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STATE SUPPORTING OF CLUSTERS AS INFRASTRUCTURAL FORM OF INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES STIMULATION
УДК 334.021, 334.027
Polina A. Slizchenko,
post-graduate student of Moscow State Academy of Business Administration; Binnopharm JSC, Department Head of infrastructure projects Tel.: 8-916-535-82-06, E-mail: polina [email protected]
In this article are analyzed methods of the infrastructural form of state supporting of innovative activities pertaining to the scientific production enterprises, and also tendencies of clusterization of high-tech industries in Russian Federation and the establishment of the clustering state policy.
Keywords: government support, innovation, clusters, business incubators, special economic zones.
Полина Александровна Слизченко,
Аспирант третьего года обучения Московской Государственной Академии Делового Администрирования; Начальник группы структурных проектов ЗАО «Биннофарм» Тел.: 8-916-535-82-06, Эл. почта: polina [email protected]
ГОСУДАРСТВЕННАЯ ПОДДЕРЖКА КЛАСТЕРОВ КАК ИНФРАСТРУКТУРНАЯ ФОРМА СТИМУЛИРОВАНИЯ ИННОВАЦИОННОЙ АКТИВНОСТИ
Рассматриваются методы инфраструктурной формы государственной поддержки инновационной деятельности научно-производственных предприятий, а также тенденции кластеризации высокотехнологичных отраслей Российской Федерации и формирование государственной кластерной политики.
Ключевые слова: государственная поддержка, инновации, кластеры, бизнес-инкубаторы, особые экономические зоны.
1. Introduction
Enhancement of state support innovation activity for the scientific production enterprises (SPE) is a very important task in view of intensive structural expansion of state stimulation forms and methods of innovation activity during past few years.
Considerable experience of applying the said multiple methods and forms of state support innovation activity has been accumulated. This experience shows in most cases the offered support is not meeting the requirements of SPE. Necessity of the system enhancement of the state support innovation activity is obvious in order to bring the same to maximal accordance with the requirements and goals being set by the recipients of state support innovation activity system for SPE by means of development and realization of actions aimed to systematic development of the support forms and methods.
Issue of systematic development of the support forms and methods has not been sufficiently worked out and brought to the public in frames of scientific and practical research. Therefore support system element (organizations) and support clusters of methods and forms (applied by those) analyses have been conducted for preparation of basis for development of progress proposals for development of state support SPE innovation activity.
2. Infrastructural form of state support for innovation activity stimulation
Based on the conducted analyses 4 main forms of state innovation activity SPE
have been outlined (infrastructural, financial, non-material and preferential). Classification of existing support method clusters has been worked out based on above 4 main forms. This classification is based on research of multiple normative documents, regulating means, methods and forms of realization of innovation activity which aims to render the enterprises the state support for realization innovation activity.
In frames of the classification developed SPE support methods can be divided by methods of direct stimulation of innovation activity and indirect once. Direct methods are aimed to strait help for SPE in the area of innovation technologies. Those are such methods as: both infrastructural and material support of SPE, government orders for innovation production. Indirect stimulation methods are working by means of favorable conditions, namely: market demand stimulation, innovation product promotion at both local and outside markets, personnel policy, special economic zones (SEZ), industrial clusters, taxation allowances and preferences.
Let us analyze the below indirect methods, having high potential development and being a part of SPE innovation activity support infrastructural part: Business incubation; special economic zones and creation of clusters.
3. Business incubators in Russian Federation
Business incubator is the structure, specializing on creation of favorable conditions for appearing effective activities of minor innovation enterprises realizing both scientific and technical ideas. Standard means (tools) of business incubation are as following: giving offices and experimentally production premises to minor enterprises for rent at preferential price, as well as providing for consulting support of business activity.
Based on "Forbes" journal estimation there are 5 best business incubators in Russia:
1. Business incubator of Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. This entity is applying the following tools for support of the enterprises:
• Organization of sessions for involving potential investors;
• Financing participation in the projects, branch exhibitions and specialized activities;
• Paying off both licensing and registration of legal entity;
• Financing researches;
• Meeting industry leaders;
• U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation (CRDF) educational program has been organized.
Efficiency: 120 enterprises have connection with incubator at start-up stage. Capacity of the incubator is 7 new enterprises (annual start-up) per year.
2. Business incubator of National Research University "Higher school of economics" (HSE) is applying following special tools for enterprise support:
• Financing start - up projects from HSE;
• PR and promotion of incubator projects at the exhibitions.
Efficiency: Incubator is producing 4-6 projects per year. Total 50 projects are being presently developed. Main branch stream for enterprises under incubation: Informational Technologies.
