What is Skolkovo for?

This question is far from idle - a public discussion about Skolkovo's goals began from the moment of its creation. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the initiator of the Skolkovo project, having recently been to Skolkovo, noticed that "now it is clear why all this was up to it." However, a public discussion on the topic “for what Skolkovo needs” does not subside. To many domestic experts and scientists, the choice in favor of the creation of the Center for commercialization of new technologies from scratch seems unreasonable in comparison with the possibility of strengthening existing scientific centers using budget funds. As you know, only criticism helps us to become better. Therefore, the search for an answer to the correctly asked question is always important for the constant rethinking of the experience of errors and the achievements of the largest post -Soviet project of the technological center. Such a question will always correlate with another no less important issue: why does Russia not manage to use the fruits of its own achievements in the field of science and technology? It is well known that Russia has the centuries -old traditions of opening and mastering new territories (XVI - XVIII centuries), as well as inventions, applied research, cultural and technical innovations (XIX - XX centuries) - DNA of the pioneer is largely part of the Russian cultural code. Our country is among the advanced states in the general level of education and the number of scientific engineering personnel (6% of scientists around the world lives in Russia), determining the grandiose opportunities for future technological breakthroughs. But, unfortunately, as many scientists note, including the largest researcher of Russian science Lauren Graham, other nations use our results much more effective. This huge imbalance between the talents of the population and the effectiveness of the use of research results belongs to the exceptional feature of Russia. Researchers give different causes of this paradox, but the very fact of the existence of such an imbalance is not in doubt.

The unique feature of the country requires unique solutions. The creation of Skolkovo is not only a response to the paradox mentioned above, but is also predetermined by the whole course of the formation of the advanced economic theory and practice of the line of the XX - XXI centuries. The largest economist in the twentieth century John Keynes emphasized that "the state should do those projects that no one will undertake to fulfill." It is generally accepted that the idea of ​​the founding of the city of the future as a “clot of innovation” - Skolkovo, demonstrating the best technological achievements, nominated Mikhail Kalashnikov in a response letter to President Medvedev. However, the idea of ​​using the urban force of clustering as a catalyst for technological and social innovations has been transmitted to the present since Peter's times: St. Petersburg was founded not only as a military fortress, but also as an intellectual and industrial center of the European Power.

The city and its attractive cultural environment as a catalyst for innovative activity allows us to realize the potential of the force of clustering innovative enterprises that the famous American sociologist Jane Jacobs spoke about, and also solves the problem of effective (Proximity) of participants in innovative activity to each other, which is considered a key factor in success. There are several types of approximation: geographical (spatial), cognitive, organizational, social and institutional. Innovators should be closely close to each other: too much or too small approximation will be more likely to restrain growth than to encourage it.

Skolkovo as a city, consisting of technological clusters, employees, partners, teachers and students of Skoltech, solves the problem of approaching participants in the Russian innovation process as follows. Geographically : participants work (and in many cases live) nearby. Cognitive - thanks to the general concepts entering our speech turnover in the wave of technological entrepreneurship. Organizational: Transaction costs of interaction are removed both due to mass events (such as Startup Village, Skolkovo Robotics, IASP), and thanks to the service maintenance of participants from the technopark, centers of intellectual property, etc. Social - creating a trusting environment for communication between participants who received those who received those who received The authorization of Skolkovo (i.e., confirmed the status of a participant, partner, accredited investor, etc.). Institutional -building a legal perimeter that improves the investment climate and increases the attractiveness of the business environment, creating opportunities for running-in, testing new breakthrough technological projects using the territorial capabilities of Skolkovo.

Scientists argue about the correlation between the increase in the number of small high -tech enterprises (MNP) and significant economic growth in high -tech industries. But the examples of how MNP become a source of high growth in traditional industries (Uberbnb) is quite obvious. This type of enterprises is about 75% of the total number of Skolkovo participants (25% are “daughters” of large companies). MNP steel, in fact, with a new type of participants in economic activity - suppliers of highly specialized decisions for larger companies and holdings working in traditional industries. It seems that MNP will never be a source of significant economic growth and a significant driver of jobs, but they are the conductors of structural changes and the growth of labor productivity in other, larger economic entities. This is the reason that Skolkovo’s approach to stimulating the creation of MNP in the medium and long -term perspective is more justified than direct financing from the state budget of research and development in large companies: MNP more flexibly form a market strategy and accept the risks of commercial activities compared to large companies. We should not forget about the multiplier effect: according to Enriko Moretti, professor of economics of the University of California, one workplace in the MNP leads to the appearance of five new jobs in adjacent industries (not necessarily high -tech), exceeding a similar indicator in industry.

