DOI: 10.33917/es-5.163.2019.90-99

Innovative development is a strategy for creating a new technological and social structure. The implementation of this agenda requires the solution of a complex of problems created by the phenomenon of innovation. The article identifies seven problem areas that impede the formation of a sustainable innovation system in modern Russia. The problem of definitions is associated with a lack of understanding of the deep essence of the innovation culture, which gives rise to a superficial understanding of innovation only as a commercialized innovation, and not as a way of life. The problem of operationalization and evaluation of innovations is associated with the dominance of technocratic and statistical approaches, which leads to linear conclusions and forms a biased picture of the development potential of Russia. The problem of spontaneity of innovation and the focus solely on the investment aspects of innovation policy can turn into significant financial losses and a decrease in the creative potential of people involved in certain branches of science and economics. The problem of the subject forms the wrong idea of innovation as an exclusive product of individual creativity, while they are the result of complex social interaction. The problem of the institutional environment is associated not so much with incubators, venture funds, technology parks and research laboratories, as with the indispensable role of the school and basic science. Last but not least, are the problems of the socio-cultural environment of innovations and their unpredictable consequences. The efficiency and sustainability of the innovation system is directly dependent on the prevailing attitude in society towards unsuccessful attempts to introduce innovations. Negative perception can generate apathy towards innovation at best, and aggression at worst. A calm assessment of failures can be the key to success. The solution of the identified problems – the constraining factors of innovation – is possible with the unidirectional energy of political, economic and research subjects

The article aims to consider the possibilities of handling the developing countries’ debts to Russia. A model for converting financial debt into long-term lease of property assets (territory, water area, etc.) is proposed. Recombination of debts for the long-term lease of territory will allow our country to achieve geostrategic results now or postpone it for the future, when it becomes especially profitable for us. This model of setting off (paying) the debt of the debtor country for Russia’s right to lease a part of the debtor country’s territory for 100 years ahead with exclusive use rights like a special economic zone should protect the interests of Russia and Russian companies, with regard to possible future situations of both peaceful and military character. Experience of the USA, which leased Alaska from the Russian Empire and is still giving it back, confirms the proposed model effectiveness

The article contains the author’s summary on the 2018 Chengdu Global Think Tanks Forum (China) with the active participation of the Russian delegation and a critical review of the events and a number of reports within the event framework. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role and capabilities of the think tanks created by the BRICS countries, to identify the benefits and threats of global governance, as well as to promote the results of research activities initiated and realized by scientists and experts from countries with developing, emerging and transforming markets.

2000s and 2010s are usually called “transition period”. On the one hand, during this time we observe the strengthening of the international cooperation actively being started with reforms under the rules of the G20 as the response to the intensification of global financial system’s development internal contradictions and the emergence of global economic crisis. On the other hand, these years are characterized by an increased level of conflicts manifested in the vigorous and collective application of sanctions and the declaration of trade wars. The subject of the article is especially relevant for Russia having been already sanctioned for 5 years. The purpose of this research is to analyze the impact of sanctions on the target economy. The paper provides a brief description of the existing sanctions against Russia since 2014. The second part of research is devoted to the identification of conditions for the effectiveness of economic sanctions. The third section includes the analysis of the negative sanction effect’s reasons and evidence. Finally we provide arguments in favor of real and potential opportunities for Russia to obtain economic benefits from the sanctions. In 2014–2016 we observed the negative effect of economic sanctions expressed in the form of losses and lost profits and caused as logical consequence of Russian economy’s development features. There are preconditions for creating a positive effect from sanctions — an impulse that can bring Russian economic system to a qualitatively new stage of growth. These positive trends need to be developed and sustained by domestic government support.

This article contains the results of joint scientific and diplomatic work of the two research groups — from the Chinese and Russian side: under the leadership of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China (RDCY) and Counselor to the President of the Russian Federation. The uniqueness of this publication lies in the fact that a reader has the opportunity to observe the joint work including analysis of the Sino-Russian financial and economic cooperation benefits and “bottlenecks” of scientists, heads of leading institutions and officials in real time and in the process of coordinating the positions of the parties, to understand the complexity of diplomatic work and to assess the importance of agreements and results having been achieved.

