Vol 28, No 4 (2017)

This paper highlights the great importance of increasing the share of the knowledge economy in the GDP, which is currently 13% in Russia, compared to 30% in Western Europe and the United States. The accelerated growth in the fixed asset and investment in the knowledge economy at levels of 20–25% and 20%, respectively, by 2020 have been justified. Attention is drawn to the inadequately low, declining level of investment in healthcare in Russia, the GDP share of which is twice as low as in 25 developed countries and 1.5 times lower than in 30 developing countries, which is reflected in the increased mortality rate. The WHO data on the average life expectancy of men has been analyzed; it amounts to only 58.7 years, which is below the age of retirement in Russia. In developed countries, the average life expectancy of men is 13–14 years higher. It has been concluded that, in order to tackle the long-term challenges in human capital, it is necessary to boost labor productivity and increase wages by reducing the groundless differentiation of the population’s income to the level of Western European countries.

The authors have considered methods for an alternative assessment of the dynamics of capital assets over 1992–2015, which fundamentally differ from those employed by the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), and have presented the results obtained on their basis. Losses of fixed assets incurred by the economy over this period in value terms have also been estimated. The reasons for the current crisis of the Russian economy have been shown in connection with the exhaustion of the Soviet material heritage and ways of handling the crisis have been proposed based on the reduction in household consumption and sharp increase in the share of accumulation and savings.

This paper reviews the existing mechanisms of innovative development in the world economy focusing on emerging technologies markets evolution on the example of nanotechnology. The question has been raised of whether nanotechnologies can provide the core of the new technological revolution, and whether these prospects exist for NBIC convergence. In this connection the development of the global market for nano-enabled products following the 2007–2009 crisis and the reliability of the related development forecasts have been assessed. Particular attention has been paid to peculiarities of nanoenabled product market structure and the impact of stagnating R&D costs in the field of nanotechnology.

The paper presents statistical data on the state of scientific and innovative activities in the regions of Northwest Russia. The dynamics of their main indicators has been analyzed. Scientific factors that affect the effectiveness of innovative activities have been identified. The values of factors and their connection with the final results by region have been determined. The advisability of developing statistical accounting of process innovations and implementation of scientific potential of the region is noted.

The levels of energy consumption of passenger automobiles in different countries around the world have been considered, and the main trends in energy consumption have been analyzed. Several proposals have been made on how to improve the current methodological approaches to forecasting the energy consumption in transport. Mid- and long-term forecasts of the demand for traditional and alternative energy sources for passenger automobiles in Europe and Russia have been elaborated.

The paper analyzes the internal and external markets of the domestic freight-car-building industry. Investment and innovative components of the industry have been considered. An accelerator effect in the economy on an example of the domestic freight-car-building industry has been described. The relationship between the accelerator effect and the introduction of innovations in industry has been obtained.

The first part of this published paper has provided a brief assessment of the demographic situation in the world and considers the problems of the health protection of elderly age groups and ensuring of their level of income and material well-being through the state pension system and their own work activities, as well as measures for protecting the interests of elderly people in the consumer sector. The shortcomings of the adopted strategy of action for the benefit of the older generation in the Russian Federation until 2025 have been discussed. The second part of this article will be be published in a forthcoming issue of this journal.

The role and features of state involvement in the economy have been analyzed based on the system of special indicators of the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The change in the nature of state influence on the economic system in the geopolitical context that manifests at the national and international levels has been shown. The state uses various economic policy instruments, including soft power in the form of sanctions and countermeasures, which make it possible to strengthen its control of the economy. In the past two years, this tactic has manifested in Russia’s relations with Western countries.