An analysis of technology entrepreneurship in the modern russian economy exploring SEZ, technoparks, and the Skolkovo program

The Russian government has initiated various programs over the last two decades to stimulate the development and commercialization of new technologies in the country. Each subsequent program was intended to address the requirements of its current economic context and to learn from the lessons of previous programs, the most recent of these efforts being the “Skolkovo” program. In this paper we examine the context, successes, and challenges encountered by each of the significant, previous programs in Russia for technical economic development, discussing how the Skolkovo program for supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups builds on this experience for growing innovative technology business and generating intellectual property. The paper is presented in the form of brief case studies, research results concerning relevant technology centers in other countries, summarizing best practices in the context of the current Russian economy. We use this background to discuss why the Skolkovo program is expected to bring significant growth to the Russian innovation-technology sector of the economy, as well as what challenges face the program.