3. Incubator under the name "Ingia" ("Ingia" industrial park project). This one using the following special tools for enterprise support:
• Extensive areas - circa 2400 sq.m. 190 working positions;
• Project support, including interest lobbing amongst the state power structures;
• Project expertise system;
• Development of the plan of intellectual property protection;
• Assistance in the organization of production;
• Application of partner network.
Efficiency: 40 innovative projects.
4. Business Incubator of Lomonosov Moscow State University is using the following tools for enterprise support:
• Support from British Counsel and Fund for the Promotion of the Development of Small Forms of Enterprises in the Scientific and Technical Sphere ("Bortnik Fund");
• Available Webinars (Special Conference Type).
Efficiency: Incubator is putting out 5 viable projects per year.
5. Incubator of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics is using the following special tools for enterprise support:
Close cooperation with private and corporative investors, industrial parks (among those - "Sistema-Sarov" industrial park);
• Promotion of service and products of start-up projects;
• Marketing and research activity, organization of opinion polls and expertise;
• Introduction in the University training process of innovation educational technologies, which passed probation tests in Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
Efficiency: The incubator is encompassing 40-45 projects annually. 6 starts-up enterprises have been put out. 3 out of the once are generating profit. [1].
Business incubators, which have been created as independent structures are mostly often solving problems of local municipal authorities pertaining to development of small businesses within a region (e.g. "Zelenograd Business Incubator"). Most of Russian business incubators are being a part of the industrial parks structures, big higher education schools or scientific centers, which are using business incubation for innovation support of small business enterprises activity.
4. Business incubation in special economic zones of Russian Federation
Only one business incubator has so far been created in frames of special economic zones - in 2009 in technical-innovative SEZ «Dubna». From small business innovation enterprise point of view receipt of tax benefits and customs benefits being a resident of technical-innovative SEZ is attractive way for cost reduction as the material means can be invested into R&D for conduct of innovation developments. However, start-up projects, as a rule, are deprived of possibility to receive residential status of technical-innovative SEZ due to disaccord with key demands of Ministry of Economic Development of Russia. The demands made to the projects of potential residents of SEZ (investment volume, stage of readiness, experience and other).
Experimental experience of SEZ "Dubna" incubation is too little for conducting objective efficiency analyses. However one can confidentially suppose that small innovation enterprises of all four regions where technical-innovative SEZ were installed had been interested in becoming members of a business incubator which can provide tax benefits and customs benefits on SEZ. E.G. combination of business incubation method and cluster of methods used by an enterprise for innovation activity in SEZ with high extent of probability will have synergetic effect on stimulation of small enterprise innovation activity, which will become business incubator SEZ special "start-up" residents.
Supposed combination of the two presented method of infrastructural support form SPE will help initiation of creating big quantity of new start up projects and accordingly of small innovation enterprises - business incubator residents and technical-innovative SEZs. This will help to correct problematic situation with insufficient collection of innovational enterprises-residences - the situation which permanently exists in majority of Russian
business incubators and in all technicalinnovative SEZ.
Two ways are possible for realization of combination of business incubation methods and technical-innovative SEZ.
1. Introduction of the business incubator already existing in the region into the local technical-innovative SEZ infrastructure. Effective option obtained from such realization may be combination of independent Business incubator «Zelenograd» and technical-innovative SEZ «Zelenograd» by means of creating new, third one in number separate area for the mentioned SEZ on the territory of business incubator and neighboring territories. This will allow spreading preferences and SEZ «Zelenograd» infrastructure on the whole business incubator without transference of the areas on the territory of existing SEZ «Zelenograd» areas that means reduction of extra costs.
2. Creation of new business incubators as part of technical-innovative SEZ infrastructure is mostly desirable option for technical-innovative SEZ «St. Petersburg» and technical-innovative SEZ «Tomsk» as in such cities one can find only "dependent" business incubators (in universities and industrial parks). Incorporation of those into SEZ structure is extremely difficult under conditions of existing management and functioning order applied for SEZ [2]. Another obstacle for combination of SEZ with existing business incubators is remoteness of the latter from SEZ areas.
Combination of business incubation methods with technical-innovative SEZ will give way for increase of infrastructure SPE innovation activity state support form efficiency. This means the said support form can be partially enhanced. However synergetic effect from combination of SPE support infrastructural form methods can be increased by creation new ways for supporting industrial clustering of SEZ residents, enterprises from business incubators in SEZ, special regional higher universities and scientific institutes; and incorporation of those w methods into SEZ preferences.
5. Clusters and state policy of clusterization
Formation of specialized methods of industrial clustering in Russia has not been restricted by Special Economic Zones structures. Such clusters need equal and even bigger special innovation support from the state to be given to the cluster organizations-participants then SEZ clusters.
