Science cities to be funded through a competitive selection of projects

Today the Russian government have made amendments to the State Duma about the scientific city status law, which involve changing the existing order of their funding: not proportional to population as it is now, but on the basis of competitive selection of projects. The rules stated in the document are intended to encourage the development of science, technology and innovation in science cities, including their scientific and industrial complexes (SICs).

In addition, the amendments also provide for the conditions to come to the regime of sustainable socio-economic development through commercial use of SIC produced results.

The expediency of changing the organization of state science cities was raised by the Ministry of Science and Education. Science cities are granted intergovernmental transfers in amounts proportional to the size of the population, and after the adoption of amendments the financing of such facilities will be based on competitive selection of projects submitted by Science Cities and aimed at the development of SIC, including the creation and (or) development of organizations and their infrastructure, especially innovative.

The benefits will be given to those projects that co-financed by RF regions, municipalities and extra-budgetary sources.

In addition, the results of the competitive selection will be affected by dynamics Science City innovation development.

13 municipalities currently have scientific city status. They were created for large-scale projects on the main priority areas of science - technology and engineering in the Russian Federation.