In the Strategy of the development of Russia elaborated by the
Government Tomsk is allocated as a center of education, high
technologies and innovations. For ourselves we understand this target
so: to surpass all "specifications" by the quantity of clever people
per one square kilometer.
No fantasy here is present: Tomsk already is the leader in Russia on
number of researchers per capita. In our small by quantity of
inhabitants region work almost 500 doctors and about 1,5 thousand
candidates of sciences. Three high schools became winners of the
all-Russian competition of innovative programs - more only in Moscow
and Saint Petersburg.
Almost 100 thousand students receive higher education - practically each tenth inhabitant of the region or each fifth inhabitant of Tomsk studies in a high school. On the territory of Tomsk oblast there is the biggest in the country portion of workers with the higher and secondary education - 32 percent. From 10 thousand person of economically active population - 151 researchers, whereas the average in Russia - 69, in Great Britain - 55, in the USA - 61, in Japan - 102.
All this defined the specificity of Tomsk oblast. We have a lot of companies of the world level based on the economy of knowledge. They were created by the former or working professors of universities and scientific research institutes to introduce their own scientific development. According to the agency "Expert RА", Tomsk oblast takes the fourth place in the rating of regions of Russia with the greatest preconditions for the innovative development. The part of innovations in the cumulative potential of the region makes 21,7 percent. According to Federal Service of the State Statistics, the level of innovative activity of the enterprises of Tomsk oblast in 2006 made 15,6 percent (in Russia - 8,6, in the Siberian federal district - 6,9).
During last five years the volume of manufacture of high technology and innovative production in Tomsk oblast grew ten times and reached 20 billion roubles. The contribution of the scientific-educational complex to the internal regional product is about 10 percent that exceeds the share holding of such branches, as mechanical engineering, power engineering, timber industry.
Our region takes the fifth place in the country by the quantity of the projects-winners included in the federal target program "Researches and development on the priority directions of the development of the scientific-technological complex of Russia for 2007-2012 ". The list of objects for investments within the framework of the program" Development of the nanoindustry infrastructure in the Russian Federation for 2008-2010" included at once two Tomsk universities - Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radio Electronics and Tomsk Polytechnic University. Well, and as a whole from 10 up to 20 percent of the domestic grants directed to the support of youth in the scientific projects, are won by the representatives of Tomsk.
One of the investment minuses of Tomsk oblast is an insufficiently advanced transport infrastructure - it will be eliminated in the long term. The preparation of the design documentation for the construction of the Norh-Siberian railway representing actually the second Trans-Siberian Railway now begins. The new highway will connect eastern and southern regions of Siberia to northern territories - Hunty - Mansy autonomous region and Polar Urals Mountains.
The realization of this project will open essentially other opportunities for use of natural riches of Tomsk oblast. In the Tomsk Academgorodok the special economic zone of technic-promotional type is under construction. This autumn will enter into operation its first building which is already filled with residents, the design-budget documentation on construction of two more buildings prepares. The quantity of the companies, wishing to receive the status of the resident, reaches hundred. Besides it is planned to construct 17 large inhabited microdistricts during next twenty years in Tomsk.
We are proud of the innovative business, but in our region there are also large industrial enterprises. A number of machine-building manufactures which let out the oil-and-gas, mountain-mine and building equipment, electric motors, measuring and medical devices works. The large petrochemical combine delivering polythene and polypropylene on the markets of Europe and Asia operates. All of them need to be developed.
The Tomsk oblast takes the first place among regions of the Siberian federal district by an oil and gas recovery. The results of the geological prospecting confirmed that there is a new huge oil-and-gas province in its territory. Its stocks are estimated by the experts almost in billion tons. The Federal Agency of Subsoil Mineral Resources already prepares for the auctions the sites on the Tomsk right bank of the river Ob.
But the most important point in the development of the national economy will become the development of metals. The general probable reserves of the qualitative iron ores in oblast are estimated as 400 billion tons. Such stocks are not present in any other point of the world. In 10-15 years the Bakchar-Kolpashevo iron-ore unit will be able to become the basic supplier of the metal concentrate and the rolled metal in the east of Russia and also in the countries of Southeast Asia.
All this should be provided with a transport infrastructure, power resources and the staff. For their realization the oblast should increase the population on 100-150 thousand person during next twenty years. The first that we are going to do - to provide the creation not less than 50 thousand high intellectual and highly paid workplaces in the innovative sphere and as much - in the primary goods industry.
In the inter-regional division of labour Tomsk is ready to become a base city for preparation and retraining of experts for strategic industries - metallurgical, mining, oil, gas, and also for power and building industry. Here practically all scientific directions are advanced, we prepare the staff of any specialities not only for Tomsk oblast, but also for other regions of Russia and the countries CIS. Our universities have good experience in the field of the professional training for innovative and hi-tech business, small and average business.
The innovative education develops also in other forms focused on concrete customers - leaders in their branches. In Tomsk there are two examples evidently showing how to prepare both an elite expert and a good worker. It is the center of retraining of the oil-and-gas business experts, created by Tomsk Polytechnic University together with University Harriot-Watt (Scotland), and also the resource center of "Transneft" for preparation of the highly skilled staff of working specialities for construction of the oil pipeline Eastern Siberia - Pacific ocean. Tomsk - one of four cities of Russia where the centers of nuclear medicine are created. Our center will work on the base of the Seversk biophysical centre of science.
The most important problem of the authority - to make better the life of Tomsk oblast people. It is in our forces. We are ready to realize all our arrogant projects. Resources and opportunities of Tomsk scientific schools are the good basis for this purpose.
Tomsk oblast takes the fourth place in a rating of regions of Russia with the greatest preconditions for innovative development.
"Russian newspaper", Tomsk, 23.04.2008
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