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Industrial cluster is a group of interrelated organizations (R&D, educational, industrial, professional services, etc) connected due to their territorial neighbourship, connected by relationships and functional dependence in the area of production and sales of goods and services [3]. Science 1990-th industrial cluster combinations (such as new pro-West development form of scientific production association), have started their formation initiated by the organization independently - without any state order or any direct instruction from Authorities.
High efficiency of foreign industrial clusters had become valued by Russian enterprises, Universities, Scientific and Research Institutes rather quickly thanks to foreign business partners and scientific societies. Therefore initiatives for creation of new (post Soviet) industrial clusters in Russia have started from the market level and in no case as a state idea or state support innovation activity method.
Regional and Federal Russian Authorities have commenced development of cluster policy from 2009 on regional level, and from 2010 on Federal level after evaluation stable tendencies of creation rapid development of the industrial clusters, as well of open expectations from those clusters to receive outstanding specialized support of cluster projects. Tatarstan government was in the forefront of the process of cluster policy development. Later on this initiative was supported by other administrations of other Russian regions, where the market clusters initiative have become active enough and in need for formation of the normative and legislation regulations. For example, Moscow government has developed the Concept of cluster policy of Moscow city in the sphere of small and middle business only in the end of 2010 only. Adoption the Concept is expected by second part of 2011.
Ministry of Economic Development of Russia developed in 2010 Methodical Recommendations for realization of cluster policy in the regions of Russian Federation and outstanding Methodical Recommendation for realization of cluster policy in North regions of Russia due to multiple petitions addressed by the regional administrations to the branch RF ministries regarding provision of the relevant regional cluster initiatives support. Thus, new method of innovation support SPE - the cluster one had been developed and still is being developed by Ministry of Economic Development since 2010.
This method could become in perspective a separate form of support. However this method still needs to be analyzed and worked out in bigger extent than the other ones as forming of the same is the precedent in the practice of SPE support.
Clusters are the branch self-formations related to the organizations. Clusters do not have legally fixed from as well as Federal Legislation does not a legally fixed notion, such as "cluster". Cluster SPE innovation activity support method (tool set belonging to the same) is on the formation level stage and will indubitably be legalized within coming two years. Support tools application experience adopted (approved) by the regional RF administrations for cluster project supports is still extremely little. For this reason evaluation of the efficiency of this experience is still impossible. However it is viable to use regional support tools for cluster project support for development of recommendations for forming and enhancement of cluster method group being developed for Federal wise legalization.
So, the cluster politics concept for Moscow City in the area of small and average business pre-supposes that "support object in frames of realization of cluster policy is considered to be the activity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), realizingjoint (cluster) projects" [4]. The following methods of cluster support are forming the concept:
• Informational and consulting methodical support for creation of legal entities comprising cluster participants. Same support for development of cluster progress strategies, cluster projects and programs;
• Cluster projects competitive selection SMEs for granting subsidies dedicated for different goals
• Multipurpose support and guidance of the selected cluster projects;
• Services on organization of infrastructure support SMEs and other [5];
• One time only and staged (including 1 year) realization of the measures of state support given to several clusters SMEs across prioritized directions;
• Possible prolongation of proj ect state support measures applied for the cluster formation and their progress in average term perspective (before 2012 etc.) based on actual results.
With regard with above mentioned info, observation of certain criteria is in-dispensible for possibility to participate in SMEs cluster for obtaining the support. The mostly strict criteria are:
• No less than 2/3 of cluster participants must be listed in the Registry of SMEs of Moscow City;
• No less than 3-8 of innovation and production, export oriented SMEs must be part of the cluster structure.
Thus from Concept of cluster policy of Moscow City, the cluster must be a big SMEs combined produces, including inconsiderable quantity of other type participants (big industries, higher educational centers and scientific institutes) or the once which do not include the mentioned types at all. Such approach is in contradiction both foreign and domestic functioning experience of territorial and branch clusters, which have been most of time created on the basis of partnership between big universities and scientific institutes jointly with big industrial areas. In perspective the clusters are gradually becoming "overgrown" with small business enterprises. With most cases not the once which already are working but with new once being created by key (big) cluster participants for realization of cluster projects or rendering special services. The requirements given in the concept are contradicting to the mentioned Methodical recommendations of Ministry of Economic Development of Russia regarding realization of cluster policy in RF regions.
The clusters themselves have the possibility to influence development process methods of cluster state support while the cluster support method group proposed in the concept, its tool set, and the order of obtaining support have not been fixed by Moscow and Federal Legislation yet, and regional support cluster experience is still too short for its efficiency evaluation by the state.
