Russian technological specialization Comparison with BRICs and EU

Russia, with its long scientific tradition and an extremely large R&D base, had been one of the major contributors to the world’s knowledge during decades of years. But the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the transition to a market economy, radically affected the national R&D system that existed in USSR. The main target of this paper is exploring technological specialization pattern of Russian manufacturing industry (26 sectors under observation) during the period of 1994-2008. For achievement this goal, firstly, using U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as the source of data for empirical investigation I try to find out if there were great changes in Russian manufacturing sectors’ technological specialization connected with its re-orientation from military to civil needs. Secondly, dividing Russian manufacturing sectors in four groups (“Dynamic specialization”, “Static specialization”, “Lost opportunities” and “Retreat”) I examine the nature of Russian technological specialization’s changes and its relation with international technological changes. And thirdly, I provide comparison between technological specialization’s models of Russian Federation, other countries of “BRIC”, European Nordic Innovation leaders (Denmark, Finland and Sweden) and European Southern Moderate Innovators (Italy and Spain).