Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Science

Karelian Research Center of Russian Academy of Sciences (KRC RAS) was chosen as an excellence centre in the framework of "Developing EXcellence-DEX” Neighbourhood project, as a body, assisting the public authorities of the Republic in development and promotion of cooperation projects of the Neighborhood Programmes.

Karelian Reseach Center of Russian Academy of Sciences (KRC RAS) is one of the largest regional centers of Russian Academy of Sciences in the north-west of Russia. The center was founded in 1946 and includes seven research institutions: Biological Institute, Institute for Aquatic Research in the North, Geological Institute, Forestry Institute, Institute of Applied Mathematical Research, Economic Institute, Institute for Linguistics, Literature and History.

There are more than 800 full-time employees at the Center, 40% of them is research personal, including 2 corresponding members of Russian Academy of Sciences, 72 doctors of science and 222 PhDs. Annual number of graduate students at the Center is 70, and they conduct research in 30 different specializations.

The main lines of research of the institutes affiliated to the Center include:

· the research of the potential of biological resources of forest and wetlands ecological systems, the development of the methods of renewable intergrated and more efficient usage of forest biospheres in the Eastern Fennoskandia;

· the research and development of the biological foundations for the usage, reproduction and protection of flora and fauna, wetlands and top-soil;

· the research of the ecological and biological foundations for the formation of the resistance and productivity of plants and animals, the research of the norm of reaction of genotype to the environment;

· the research of the regime and resources of waters and the usage and protection of waters;

· the research of the geological structure, of the patterns of geological processes in Precambrian period in Fennoscandia and development of mining complex in Karelia;

·  the research of the regional problems of the socio-economical development of economy of Republic of Karelia in the situation of emerging market economy and the ways of its integration in Russian and international economical community;

·  the systemic research of the natural, social and industrial complexes of Karelia and the development of the mathematical and informational models for the optimal management of these complexes, the development of informational and telecommunication systems by means of fundamental research;

·  the research of the issues of the development of fuel and energy complex of Republic of Karelia;

·   the research of the history, language and the processes of development, functioning and interaction of the cultures of the native population of Republic of Karelia and neighborhood regions.

The research potential of the Center allows conducting both fundamental and applied research in various fields of modern science.

The research institutes of Karelian Research Center of RAS are actively participating in the strategic planning process in Republic of Karelia and in the North-West of Russian in general. Karelia was among the first regions of Russia, where systematic fundamental strategic and applied research in the sphere of strategic planning was started, Karelian Center of RAS is actively participating in this process.

The Concept for the socio-economic development of Republic of Karelia for the period 1999-2002-2010 “Revival of Karelia” developed by KRC RAS has become an important experience in the sphere of strategic planning for the Center. That was the first document of this type for Republic of Karelia. Nowadays Economic Institute of KRC RAS is permanently conducting monitoring of implementation of the mentioned Concept, by means of the special method developed by the Institute. The Concept “The Revival of Karelia” was several times adjusted taking into account rapid and important changes in the economic situation in Karelia. The last time the Concept was updated by the researchers from Economic Institute of the KRC RAS in 2006.

Working out the Concept helped KRC RAS to create necessary methodological base for strategic planning and the Center become one of the leaders of Russian scholar community in this sphere of research.

To follow-up the mentioned Concept the researchers from the Center developed a number of strategic documents both for Karelia and also for the North-West region of Russia. Among the most important documents (elaborated with the participation of KRC RAS) is

· The doctrine for the development of the North-West of Russia (2000-2001)

· The main directions of the strategy of the socio-economic development for North-Western federal region up to year 2015.

· The strategy for the socio-economic development of Republic of Karelia till year 2020.

·  The territorial schema for the development of Republic of Karelia and for the allocation of production resources for the period up to year 2025 (in cooperation with the State Enterprise “Karelproekt” and “Research Institute for Urban Problems”).

·  The middle-term program for the activities of the government of Republic of Karelia in the sphere of the socio-economic development for the periods 2002-2006 and 2007-2010.

· The strategic plans for the development of towns and regions of Karelia, including:

The program for the development of town Kem’ and Kem’ region (2000), The main directions of the development of town Sortavala (2000), The strategic plan of development for the town Olonets and Olonets region for the period till 2010 (2003), The strategic plan of development for Petrozavodsk till 2010, The strategic plan of development for Kostomuksha till 2015, The program for the socio-economic development of Suoyarvi region (2002), The strategy and the program of development for the Kalevala national region for the period till 2015 etc.

The Institutes affiliated to the Center are also the leading research organizations in the sphere of sectoral and industrial planning. Specifically, in the recent years the researchers from KRC RAS has developed following programs and strategies:

1. Republican sectoral programs “The development of lumbering and wood processing complex” (1999-200 и 2003-2006)

2. Republican programs for the development of tourism in Republic of Karelia for the periods 1999-2002, 2003-2006, 2007-2010.

3. Program of the development of tourism in Belomorskii and Louhiskii district in the period 2007-2010.

4. Strategy for development of tourism in Republic of Karelia to 2020.

5. Republican task program “Ecology and natural resources of Republic of Karelia in 2004-2010”.

6. Republican task program “Development of mineral resources and applied mining complex of Republic of Karelia for the period 2002-2010” etc.

The researchers from KRC RAS are developing investment projects, business-plans, technical and economic basis for the realization of the strategic documents. Namely, the large number of the projects was implemented in the sphere of tourism, which was declared as a strategic priority in the conception “The revival of Karelia”. Some of the projects are:

· “Analysis of the special distribution of the tourist activity in the territory of Republic of Karelia and the basis for creation of inter-municipalities centers of tourist activity”.

· “Development of the method of calculation of the total income of tourism and tourism multiplicator”.

·  “Economic monitoring of the potential for tourism and recreational activities and of the real usage of this potential”.

·  “Development of the strategy for the implementation of the international tourism project “Scandinavian ring” etc.

The researchers from KRC RAS are actively working with the various enterprises and organizations assisting them in developing corporate strategies, plans and programs of development. In the Economics Institute of KRC RAS more than 30 business plans were created for the large, medium and small-scale enterprises. They also prepared more than 10 technical economic basis for the development of the deposits of the natural mineral resources.

The permanent partners of the Center in the sphere of the strategic planning are International Center for Socio-Economic Research “Leontief Center”, The Center for Strategic Research North-West”, Institute for Urban Economics Research and other consulting and analytical organizations. Economical Institute of KRC RAS has developed its own school of research and method for the strategic planning and supports analytical activity of the center “Socio-Logos”, the schools for young scientist “Strategist” and “Social Innovations”.

On the 13-14^th of July 2006 during the seminar at Petrozavodsk (Republic of Karelia) in the framework of the pilot seminar of the DEX project  representatives of Karelian Research Center of RAS and The Ministry for the economic development of Republic of Karelia presented the system of territorial planning, informed on the development and realization of the strategies and plans for regional development, the measures of the state support of SME in Republic of Karelia. The managers of the local bureau for the support of the Program of EU and Russia cooperation in Petrozavodsk and  the Technical Secretariat of the program “Neighborhood in Euregio Karelia” in Petrozavodsk, who participated in the Seminar, informed the participants about the opportunities, provided by EU programs for the joint activities in the sphere of the entrepreneurship development. At the seminar current programs of European Union were introduced and promising lines of cooperation were determined.

Contacts:

Mikhailova Nadezhda

Tel.: (8142) 78-01-09
fax:  (8142) 76-96-00

E-mail: mikhailova@krc.karelia.ru

Web: http://www.krc.karelia.ru