The first attempts to increase the marketability of the regions by means of innovation development appeared in 1980’s in North Rhine-Westfalia Land, Germany and in Emilia-Romagna province, Italy. That time these regions were not called clusters. However, successful practice of their using generated the extension of cluster development projects in EU countries, the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Brazil, India and South Korea. By the mid zero years of the 21st century more than 1500 clusters appeared. Today there are 34 clusters working just in the Silicon Valley and near San-Francisco.

The world experience of the cluster development shows that the support is won first of all by the projects focused on high technologies and developed mainly (from 60% to 80%) by small and medium business. Exclusive effectiveness of using clusters in the economy is characterized by the high growth rates, increase in the number of companies and significant employment creation within a short time. The bright illustration of this may be Germany, where 7 clusters organized in 1995 – 2006 in the sphere of biotechnologies made it possible to create up to 500 new enterprises, tens of thousands workplaces and  in the end brought the country to world leaders of this direction.

In the current complicating geopolitical environment, lowering oil prices, necessity of import phase-out, the Russian economy ever more pressingly faces the issue of change-over to innovation-based development. It may be promoted to a great extent by using the positive world experience of industrial clusters organization, according to experts.

Thus in 2016 the industrial clusters will be subsidized as part of implementation of Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation as of July 31st, 2015 №779 “Concerning industrial clusters and specialized organizations of industrial clusters”. In this regard just released Draft Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “Concerning Approval of Rules of the provision from the federal budget to the members of industrial clusters on reimbursement of the part of expenses in implementing joint projects on manufacture of cluster industrial products for purposes of import phase-out” was developed.

Provision of subsidies to members of industrial clusters is planned on reimbursement of the part of expenses in implementing joint projects on manufacture of cluster industrial products for purposes of import phase-out. The subsidization will be carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Trade within the budgetary allocations according to directions for the development of technological infrastructure sites; pursuance of the research and developments related to industrial products manufacture; development of training and career development systems for engineers; holding of exhibitions and participation of the industrial cluster members both in Russia and abroad.

The compulsory conditions of subsidies provision will be non-budgetary financing of the industrial clusters members’ joint projects in the volume of no less than 70% of the expenses total amount and actual financing of projects in the volume of no less than 30% at the time of application filing. At the same time by joint project of industrial clusters members is understood the project with two or more industrial clusters members being unaffiliated; with validated expenses of the members; being coordinated by specialized organization of the industrial cluster and included into the program approved by the general meeting of cluster members.

The rules determine the order of bids admitting, selection of joint projects and making a decision on provision of subsidies. Provision of subsidies will be implemented on the basis of agreement between the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and the specialized organization.

Rate of the subsidy, provided by one specialized organization of the industrial cluster, won’t be able to exceed 40% of budget obligation limits, stipulated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation for the corresponding financial year and corresponding aims.

Effectiveness of using subsidies will be determined by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation till March 1st of the year following the accounting one. The influence will be exerted by the indicator of non-budgetary funding volume into implementation of the investment projects, number of new workplaces, the share of added value, created by the members of industrial clusters, in the rate of final products output.

Unused in the current financial year residual amount of subsidies will be subject to return to the budget.

According to media reports, selection of members of subsidies distribution will begin in November 2015. The first results will be available in the 1st quarter of 2016. 

For the record:

According to experts, nearly 25 clusters are being created in Russia at the moment. For instance, vehicle and pharmaceutical clusters in Kaluga region; unique aerospace cluster, electro technical, petrochemical clusters as well as toys manufacturing cluster in Samara; medical tool engineering cluster and pharmaceutical cluster in Perm; titanium and electro technical cluster, cluster of transport engineering on manufacture of trains, tramway, railway rails in Yekaterinburg; in Saint-Petersburg - clusters for medical and pharmaceutical industries and radiation technologies, IT-technologies, radio electronics, instrument-making and  communication tools clusters, projects on creation of clusters in the sphere of water cleaning and jewelry manufacture; in Tatarstan – clusters of chemical, petrochemical industries and helicopter engineering in Nizhnekamsk, Naberezhnye Chelny and Elabuga; educational cluster in Tomsk; Academic Town in Novosibirsk as a basis for IT-technologies cluster; development of engineering cluster in Cheboksary on the basis of enterprises manufacturing cables, conductors, automatics and relay protection equipment; creation of IT-technologies cluster with call-centers of telecommunication companies in Rostov region. 

