New technology foresight objectives discussed at the RF Ministry of Education and Science
The second in this year meeting of the Inter-Departmental Commission (IDC) on Technology Foresight took place on 11 July. The agenda included updating development priorities for the energy sector, objectives for the new cycle of the Russian S&T Foresight, and implementation of its previous stage results in the national strategic planning system.
The IDC meeting was chaired by the RF minister of education and science Dmitri Livanov. In his opening remarks he noted the importance of S&T foresight and regularly updating S&T priority development areas and critical technologies for the Russian Federation. Taking into account the forecasted global market development trends, promising technologies, and risks due to possible import limitations, the Ministry suggested a number of national S&T initiatives (NSTI). Dmitri Livanov mentioned them for the first time on 9 July in Yekaterinburg, at the meeting of the RF Presidential Council for Economic Modernisation and Innovative Development’s Presidium (which the IDC is attached to). The NSTIs in question include biomedicine and neurotechnologies, photonics and quantum technologies, and development of promising industrial technologies.
Two reports were presented to the IDC meeting: deputy RF energy minister Alexei Teksler made a presentation “On developing national system for monitoring and forecasting S&T progress in the energy industry”.
Alexei Teksler reported that the RF Ministry of Energy planned to put together the industry segment of the national S&T foresight system before the end of the year, in line with the main provisions of other key strategic documents. Also, according to the deputy minister the work is under way on identifying critical to the industry technologies and developing long-term S&T foresight for the energy industry. The study is expected to be completed by 2015. (For more on Alexei Teksler’s presentation see the RF Ministry of Energy website).
The second report “On mechanisms for practical application of Russian long-term S&T foresight results in national strategic planning, and objectives for the new cycle of S&T foresight” was presented by first vice-rector, director of the ISSEK Leonid Gokhberg. He stressed the importance of continuing and extending, including on industry-specific level, the work on developing long-term S&T foresight.
The IDC participants discussed practical application of Russian S&T Foresight 2030 approved by the RF prime minister early in 2014.
In the course of the discussion the participants analysed the mechanism for inter-departmental coordination to provide comprehensive support to innovation projects, from initial research to industrial application; implementation of relevant steps in the framework of appropriate national programmes; and the need to involve a wider circle of research and business communities’ representatives into this work.
Rounding up the meeting, the participants recommended to the RF Ministry of Economic Development to involve Inter-Departmental Commission on Technology Foresight of the RF Presidential Council for Economic Modernisation and Innovative Development’s Presidium into preparing legislation required to implement the provisions of the federal law of 28 June, 2014 № 172-FZ “On Strategic Planning in the Russian Federation”.
By Alexei Shiriaev