2012 Issue №4(14)

Latvia’s participation in the process of integration and globalization within the European Uni on creates a need to improve tools of competitiveness and management assessment of the country’s regions. It also requires the development of common approaches to sel ection criteria, competition indicators and assessment tools at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels. This study identifies the development stage of Latvia’s regions and considers methods as well as experience of evaluation and improvement of the competitiveness of Latvia’s regions. The authors describe priorities and tools for regional innovative development and analyze conditions affecting regional development in the country. This work takes into account the current priority of the European Union — innovation and development of socioeconomic activity aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and attractiveness of European regions. This study sets out to evaluate the competitiveness of Latvia’s regions using a method developed by the European Commission. An  expert survey based on the analytic hierarchy process identifies priority areas and instruments for their innovative development.

This article analyses approaches to the definition of such categories as “scientific and technological potential” and “innovative potential” in view of their resource, structural, procedural and resultant components. The author gives a more accurate definition of the scientific and technological potential through identifying its resources and orientation towards transforming abilities. On the basis of the existing methods of comparative analysis used in Russia and abroad, the author proposes a methodology for evaluating scientific and technological potential in the context of regional and international comparison. The integral index is calculated on the basis of a customised information and statistical database of normalised indicators through the identification and convolution of subindices that characterise individual components of potential. These subindices include pecific indicators applied in different statistical systems, in particular, those used in Russia and the EU, which made it possible  to compar the data. The article presents the result of the application of this methodology based on a comparative evaluation of the scientific and technological potential of Russia (Northwestern federal district) and EU states of the Baltic region. The experimental check suggests that the methodology be further improved for future clustering of Russian and EU regions according to the level of their innovative development.

The article offers an analytical review of the prospects for the formation of new hi-tech markets in the Baltic Sea region with the participation of small and medium businesses. In view of the essential features of entrepreneurship, its prospects in the development and implementation of innovations seem to be quite attractive. However, in the current economic context, growth requires special measures. The authors analyse the measures taken by the European Union and individual countries in order to strengthen the participation of small and medium business in R&D and innovation, describe conditions which are necessary for unlocking innovative potential, identify new industries that might become drivers of innovative economy in Europe. The authors also offer a country-specific list of basic markets, which can be developed by small and medium enterprises in a short-term perspective. In the structure of the Baltic Sea region a special position is held by the Nordic countries — Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland  — major regional innovators, as well as a group of South-eastern regions that serve as innovation consumers. Best hopes rest with information and communications technologies and biotechnologies, which are expected to become the centre of major clusters of small and medium enterprises.

The present analysis is based on the institutional model of research on social processes. Thus, the idea of possible modernisation of Russian society rests on the consideration of the current situation in the field of economics, management, and science. On the basis of a secondary analysis of statistical data and the works of Russian and international sociologists, this article describes the fundamental conceptual framework of the modernisation of Russian society. In particular, it focuses on the criticism of the modernisation project initiated by the forces that present themselves as conservative. The author also mentions significant problems arising during the modernisation of Russian society; these problems are rooted in both objective conditions of the on-going process and subjective factors. The article addresses the emergence and development of the modernisation idea in Russia. The relevance of this work lies in theidentification of the features of the transition of Russian society into a new phase, which reflects the trends of global innovative processes.

This article is devoted to research and technology agreements in Norway, and their positive impact on the development of relations with foreign oil and gas companies during the period of formation of the Norwegian oil and gas industry. Based on archival documents, the article considers Norway’s experience of conclusion of research and technology agreements for transferring the latest technologies of exploration and oil and gas production to national oil and gas companies in the process of developing the country’s oil and gas industry. The author concludes that Norway made significant scientific and technological progress through promoting active cooperation with foreign companies. Norway’s successful experience could be applied by Russian state authorities in order to develop relations with foreign oil companies. These companies could take part in offshore exploration in the Russian sector of the Barents Sea through concluding similar agreements between Russian state institutions, and foreign oil and gas companies, which would give an impetus to the development of the technological component of Russia’s oil and gas sector. Research and technology agreements have been used by Norwegians with the aim of diversification of the economy and prevention of excessive dependence on the energy sector, which is one of the major challenges faced by Russia.