Institutional change and Russian innovation system challenges

Abstract

The Russian innovation system (RIS) is currently facing internal and external challenges that require its institutional structure to change significantly. Social contexts and rules that innovation system actors (business, academic community, state) find relevant must be taken into account in the transformation process. Therefore, in this article the RIS challenges are considered through an analysis of the functions and dysfunctions of its institutions. The article provides qualitative (based on narratives contained in in-depth interviews with the RIS academic field representatives) and quantitative (based on the Global Innovation Index data) analysis of these functions and dysfunctions. The study reveals the following RIS dysfunctions: low quality of formal institutions and lack of consistency in legal regulation, excessive control over the innovators' activities; selectivity and inconsistency of the state innovation policy(federal and regional); underdevelopment of mechanisms for formation of science and business cooperation; lack of production facilities and capacities, as well as physical infrastructure insufficiency for scaling innovative production; both state and private underfunding of science and innovative developments; the disruption of the mechanisms of reproduction of personnel potential for innovation. It has been established that with the quantitative approach it is possible to identify some RIS dysfunctions. Under the current conditions, dysfunctions overcoming is associated with strengthening the state strategic role while maintaining, developing and stimulating strategic entrepreneurial innovations.

Institutional factors of international trade: A case of the European Union’s Generalized System of Preferences and World Trade Organization

“…The institutional approach emphasizes how institutions can influence economic processes and outcomes. It also holds that economic processes are not only influenced by the market mechanisms, but also by political and social forces in the form of various rules and organizations (Ugur, 2010;Volchik and Maslyukova, 2022).…”

Evolution of the Russian innovation system: Narratives and the impact on economic growth

“…The study uses the approaches of narrative economics and original institutionalism to explain the distinguishing features and evolution patterns of RIS. Methodological issues of narrative economics are not covered in the article, since they are discussed in detail in foreign and Russian publications [Shiller, 2019a;Schiller, 2019b;Schiller, 2021;Tambovtsev, 2019;Tambovtsev, 2020;Volchik, Maslyukova, 2019;Volchik, 2020].…”

Scientific journals in the Russian innovation system

“…Although many researchers examining neoliberal policy claim that this practice distorts actors' incentives and ultimately destroys academic values and the institutional environment in universities , the negative aspects of the use of metrics are often ignored by policymakers, since they become not just performance indicators, but mechanisms for exercising power . The growing impact exerted by the spread of journal indices as metrics has already led to a lock-in effect depending on the previous development trajectory (path dependence) [Volchik, Maslyukova, 2019]. Therefore, if the current policy on scientific organizations' performance evaluation continues, some bibliometric indices, even if abandoned, will be replaced by others.…”