The role of universities in the realization of opportunities and curbing threats to innovative economic development – expert opinions

In: Vestnik Voronežskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta: periodičeskij naučnyj žurnal = Proceedings of Voronezh State University. Serija Ėkonomika i upravlenie, Heft 3, S. 60-69

Abstract

Purpose. Defining the role of universities in realizing opportunities and containing threats to the development of an innovative economy related to training and scientific and practical cooperation. Identification of peculiarities of views of different institutional groups of society on the characteristics of innovation economy.Methodology. The study was based on an expert method. In total, 106 experts representing four institutional groups took part in the assessment of opportunities and threats: representatives of banks, business of the real sector of the economy, authorities, faculty of universities. The evaluation is carried out on 18 possibilities formulated by experts and 19 threats from which positions are selected, which are influenced by the state of personnel provision and interaction of universities with organizations of the real sector of the economy. A fuzzy logic set was used to process the results.Results. As part of the development opportunities of the innovative economy, two are directly related to the training of qualified personnel and seven – to the scientific and practical cooperation of universities, research institutes, enterprises of the real sector of the economy. In the composition of 19 threats – four are caused by insufficient qualification, weak state support of specialists. The positions of experts within the groups are in most cases sufficiently harmonized. There are significant differences between the estimates of different groups. All expert groups assessed threats higher than opportunities, which couldbe considered a pessimistic attitude to the prospects for the development of an innovative economy. Among opportunities as the most significant are recognized: the state support of talented scientists and experts in the field of scientific, scientific and technological and innovative activity; State support for small innovative enterprises. Threats include low budget funding for academic science and higher education; Lack of the necessary legal framework to protect intellectual property owners; Lagging behind in the training of personnel with competencies adequate to the requirements of an innovative economy; «Brain drain» of current and potential developers of technological and product innovations.