As Sergey Morozov noted, during this period significant steps have been taken to improve the high-tech industries and the innovative component of the regional economy. Compared to 2011, the share of high-tech and knowledge-intensive industries in GRP has increased by 9.1% following the results of 2014, and this is the second best result in the Volga Federal District, as well as the 25th place on growth rates in Russia. More than 12% of production made in the region is the innovative one, which provides the 11th place among regions of the Russian Federation. Annually we manufacture goods worth 25-30 billion rubles and the region takes the 25th place in the country on the absolute value of this indicator.
"We defined the main directions of our regional policy in the sphere of innovative activities. With minor adjustments, they will be fundamental for the following five years," - said the head of the region to the deputies.
According to him, the region will continue development of the necessary institutional environment. One of the core documents, the Act on Development of Innovative Activities in the Territory of the Region, was accepted in December, 2015. Another one, the Regional Programme of the advanced industrial and innovative development, is under expert discussion. It covers several steps for creation of infrastructural environment, construction of basic objects in Ulyanovsk and Dimitrovgrad and development of modern research and production laboratories, research centers, small innovative enterprises on the basis of higher education institutions and enterprises. Particular emphasis will be also placed on strengthening of innovative elements and communications within and between clusters, as well as issues of personnel training starting from school.
"We also defined mechanisms to address the objectives set. This includes implementation of a revolutionary project of the Regional Technology Initiative created on the basis of the National Technology Initiative. In April, 2016 the region was among the ten pilot regions of the country to start its realization in five areas of activity: aviation, automotive, food, health care and energy industries. We have already started work in each of them", - emphasized Sergey Morozov.
According to the experts, the fact that the region was included into the ten pilot entities of the Russian Federation, as well as its high positions in innovative ratings (the rating of the Association of Innovative Regions, in which the region took the 13th place among 83 entities of Russia, and the rating of the Higher School of Economics, according to which the region is the 11th among the most innovatively developed regions of the country; the region is also the undisputed leader in Russia on the scientific and technical potential), prove that a good basis for development of the territory has been created.
According to the provisional Governor, in the coming years there is an important task not only to reform economy in the sphere of industry and agriculture, but also to create new sophisticated and competitive sectors for the future one. All this should be done relying on innovations, knowledge and creative potential of individuals.
"New economic guidance and new drivers of growth are necessary for development, which means that it is necessary to look for new strategic decisions related to structural changes in the economy. We have every chance to create new economy, the economy of advanced industrial development, the economy of the 21 century. In order to achieve this goal, in 2016 we will start implementation of a major project "The Great Technology Valley", which will work on the PPP basis. The main concept of the project is to create a place where knowledge becomes business, and business is impossible without knowledge", - said Sergey Morozov.
"Replying to the question whether it is possible to implement such project in the region or not, I should mention that we invite experts from places all around the world where this kind of work was successful. Several expert groups have already come to the region. They concluded that this task is a difficult one, but not impossible", - noted Andrey Redkin, the CEO of the Ulyanovsk ULNANOTECH NanoCenter.
Thus, the main objective of the regional government will be formation of essentially new innovative sectors of economy based on technology entrepreneurship.
Currently, according to the provisional Governor, the State Regional Programme for Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development of the Ulyanovsk Region for 2016-2020 is under development. It will be the one to define the main approaches and principles of work in these areas, mechanisms and instruments to support projects, as well as target indicators, which the region will strive to achieve in 2020 versus 2015.
The key indicators are: increase in output of the manufacturing industry by 46%, and as a result enhancement of labor productivity in this sector by 1,5 times; increase of productivity in the agro-industrial complex; 15% reduction in power consumption of the manufacturing industry and increase in the value of non-primary exports by 1.6 times.
The previous programmes of industrial development were based on enterprise plans only, which were first summarized, and then compared to the results received.
According to Sergey Morozov, the framework of the new program of industrial and innovative development is quite different. It is based on project investment policies, selection and target investment into the most promising projects, which will allow to renovate operating plants are to create new industrial facilities that will use modern technologies. "At the regional level we already have the basic understanding of what we have to reconstruct and rebuild in different industries. We know what types of productions, enterprises and business structures we need. First of all, this approach will be aimed at the aircraft industry, automotive sector, automobile parts manufacturing, machine-tool construction, energy engineering, information technology and food industry. In the current context of tight resource constraints it will allow to rise above the details and to provide support in the best possible way", - commented the provisional Governor.
The projects will have a synergetic effect. This means that thanks to the support of related industries, new businesses will be launched. It will also benefit the already existing ones, as well as provide creation of production chains in the regional clusters. Export-oriented import substitution will become the main selection criteria.
The programmes will also have mechanisms of support and financing. It is planned that the amount of financial resources will increase. By 2022, the amount of investment will total 16.6 billion rubles, providing that private co-financing and refunding will exist.
At the same time, the Government of the Ulyanovsk region will continue to support investors, and mechanisms of special investment contracts will be launched. "Investors will have an opportunity to receive long-term fixed guarantees and privileges on condition that they will not only launch assembly operations but also bring the cutting-edge technologies to the region, as well as create technological innovative centers. In addition, the current tax preferences and privileges will be maintained and updated if necessary", - summed up Sergey Morozov.