Innovative Systems of Economy in the BRIC Countries

Abstract

The growing amount of highly technological goods in the structure of national production and export of BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) is connected with the development of national innovative systems, which have geographical and historical features. Globalization of world economy strengthens cooperation processes and technological transfer between national innovative systems. BRIC countries are characterized by average world level of development of innovative systems. The majority of resources are concentrated in the subsystem of knowledge production. The state sector is dominating in financing innovation activity in Russia, India and Brazil. The main problems of these countries are insufficient development of the knowledge implementation subsystem (entrepreneurial sector) and dominance in innovative production only of certain branches of industry. Serious problems connected with processes of knowledge transfer in technological innovations and their commercialization exist in these countries in according to the analysis of fi nancing Research and Development (R&D), employment level, patent and export activities. In Russia a considerable amount of all innovations is produced in branches of industries with reasonably low R&D expenditures. The proportion of highly technological enterprises does not exceed 10%. Having followed the policy of “access to the domestic market through the technological transfer”, China reinforced its position in science-consuming production. Scientific knowhow policy in BRIC countries is one of the most important factors of national innovative systems growth. It is possible to define four main streams in it: identification of prospective directions for technological development, consolidation of scientific and technological potential, foreign investment attraction in the highly technological sector, and promotion of knowledge transfer between the regional structures.