Innovative development and rise of competitiveness are the main topics of VII Forum on Interregional cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia with participations of Presidents Nursultan Nazarbayev and Dmitry Medvedev to be held in Ust-Kamenogorsk.

The international experts say that Kazakhstan-Russia interstate cooperation is an illustrative example of sustainable, open and dynamically developing interaction on the post-soviet space. The Customs union and in short view common economic space, joint ventures, mutual investments and strengthening educational, humanitarian and cultural links confirm the two countries’ adherence to long-term and mutually beneficial collaboration.

Recently this partnership has essentially expanded due to such promising direction as space exploration. Creation and launch of first Kazakhstan satellite KAZSAT and joint work at the launching complex Baiterek are in fact first large scale bilateral contacts in the area of high technologies.

Conditioned choice and identification of priorities in innovative development are of special importance in bilateral cooperation, the main of which is creation of innovative infrastructure to form demand for innovations in business and public community at large.

Integration of education and science in universities makes them an engine in formation of innovative sphere for “smart” economy.

Expediency and outlook for transference to social-engineering innovative paradigm is recognized both in Kazakhstan and Russia.

At III Astana economic forum RK President noted that only 2% of domestic businesses would become innovative due to the state program of accelerated industrial-innovative development, while transformation of the rest demanded drastic changes in “sensibility” of Kazakhstan’s community to innovative activity and even transformations in people’s mentality.

Of course simple transference of unprepared community to socio-engineering paradigm of innovative development, and consequently to mass creation of corresponding innovative infrastructure, is unthinkable. That’s why interaction of the two states, “growing” elements of future mass practice for innovative breakthrough and rise of competitiveness in each country-partner is invaluable.

Both Kazakhstan and Russia give a special role to regions in their strategies of modernization and development.

Identification of priorities is a decisive step requiring in-depth analysis and assessment of regional potential and free financial resources.

Creation of a joint ground for open technologies will give a new impetus to trans-border cooperation. Uniting functions of informational-analytical center, business-incubator, scientific park and center of technologies’ transfer this ground will stimulate development in innovation business first of all. And systemic analysis and expert forecast estimations from related regions will help to form recommendations for urban development, transport systems and coordinate monitoring of energy and water resources, assess demographic and migration processes and operatively correct priority directions in development if necessary.

Importance of forecast estimations will be replenished by another expedient constituent – interaction between regional research centers.

For instance there are 6 scientific towns in Siberia specialized in developments in chemistry, physics, new materials and nuclear technologies. Kazakhstan universities and national and engineering laboratories established in them are ready to share in joint research, training and cultural projects organized by Kazakhstan and Russia.

Joint work and interaction via modern IT- decisions – video conferences, web portals provide effective use of human and financial resources of regional scientific centers.

Promising areas for joint researches are: informational technologies, (elaboration of software for medicine, biotechnologies, chemistry, database, systems of informational storage and analysis, animation programs and games within the frames of start-up companies with attraction of venture capital) and such areas as study of climate change, renewable energy.

Thereby trans-border cooperation on mutually beneficial base contributes to friendship between peoples and social stability apart from economic advantages.

Beibut Mamrayev ,

Rector of East Kazakhstan S.Amanjolov state university