One can get acquainted with the activity of industrial clusters, as well as the list of prospective manufacturers of the products for imports phase-out after subscribing for the Information and analytical system Globas-i®.

Devaluation of the ruble, sanctions, poor conditions in the commodity markets and the general deterioration of the macroeconomic situation led to a significant reduction in the volume of foreign trade turnover: for January-August 2015 the import of goods and services to Russia in monetary terms fell by 38,9% (from 193,3 bln USD to 118,1 bln USD) in accordance with the correspondence period of 2014; the export reduced by 31,6% (from 343,1 bln USD to 234,5 bln USD). The positive trade surplus amounted to 116,4 bln USD, that indicates the stable demand on the Russian exported goods in the foreign market.

Speaking about Russia’s foreign partners, the attention to the countries of the Eurasian economic union and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) should to be paid. The share of these countries in the total export/import volume is increasing and EU countries’ share is reducing.

Kazakhstan can be mentioned an example, appeared for the first time in the Top-10 of countries leading in export of Russian goods and rose by 3 positions at once. Ukraine, formerly included in the Top-10, fell by 6 positions during the period under review, and quit the list of the Russia’s main trade partners. Today the Ukraine’s share in the Russian export is 2,5% or 6 bln USD (12th position).

For the period of January-August 2015, China has increased the share in the total import by 1,7%. Belarus and Kazakhstan also increased their shares. Ukraine reduced the supplies share by 1% and today 3,2% of imported goods and services on the total amount of 3,7 bln USD fell to this country.

Speaking about the commodity structure of the foreign trade, the new trend can be noted: the share of the mineral fuel in the total export volume has significantly reduces (from 71,4% to 64,8%) in the period of January-August 2015. Despite this position continues playing the essential role, Russia begins to diversify its export. It is a kind of compulsory measure caused by falling HC-hydrocarbon prices. The total export volume of the mineral raw materials in the monetary terms amounted to 152,1 bln USD.

Other goods of the total export volume: ferrous metal (4,6% of the total export), fertilizers (2,6%), precious and semi-precious stones (2,4%), equipment and mechanical devices (2,4%), aluminum and goods thereof (2,2%), armament (2,1%), wood (1,8%), products of chemical industry (1,8%), copper and goods thereof (1,3%), cereals (1,3%), other foods and services (12,8%).

Picture 1. Commodity structure of export, January-August 2015г., % of total export in monetary terms

As for the import, the decrease in car industry by 3,2% can be explained the fall of cars demand among the population. The commodity structure in general remains the same and the reprocessing products are mainly purchased: mechanical equipment (18,6% of total import), electrical machinery and equipment (10,7%), cars (8,6%), pharmaceuticals (4,7%), plastics and products thereof (4,2%), optical equipment (2,6%), products of ferrous metals (2,6%) and others (see Picture 2).

Picture 2. Commodity structure of import, January-August 2015г., % of total import in monetary terms

Summing up the results, the Credinform experts forecast the decrease in the foreign trade turnover will continue the current year following the external reasons, such as the ruble devaluation and falling the HC-hydrocarbon prices. The low base and a kind of stabilization in the currency market can lead to the restoration of positions in 2016.

The further diversifying of the commodity structure of our export will be likely continued. The domestic manufacturer was given a competitive advantage and its products became significantly cheaper for the foreign buyers that can be a key to the external markets.