Creation of high-performance infrastructure for innovation support
• Improvement and development of human resources employed in the sphere of innovations

Over the past ten years, Russian Foundation for Basic Research and Russian Foundation for Humanities have invested their funds in joint project financing in Karelia.

Research work in 15 fields listed among crucial technologies of the Russian Federation and financed from the federal budget (about USD 17 mln is allocated annually) is carried out in Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Petrozavodsk State University (PetrSU) and Karelian State Pedagogical Academy.

The Republican Ministry of Economic Development pays much attention to promotion of research efforts in the field of nanotechnologies, local telecommunication networks, biology of living systems. The matter concerning biotechnology development in the region is being studied. The concept of long-term target Program “Development of a modern biotechnologies complex and enhancement of bioresources use efficiency located in Karelian part of the White Sea” has been elaborated.

The Government of the Republic of Karelia also assists Karelian enterprises in promotion of manufactured innovative products to the foreign markets, provides grants and subsidies to support innovative enterprises.

The republican draft bill “On State Support of Innovation Activity in the Republic of Karelia” is in the pipeline.

The regional innovation infrastructure is represented by:

• Petrozavodsk State University Innovation Complex and IT-park
• Innovation Center “Ukko”
• Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Business Incubator of the Republic of Karelia
• Karelian State Pedagogical University
• A number of innovative enterprises

Scientific potential of the Republic of Karelia is based on academic science. There is Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences located in Petrozavodsk and uniting 7 academic institutes. Over 80% of all the research performed by the Center is fundamental research.

Applied research primarily performed by teachers and post-graduate students at Petrozavodsk State University, which is  the largest regional university of north-western Russia. There are 19 universities educating about 24,000 students in the Republic of Karelia. About 1,000 specialists perform research and development work.

The regional government supports creation of new business incubators, innovation and business centers, technology transfer centers, technoparks, innovation technology centers.

The Karelian-Finnish hi-tech village is under construction in the territory of PetrSU complex. It is an important strategic project aimed at innovation breakthrough and actively developed in association with the Finnish party. The hi-tech village is to become the center for development of hi-tech production and personnel training.