Innovations

At present, Udmurtiya Republic has considerable innovation capacities. The following innovation oriented organizations work in the Republic:

• organizations of the republican innovation infrastructure
• universities with their own research and development bases
• scientific and industrial institutes
• industrial enterprises, including sci-tech centres and engineering groups
• small business enterprises and organizations introducing innovations
• public scientific organizations, foundations declaring innovative activities in their statutory documents. 

Organizations of the republican innovation infrastructure include:

• Independent non-commercial organization “Innovation Technology Centre of Udmurtiya Republic” founded in April 2005 to assist innovative businesses with selection and implementation of innovation projects, development of their innovation activities, protection and representation of their interests with governing institutions and regulatory bodies, federal and other types of foundations, protection of intellectual property.
• Public office of Udmurtiya republican business incubator aimes to assist with start-up development.
• Independent non-commercial organization “Regional Centre for Nanoindustry of Udmurtiya Republic” is focused on combining the efforts of scientists and industrial experts in creation of favourable conditions for development of nano-technologies, creation of competitive nano products and setting up hi-tech enterprises in the Republic. One of the Centre′s founders is "Concern Nanoindustry" headquartered in Moscow.
• 6 technology transfer centres at the leading universities and scientific institutions of the Republic.
• Technopark “Udmurtiya” was founded in 1998 by Udmurtiya State University and Udmurtiya State Small Business Fund. Its structure includes “core” and “cover”. “Core” is an incubator for innovative businesses, while “cover” is represented by client companies cooperating with technopark.

The list of Technopark′s client companies includes:

1. MKM, CJSC NPO (research and production association) unites experts in metallurgy, physics, mathematics and computer technologies. Joint cooperation with the enterprises from various Russian cities resulted in creation of a system appropriate for a wide range of casting technologies. Cooperation with Swedish company NOVACAST AB lead to implementation of the system by over a hundred of companies in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Sweden, Norway, Australia, Turkey etc.
2. AkustMash, CJSC dealing with development and implementation of unique medical equipment – massage systems and complexes (therapy) based on elastic pseudoliquid layer (EPL). Over 4,000 articles produced by the company are used all over Russia.
3. IzhBioVet, Ltd. and IzhBioTech, Ltd. which commercially develop blood biopreparations created by Udmurtiya State University experts. The company manufactures innovative nonspecific gamma globulin – one of the twenty biopharmaceuticals planned to be merchandised at the pharmaceutical market.
4. Research and publishing centre"Regular and Chaotic Dynamics", Ltd., focused on publication of the results of regular and stochastic behaviour of determined dynamic systems, emerging in classical mechanics, physics and other branches of science. Today, it is one of the best publishing houses in Russia, with its output met at the book counters all over Russia.

Universities

5 state and 3 private universities in Udmurtiya Republic implement programs on higher professional education. All universities have completed licensing, certification and state accreditation, and are actively attracting young specialists to education and science. Average age of the teaching staff is 46.

Innovation legislation

Formation of innovation infrastructure of Udmurtiya Republic started in 2005, as part of the Republican target program "Development of Innovation Activities in Udmurtiya Republic in 2005–2009." The program aimed to develop an effective regional innovation system, which could provide the Republic of Udmurtia with knowledge-based developments, aimed at technological upgrading of the economy and increasing its competitiveness. 

In 2007 a Scientific Board under the President of Udmurtiya Republic was founded to coordinate research and innovation activities in the Republic. The Board is a deliberative and advisory body, which carries out coordination and scientific-methodical support to the implementation of innovative strategies for development of the industrial and scientific potential of the region.

The republican contest of innovation projects takes place in Udmurtiya Republic annually. Its winners are given soft credits from the republican budget for implementation of their ideas and developments.

Contests aimed at selection of the most promising innovative ideas and cost-effective innovation projects, such as "Ten best innovative ideas proposed by the students" or research and development support contest, are organized in the Republic every year.

Innovation sessions take place several times a year, with the catalogue of innovation projects of Udmurtiya Republic published. Training seminars targeted both at project initiators and regional experts for selection and evaluation of innovation projects are held regularly. Events dedicated to development of patent activities and protection of intellectual property of the republican innovators take place.

Nanoindustry

Nanoindustry is given high priority in the Republic. Nanotechnology innovations developed at Udmurtiya enterprises received recognition at Russian and international exhibitions: IV Specialized Exhibition for Nanotechnologies and Nanomaterials “NTMEX” and International Forum for Nanotechnologies in Moscow. Udmurtiya regional centre for nanoindustry - the independent non-commercial organization under the auspicies of the Government of Udmurtiya Republic - regularly presents regional innovation projects to the experts of state corporation Rusnano.

In followup of II International Forum for Nanotechnologies, Udmurtiya Republic was recognized as one of the leading Russian regions in the sphere of nanotechnologies. Moreover, state company RosNanoTech resolved to take part in the project of Izhevsk SPC Pruzhina, Ltd. on mass production of ultra-strength springs. The project is supposed to be implemented on the basis of Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant JSC during 5 years after the launch. The project will be financed by RosNanoTech and Uralsib Bank JSC, which plans to invest RUR 1.1 bln.