Financing research and development activities in Russia and abroad

The article examines financing of research and development activities in Russia and abroad through the example of the leading countries in innovation activities - the U.S., Japan, Germany. Particular attention is paid to methods of indirect financing, namely, to creating the conditions for attracting funds and cooperation between scientific institutions and commercial enterprises. At present, research financing in Russia comes primarily from the federal budget. The article addresses the problems currently facing most Russian research institutions - aging of scientific personnel and obsolescence of equipment. Having studied the experience of foreign countries, the author comes to the conclusion that indirect incentives are much more efficient than direct grants and subsidies, and that rational combination of both direct financing and tax regulation of research activities creates a favorable innovation climate in the country.