RUSSIAN UNIVERSITIES: THE INNOVATION CENTRES OF DIGITALIZATION IN THE REGION

The purpose of this article is to determine the factors and conditions under which Russian universities, along with the important role of a centre for creating innovations and new technologies in the region, increasingly acquire the role of conductor of digitalization of the regional economy. The contribution of universities to the creation of new knowledge is absolutely essential requirement for the shaping of modern national innovative systems and one of the key links in the system of interrelations of the triple helix model. There is not a single example in the world where the national innovative system would effectively operate beyond the principles of the triple helix, where universities wouldn't be in the centre of these actions. The logic of such reasoning rightly is that only the efforts of young people and experienced scientists can build an innovative economy in its new digital form. The universities are the places of greatest concentration of the younger generation of digital natives. As a rule, there are several large universities in Russian regions, and they do not always act as centres for creating innovations and new technologies. Using the example of Samara National Research University named after academician S.P. Korolev, the article proves that a successful combination of five factors and conditions allows to increase the university involvement in regional innovation, digitalization of the economy and, moreover, to become its leading element. (c) 2019 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.UK