Economic studies show that it is MNP that are the main source of “breakthrough technologies”, which, in turn, create a demand for highly qualified jobs in new or traditional sectors of the national economy. Large domestic companies practically ceased to engage in research and development - the number of patents they received or submitted applications for registration of intellectual property are several times less than the same indicator of all Skolkovo participants for the same period. This is not a feature of Russia: the main way of the technological development of the largest foreign companies (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Cisco) is the acquisition of new, breakthrough technologies through the purchase of startups at an early stage.

The success of Skolkovo is based on the traditionally established Moscow scientific cluster, in which the development of software plays a leading role: about two thirds of all IT companies in Russia are located in Moscow. This industry has a huge export potential - it is enough to say that the export of software from Russia reaches $ 7 billion annually and is inferior in importance only to the export of hydrocarbons and weapons. That is why the Moscow region is the main source of personnel and innovations in this industry; It is no coincidence that at least 60% of the participants of all five clusters are involved in Skolkovo. The commercialization of IT products by definition is global: most successful IT companies Skolkovo are the so-called Micro - Nationals , that is, they immediately enter global markets with a competitive product.

Skolkovo focus on five types of strategic priorities is an additional success factor, since IT, passing through all technological areas, uses the examination of teams in space, biomedical, telecommunication, energy and radiation projects. There is no such interconnectedness of directions on IT on IT in any of the traditional science -Russian sciences of Russia, based on one or two directions.

Skolkovo has a number of fundamental differences from science-hacks (and closed administrative-territorial formations). Firstly, Skolkovo emphasizes the orientation of constant interdisciplinary interaction both within the city itself and inside the “virtual Skolkovo”, using the abundance of projects in different, sometimes opposite industries. Secondly, the openness and transparency of all activities: Skolkovo is designed taking into account maximum openness both in relation to the processes (reporting) and in relation to the urban environment. Scientific degrees were created in many ways to solve defense problems, and the issue of “openness” of the environment for interaction with the outside world was not relevant. Thirdly, Skolkovo is a unique combination of two well-known approaches to the creation of breakthrough technologies: purposeent (Mission-oriented), in which all developments are subordinated to a strict set of priorities and goals, and diffusion (diffusion-oriented), in which the main objective is to spread the best practices of research and technological entrepreneurship. Skolkovo successfully uses both approaches in creating a targeted innovation ecosystem. Traditional science degrees are more responsible only to a purposeful approach, which does not fully meet the requirements of the technological modernization of Russia.

The existing system of support for innovation in universities and scientific centers cannot be considered full due to the absence of technologies created in it as an operating goal of the created technologies. The main goal of protecting intellectual property in universities and scientific organizations is the reports on grants, FCP and other state financing programs. However, the commercial effectiveness of such patents is never measured in universities or in scientific centers. It is quite obvious that the only criterion for success is revenue from the products created as a result of products or patents. Skolkovo focus on the achievement of a commercially significant result (revenue, investment) is a fundamental difference from all other research support and development mechanisms in Russia.

Separately, it should be emphasized that Skolkovo is actively promoting the entry of the project participants to international markets, thereby creating competitions to domestic consumers of innovative decisions among large companies.

Many authors indicate that Skolkovo insufficient efficiency as a commercialization of the developed technologies is caused by the fact that innovations come in the form of specialized, narrowly focused solutions. At the same time, the operational life cycle of the MNP itself can be much shorter than the life cycle of the created product. Whereas customers require a complete cycle solution, including subsequent service and warranty service for many years. Therefore, the task of Skolkovo as a technological intermediary is the integration of breakthrough, but highly specialized solutions into industrial products that receive full -scale technical, organizational and financial support from professional service and engineering organizations that operate as intermediaries between small companies and industrial giants.

Skolkovo will gradually turn into a “city of masters”, a prototype of which can serve as a workshop and a stroke of medieval artisan: a showcase and a workshop are nearby, complementing each other and creating new, sometimes unexpected opportunities for the joint work of all subjects of an innovative ecosystem.