The article discusses the possibility of forming (based on cryptocurrency principles) a single electronic currency of the EAEU. On the basis of a cryptocurrency approach — e-currency emission — it becomes possible to solve the problems of increasing investments, including to overcome the limited capabilities of national financial institutions in their competition with financial and banking groups — non-residents of the EAEU member states. A cryptocurrency management model allows to solve the problem of rearranging volumes, structure and conditions of emission and turnover of digital financial assets within the EAEU as a kind of bundled package of various types of investment resources based on an integrated cryptocurrency control, mining and ICO (Initial Coin Offering) in conjunction with economic activity and exchange rates of the EAEU Member States. The unified financial system of the EAEU in terms of financial resources amount will be able to withstand the risks of currency and financial collapses due to manipulative games and currency attacks by international speculative groups.

Crypto-currency is becoming one of the key factors for competitiveness of major players in national and global monetary and financial markets. Bitcoin has actually become one of the world’s currencies. State regulators’ conceptions about decentralization and autonomy of crypto-currencies create ever greater risks of currency-financial collapses owing to manipulative games and currency attacks of international speculative groups. Real beneficiaries of the crypto-currency volatility, as a rule, remain beyond visibility of the world community. Trends in the development of crypto-currencies as an increasingly important element of the world monetary and financial markets have determined for our country the need to form a mechanism for planning and coordinating the monetary and monetary policy of the EAEU member states with an agreed rate of a single electronic currency, circulation terms and conditions (zones, etc.) applying the principles of forming a transparent and unified organizational structure of financial institutions and markets within the framework of the EAEU.

Trans-Asian geo-project of Russia’s transport domination at sea and on land is proposed to be considered as a global Russia’s counteraction to threats in accordance with time and space. Its business content is focused on transformation of Eurasia with the help of “soft power”: through construction of facilities that will improve the life quality of population in Russia and its partner countries. The article outlines approaches to organizing “general cleaning” of the territory for cooperation between historically friendly countries of the Middle Eurasia. The essence of improving the territory between the Kara Sea and the Persian Gulf with the innovative transport infrastructure is to ensure transport domination of Russia both on the sea and the continent, expansion of its economic space. It provides a stable source of acquiring large-scale benefits and advantages for Russians and the country as a whole for many years to come. Without Trans-Asian Corridor of Development prosperity of EAEU, SCO and BRICS will be inadequate.

The article considers the actual economic interests of Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union in the process of formation of the Great Eurasian partnership in the face of current challenges. An approach is proposed to implement these interests on the basis of an analysis of benefits and risks.

The article is dedicated to forming the Russian cluster of transport-transit and fuel-energy corridors of Eurasia as a Russian counterpart partner project integrated with the Chinese Economic belt of the Silk Road. The authors substantiate the necessity of creating the Eurasian distributed mega-hub, oriented to consolidated management for the use of the transport-transit and fuel-energy infrastructure of Russia and other states-participants of the EAEU, combined with a similar Chinese infrastructure. The technological base of such a project is the infrastructure for production and transportation of fuel, energy, raw materials, food and other resources and for provision of logistics and other services in the structure of infrastructure-transport directions (corridors) “China–Russia–Europe” and “Russia–China–Asia”. It is proposed to change Russia’s business positioning in cooperation with China for its integration as a key operator in the structure of providing transport and transit services and supplying fuel and energy resources in Europe and Asia. On this basis, it is possible to form mechanisms both for coordinating trade of products and resources, as well as agreeing in mutually beneficial interests between Russia and China on various technological, economic, information and other aspects that ensure synchronization of the processes of rendering transport and transit services and energy supply to consumers in different territorial zones of national economies of Europe and Asia.