The University’s Innovative Activity and the Real Sector of the Economy

The paper examines the areas and mechanisms of cooperation between business interests and Voronezh State University. It presents the successful practices of implementing joint projects in the field of creating high-tech industries and providing advanced training for engineering and technical workers. The general prospect of the cooperation is the development of the common educational, scientific and technological space of the Central Black Earth economic region. One of the effective tools for interaction between companies and universities is joint department. Voronezh State University has established joint departments “Molecular biotechnology”, “Power electronics”, “Communication Electronic Warfare Systems”. The other important area of university’s participation in the development of the regional industry is implementation of the federal target program “Research and development on priority directions of development of scientific- technological complex of Russia for 2014–2020 years”. In 2017 VSU was a participant of nine technological platforms. Another instrument to provide interaction between business and university is creation of small innovation enterprises. In 2017 there were 31 small enterprises at VSU. It is worth mentioning special projects related to working out of skill development and vocational training programs. VSU offers such programs at corporate learning centers (T-Systems, J&M Management Consulting, Atos IT Solutions and Services, PricewaterhousCoopers (PwC), DSR Corporation, OTSL Inc., NetCracker, DataArt, Microsoft, P&G and others). The effective scientific and educational environment based on the interaction between universities and enterprises will promote the development of interdisciplinary initiatives, joint researches, advanced educational programs, creation of joint research centers.