Innovation and Digitalization of Russian Economy: Challenges and Restrictions

Abstract

The article studies the acute issues of Russia movement towards digital innovation economy. The author discusses specific features of the digitalization process in our country leaning on fundamental state documents in the field, i. e. the Strategy of innovation development of the Russian Federation up to 2020 and the Program 'Digital Economy of the Russian Federation'. It was shown that problems highlighted in these documents, such as insufficient financing and underdeveloped normative-legal support were confirmed by latest statistic data. According to the author, these problems have system nature and caused not by occasional circumstances but by deeper reasons. The author analyzes examples of concrete innovation developments in different fields of economy, such as construction, agro-technology, powder metallurgy and bio-technology and showed difficulties facing today's Russian production and service sector in their urge towards digital future. Special attention is paid to the leader of the present day innovation economy -computer technologies. The author came to the conclusion that though serious innovation developments are available, possibility of their introduction is dubious. Referring to the earlier fundamental analysis of liberal reforms of the 1990-s prepared by prominent Russian scientists the author puts forward certain ideas aimed at resolving these problems and contradictions.

Keywords

• industry 4.0
• innovation activity of enterprises
• computer technologies