Intellectual property as a driver of innovative development: initial results of the pilot project

Participants of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia discussed the national strategy for the development of intellectual property and the early outcomes of a pilot project focused on financing against intellectual property rights.

 Meeting of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia (AIRR) took place at "Technopark-Mordovia." Experts from relevant federal agencies and representatives from ten AIRR member regions attended, including Altai Krai, Irkutsk, Kaluga, Novgorod, Tomsk, Tyumen, Ulyanovsk regions, as well as the Republics of Mordovia and Tatarstan, and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

AIRR Director Alexander Smekalin emphasized that the association is actively working to develop the market for intellectual rights in various regions. Several proposals have been prepared, forming a consolidated position on managing intellectual property systems. These proposals were presented in February 2024 at a meeting of the Social Committee of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia, chaired by Valentina Matviyenko.

"This was an important step forward, and many of our initiatives were supported by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia. They relate to expanding the 'patent box' tools for small and medium-sized businesses, increasing the value of intellectual property, and transforming it into a full-fledged company asset. A pilot project on financing against intellectual property rights is currently being implemented in several AIRR regions, including Mordovia, Nizhny Novgorod region, and Moscow. Each step brings us closer to making intellectual property a tangible asset," Smekalin stated.

The initial results from the pilot project in Mordovia were presented by Igor Gubaidullin, Minister of Industry, Science, and New Technologies of the Republic. He reported an increase in transactions related to managing intellectual property rights in the region. This growth was facilitated by support from regional development institutions, VAT refunds, partial funding for R&D expenses, and increased business capitalization.

In Novgorod region, the development of the intellectual property market and grant support for R&D have become integral to attracting entrepreneurs and active youth to the region. Konstantin Kharlamov, Vice-Rector for Innovative Development at Novgorod State University, noted that one of the key task is supporting technology companies and startups.

Experts highlighted the necessity for improving competencies in managing intellectual property. To address this need, a specialized educational program is planned to launch within the Moscow Innovation Cluster. Anna Grashchenkova, head of the Intellectual Property Center at the Moscow Innovation Cluster Fund, reported good initial results of a pilot project in Moscow: approximately 350 applications were submitted and 19 loans were granted totaling over 500 million rubles, mostly for IT products.

Arsen Savva, General Director of the Tatarstan Center for Scientific and Technical Information, underscored that intellectual property is crucial for developing innovative technologies. Tatarstan ranks first among regions in the Volga Federal District for invention applications submitted in 2023. This success stems from implementing a program of developing the intellectual property market in 2017-2023. Savva added that developing a National Strategy for Intellectual Property is an urgent task that requires leveraging experiences and competencies from Russian Federation entities within AIRR. Additionally, Tatarstan has become one of the first regions in Russia to initiate financing against intellectual property rights. The project was launched with support from the Republic's Ministry of Economy alongside "Rospatent" and Tatarstan's Scientific and Technical Center. The first loan against intellectual rights was issued for over 7 million rubles for 4 years at a rate of 7%. Currently, there are 18 applications from small and medium-sized enterprises under consideration.

Dmitry Mitroshin, head of regional initiatives at AIRR and moderator of the event, announced that all initiatives and proposals discussed at this expanded meeting will be refined and presented to experts and federal authorities to create a unified strategy for developing intellectual property in Russia.