Russian Authorities Demand New Technologies from Scientists Amid Record-Low Funding
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has called on the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) to urgently provide innovations for industry, energy, and healthcare. At the same time, budget spending on civilian science has been reduced to its lowest level since the early 2000s.
In a meeting with RAS head Gennady Krasikov, Mishustin emphasized the need to accelerate fundamental research to address economic challenges in critical sectors. This was reported by The Moscow Times, citing the Russian government press service.
The government’s demands come at a time when state allocations for scientific research have fallen to 0.36% of GDP — the lowest level in the past 25 years. By comparison, in 2013 funding was 0.58% of GDP, and in pre-war 2021 it was 0.47% of GDP, meaning that in recent years spending on civilian research has decreased by a quarter. Experts note that such a resource deficit makes the implementation of ambitious import substitution and scientific breakthrough plans virtually impossible.
Mishustin’s directives place particular emphasis on maintaining domestic expertise and production capabilities, directly linked to Russia’s international isolation due to its aggression against Ukraine. Despite the critical budget situation, the Kremlin continues to demand rapid results from the academic community in areas such as environmental protection and infrastructure. Analysts warn that continued underfunding will only deepen Russia’s technological lag behind developed countries. Currently, the Russian scientific community is forced to find ways to survive under strict economic constraints and political pressure.
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