Gazeta: “One trillion to be spent on science and innovation”
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced yesterday that 1.1 trillion roubles, or roughly one tenth of Russia's annual budget, will be spent on fundamental and applied science in 2010. In order to make this figure more impressive, Putin had to identify innovations in nearly every item of the budget.
Pavel Medvedev, deputy of the State Duma and member of the Financial Market Committee, told GZT.RU: "Vladimir Putin has pulled for allocations toward innovations and clearly set the state's priorities for this year."
Medvedev explains the surprising figure by the peculiarities of the budget formation, notably, the distribution of funds to different departments.
"All items of the budget linked with science and innovations were tracked in each department. When combined, they amount to a handsome sum. Previously, appropriations on science were not so big. Putin understands that it is time to stop siphoning money from the oil pipeline. This is exactly why now, when the budget's revenue has dwindled and every rouble matters, it is necessary to work for the future," Medvedev said.
A trillion roubles demands better use
On par with strictly scientific projects, the 1.1 trillion roubles will be spent on higher education, high-tech medical aid,the development of aviation, space programmes, and the nuclear power industry.
Putin emphasized the need to learn "to put the current funds to better use."
"We have about 4,000 research organizations and six state academies of science, but, for the most part, quantity does not turn into quality here," Putin said. In his opinion, it would be better to support the heads of competitive scientific and educational centres.
Innovation vs. self-preservation
Lev Yakobson, a member of the board of directors of the Institute of Modern Development was not surprised by the figure that Putin quoted. "This is just the sum of various figures put together. There is nothing record-breaking in it," he said.
"President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin are sincerely striving to make our economy more innovative. The previous years have shown that the country's entire economic growth has been based on energy price hikes. It is very important that all social groups arrive at a consensus on the need to develop science. We will go nowhere without innovations. The fact that we have absolutely no agreement on how to develop science is another matter," Yakobson explained.
He compared the struggle for innovation to the necessary instinct of self-preservation inherent in any nation or living being.
Putin will not finance "placards"
Putin criticized the drawbacks of funding distribution in scientific institutions. In his opinion, the government should stop financing them based on "anonymous cost sheets." The government cannot afford to maintain "placards" "that return nothing but a showy name and, perhaps, an estimable past," he said.
"Paying for research that is non-topical, redundant, and sometimes merely taken from dusty cupboards of the previous century is incorrect, detrimental, unprofitable, and ineffective." Putin said.
To exemplify the adequate spending of funds, he quoted national research centres and specifically the Kurchatov Institute Research Centre, which conducts research in nuclear energy and physics.
The total funding of research universities will approach 50 billion roubles. The government will also spend 90 billion roubles to support Russia's leading universities in the next three years.
Trillion rouble department
On February 3, the government received a new department of science, high technologies, and education. It is headed by Alexander Khlunov, who was deputy minister of education and science until recently.
The department will supervise government policy in scientific and technical support for the economy's innovative development and the modernisation of professional education.
Khlunov will also be in charge of national research centres and networks of federal and research universities connected with the programme.
Yevgeny Nasyrov
