Transition to the knowledge and high technology economy in pandemic conditions: experience in Russia

Abstract

The economy of knowledge and high technology has become one of the priority areas of innovative
development of countries. A similar benchmark was set for the Russian government. However,
global challenges have challenged its implementation. The purpose of the article is to assess the state
of the scientific sphere of Russia on the basis of statistical analysis, to highlight promising areas of its
development. An analysis of the development of the R & D sector revealed a number of problems: the
low share of the industry in the country’s GDP, the outflow of specialists abroad, the insufficient level
of business inclusion in scientific developments and, as a result, the low degree of commercialization
of scientific developments. At the same time, the pandemic of 2019 became an impulse for the
development of Russian science. In the context of the pandemic, Russia can take a strong position
on the world stage to diagnose and combat it, as well as supply other promising non-resource goods
and services to the world community in key sectors of modern science. These areas can become a
solid basis for creating scientific international consortia and entering the world arena of Russian enterprises,
which means accelerating the process of transition to the economy of knowledge and new
technologies.Key
words: economics of knowledge and new technologies, state of scientific sphere, directions
of development, pandemic.