Strategic Planning of Science and Technology Policy in Conditions of Growing Uncertainty: Challenges for Russia

The article examines the main documents of strategic planning in the Russian Federation in the field of science, technology and innovation policy, including the Scientific and Technological Development Strategy, Forecast of Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation until 2030, and the Concept of Technological Development of Russia for the period until 2030. Their strengths and weaknesses are assessed as tools for STI management, taking into account the changing external context, increasing uncertainty, the emergence of new global and regional risks. It is shown that strategic planning documents in the field of STI are becoming the main response to “grand challenges”, a tool for monitoring traditional and new threats and risks. The work highlights the importance of STI strategic planning for solving the problems of ensuring technological sovereignty, national security, accelerated and forced scientific and technological development in the context of current external restrictions. The author justifies the need to transform STI strategic planning into a continuous process, supported by the necessary scientific tools for technological foresight, sociological research as well as for financial and economic assessment. The study also covers the documents of strategic STI planning at the level of international organizations and associations in which Russia participates, including the EAEU and the emerging GEP, CIS, SCO, Union State of Russia and Belarus, BRICS. The potential of these documents is considered from the point of view of identifying and supporting advanced joint projects of scientific teams and individual researchers to respond to the needs of the current mobilization stage of science and technology development of Russia and its partners. The possibilities of combining various formats of international cooperation in the field of STI were also considered. The continued relevance of effective STI strategic planning in conditions of growing external uncertainty is confirmed. A general conclusion is made that ensuring harmonization and coordination of scientific and technological development priorities at different levels – from corporate to international – is one of the key tasks for Russia today.

scientific and technological cooperation, science, technology and innovation (STI) policy, strategic planning, research and development, scientific and technological forecas, foresight research, sustainable development