Russia behind West in technology, unable to utilize advanced R&D

Russia's failing economy is also causing it to fall behind in technology, its industry unable to make use of the most advanced research and development, experts said.

"Russia is not ready for the fourth technological revolution," economist Alexei Portansky wrote in an article for the Russian Council of International Affairs published on Jan. 26.

The "fourth technological revolution" was defined by the World Economic Forum as a merging of different technologies.

"The First Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to mechanize production. The Second used electric power to create mass production. The Third used electronics and information technology to automate production. Now a Fourth Industrial Revolution is building on the Third, the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century. It is characterized by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres," the forum's founder Klaus Schwab wrote in an article published on Jan. 26.

Economists have cited poor planning and incorrect priorities along with lack of funds as the reason for Russia's missing out on this new wave in technology.

Russia used to have the best mathematical education in the world, but this is now a thing of the past, said. "It is necessary to revive old and create new special physical and mathematical schools," Nikolai Vardul, chief editor of Russia's Financial Gazette, said in an article in Moskovsky Komsomolets published on Jan 25.

"The gap is going to be bigger as compared with earlier industrial revolutions," warned Russian economist German Gref in his presentation at the Gaidar Forum in Moscow on Jan. 13.

"We need to concede that we are left behind in the competition, and, being over-dependent on imported know-how, we have ended up among the losers, in the camp of downshifter countries," Gref said.

Gref further pointed out that "those countries which managed to adapt on time and invest in this new wave of technology are the winners. For those countries which failed to adapt their economies, their social setup and their institutions will end up losing."

Part of the problem is the low value of the ruble, and the weak Russian economy, which makes purchasing advanced technologies too expensive, warned Portansky.

This is making Russia miss out in the development of robotics, further digitization of the economy and the automation of production and services, Vardul said.

"The fourth industrial revolution is unfolding. It will change our lives. Some can wait for the state to develop appropriate program and begin to implement it. But there is a risk that it is already hopelessly late," Vardul said.

Alexey Melnikov, a representative from the Russian opposition party Yabloko, told Radio Svoboda on Jan.13: "This is not just an economic crisis. It's much more than that -an admission of inadequacy, a collapse, which occurred in all directions - in the economy, politics, ideology, the worldview and our place in the world. We face a total crisis comprising confusion, loss of ground under our feet. An absolute lack of orientation."

What can be done?

Gref advised beginning with bringing far reaching changes in education, from the kindergarten up to the university, and to reject the old Soviet system of education that simply burdens children with colossal volumes of information. Gref said that education must be linked to advancing technology.

"We are witnessing the end of the oil era and the only chance to make the country rise again could be on three foundations, namely, education, technology and innovative entrepreneurship bringing core qualitative changes in all institutions," Gref said.

Entrepreneur Alexey Komissarov proposes that schools start training programs for children through special classes in business and technical creativity in schools. Teachers should select and support talented children especially in mathematics and physics. In the era of total digitalization, those qualified with mathematics education will not just be in demand but they may well be able to create new technology trends. Then, Russia needs an upgrade in engineering and industrial design, according to Komissarov.

But many experts believe that it is already too late for Russia to make the transition.

Technological advance only happens in countries that prepare for the emergence of new solutions, and put them into action, argued Vladislav Inozemtsev, a professor at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, in an interview with the Russian website znak.ru on Jan 21.