It becomes evident from the experience, that state support is mostly needed for big infrastructural projects of functioning clusters, in particular the projects on creating separate (owned) scientific and research centers and industrial enterprises. As a rule such projects are: necessary and highly prioritized for functioning and development of the clusters, also expensive projects demanding big investments. Realization of big infrastructural cluster projects even by involvement of state subsidies often becomes impossible due to necessity of investing 50% and more of once own finances for the project realization or due to high difficulty of attracting private investments.
Clusters as branch markers of both science and industry progress in the regions are being in need for specialized
dedicated state financial programs (not subsidiary programs) for creating or development of the cluster infrastructure. Such once methods of state supporting of cluster do not presently exist. They have neither been envisaged in those cluster support concepts which are being developed by the responsible institutions. Presently, only 2 similar SPE dedicated support methods are in existence. The once which in a certain extent are meeting the requirements of the above mentioned clusters, namely directly dedicated financing of the creation of infrastructure are based on the Address investment program of Moscow city (AIPM) and are financed from the capital of Investment Fund of Russian Federation. Both support methods are not specializing on cluster support project and this is diminishing cluster chances for obtaining the support itself due to the cluster project reviews based on "general conditions". Based on Moscow Department of Science and Industry experts conclusions which are forming commercial proposals for inclusion of infrastructural projects (including the cluster once) into AIPM. Also based on the expertise conducted by specialists from the Ministry of Regional Development RF, evaluating the projects claimed for financing from the Investment Fund of RF, average volume of dedicated direct financing requested for realization of one infrastructural cluster project varies within $30-150 mil rubles. The existing program budgets are too small and are not designated for growing infrastructural demands of rapidly developing domestic territorial and branched clusters.
Both in Russia and the developed countries firm understanding is being formed regarding the fact proving that the clusters are being unique form of synergic combination of educational scientific and industrial organizations. From practical experience it can be seen that functioning and development of the clusters under qualified management and sufficient resources (including financial once) re-
sults in both considerable enhancement of innovation activity and quantity of innovation developments in the clusters as well as in the separate SPE competing with the clusters. Thus creation of the separate methods and tools for the specialized dedicated direct cluster project support, first of all infrastructural once is both an important task and perspective direction for state support innovation activity system in Russian Federation.
6. Conclusion
Both development and introduction of cluster support state group methods in synergetic combination with SPE activity innovation support state infrastructural form methods could become one of key stages of complex development of innovation activity state support system in RF. It is necessary to provide cluster innovation activity state support as well as SPE support on all state power levels. Both development and realization of the measures and cluster support programs to be based on organization of several branched institutions. Presently cooperation of the both for realization of SPE support is making positive effect on to innovation activity in the country. For this reason complex participation of several federal and regional levels is necessary for in the development processes and realization of state politics support of the clusters.
The issue of transition for branched economy of RF into the cluster economy under existing both legal and economic conditions is still left open: of whether it is necessary or possible to do the same way as it had been done in European countries. Science high capacity branches have become independently initiated from clusterization processes which have started independently in RF based on unrealized demands and capacities of industrial enterprises, big innovation active high-educational schools (universities) and science institutes. E.G. they have started from the level of the market, but no state. This shows potential level of clusterization innovation as a booster for
innovations and development process of RF branches. The fact that both creation and development of domestic branch and territorial clusters is still going on in spite of absence of proper legal base as well as state support of innovation activity methods is additionally confirming perspectives of clusterization of domestic scientifically large branches.
References
1. Timokhina E. Five of the best Russian business incubators / Internet version of the magazine "Forbes". [Moscow], 11/ 10/2010. URL:
http://www.forbes.ru/svoi-biznes/star-tapy/59358-pyat-luchshih-rossiiskih-bi-znes-inkubatorov (date accessed: 18.05.2011).
2. Federal law № 116-FZ of22.07.2005 "On special economic zones", Article 5, paragraph 5.
3. Methodical recommendations on the implementation of cluster policy in the Russian Federation / Ministry of Economic Development of Russian Federation. [Moscow], 08.01.2010.: a website. - URL:
http://www.economy.gov.ru/minec/ac-tivity/sections/innovations/politic/ doc201001081702.
4. The concept of cluster policy of Moscow in the sphere of small and medium-sized enterprises: Proceedings of the Interregional Conference "Entrepreneur-ship in the industry: the path of development. Public support for joint activities (cluster) projects of SMEs ", Moscow, 2010. p. 63-90 c.
5. Moscow Law № 60 of26.11.2008 "On the support and development of small and medium-sized businesses in Moscow"
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