Julien Vercueil

Could Russia become more innovative? Coordinating key actors of the innovation system

This article studies the current development of the Russian innovation system, using a typology derived from a ‘national innovation systems’ framework. The institutional framework for research and development in Russia has changed. Public resources devoted to R&D have increased significantly. Nevertheless, results have been disappointing so far, driving policy makers to develop an extensive vision of the states role, ranging from the definition of objectives and priorities to the building of organisations designed to give decisive impetus to targeted sectors. The article supports the view that, beyond top-down planning, subsidies and fiscal incentives, a systemic – and so far overlooked – task of the state is to set the institutional conditions that can foster collaboration between actors who do not spontaneously develop cooperation skills.

Income inequalities, productive structure and macroeconomic dynamics. A regional approach to the russian case

In this paper we try to assess the impact of recent macroeconomic fluctuations on Russian households income levels. We analyse the Russian trajectory in three different ways. First, we compare the evolution of the « middle class » in Russia with other (B)RIC and western countries, using the wealth-based definition of this group proposed in the Global Wealth Report (Credit Suisse Research Institute, 2015). Second, we go deeper into the Russian case in order to show how regional disparities regarding incomes distribution can be interpreted, considering the countrys recent macroeconomic trajectory. For this purpose, we build a productive typology of the Russian regions and study the link between each type and the level of income inequalities, using the varying structures in sources of households incomes as a possible explanation of regional variations. We conclude by an assessment of the remaining challenges for incomes policy in Russia.

Russie : La « Stratégie 2020 » En Question

Cet article analyse le soubassement productif et financier de la politique industrielle en Russie en s’appuyant sur la « strategie 2020 » developpee a partir de 2008. Les objectifs de cette strategie sont de diversifier le substrat industriel de l’economie russe, ce qui permettrait de maintenir la croissance a son niveau des annees 2000. Cependant, les chocs subis par l’industrie russe depuis 1992 ont reduit ses capacites productives et transforme sa structure. Les financements internes et externes necessaires pour accompagner la politique de modernisation envisagee par la « strategie 2020 » ne supposent donc pas seulement l’implication de l’Etat : ils requierent aussi une reorientation du systeme financier vers le financement de l’economie.