This article looks at the problem of devising a long-term developmental forecast of the nuclear energy market and the possibility of studying certain sections of the market. Bearing in mind the current state of the market and associated industries, it is particularly important to have a scientific approach to developing statistical forecasting instruments and methods with assessments of the dispersion of forecasts. is particularly important. The authors are the first to have developed and applied a probabilistic forecasting method for severala number of market indicators reflecting the physical size of the global nuclear energy industry for the period up to 2035, and in particular: the number and electrical capacity of reactors in service or taken out of service, and the demand for natural and enriched uranium and enrichment services. The forecasting relies on stochastic modelling of nuclear power plant (NPP) life cycles and operating characteristics, open nuclear fuel cycle parameters, and energy policy in corresponding regions around the world. Unlike scenario approaches, this model makes it possible to obtain probabilistic distributions of these characteristics, which is important when assessing the economic risks of various participants in the global nuclear energy market.The results obtained from the long-term forecast of NPP capacity dynamics for the world as a whole and for the largest regions of the planet are consistent with the scenarios of the World Nuclear Association (WNA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). These scenarios are developed on the basis of data provided by members of these organizsations, which confirms the reliability of the frequency distribution model used for key stages of the reactor life cycle. The authors have modelled the market’s probable new NPP construction volumes and NPP decommissioning volumes over the next 15 years in Russia, globally, and in certain world regions. The paper also presents an analysis of the likely capacity of the new Russian-made NPP construction market globally and its share of the global services map in this field up to 2030.

The main purpose of this paper is to develop a patent study on hybrid vehicles as an initial approach to identify the patent density in this field and the collaborative efforts of organizations with the highest patent activity, including strategic partners and more recent patents. The present paper presents the technological landscape of hybrid vehicles by means of a methodology that integrates collaborative systems engineering with patent analysis. Its major contributions lie in the methodology employed and insights obtained. We obtained and analyzed a total of 40,023 patents from 2000 to 2014. The research was developed through two stages. Stage one identified the main emphasis of research and the top patent companies. Furthermore, we analysed collaborations efforts.Results show that patent activity mainly focuses on control and electric vehicle propulsion, as well as on control systems especially adapted for hybrid vehicles. The analysis indicates that the company with the highest patent activity also has a strong focus on collaborative technology development. Toyota stands out for having the highest patenting rate and a diversity of collaboration agreements, particularly for Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Technologies. The second stage included determining the research focus according to the type of hybrid vehicle, the predominant alternative energy sources, and the recent patents of top companies according to the most frequent alternative source of energy.The insights obtained indicate that research on parallel hybrid vehicle predominates, followed by series-hybrid and series-parallel hybrid type. Turning to alternative sources of energy, there is extensive research on hydrogen, followed by solar energy. Toyota and Hyundai occupy the leading positions; we also identified their recent inventions in this arena. This paper contributes to the ongoing research on hybrid vehicles. The outcomes of this study aim to support the strategic decision-making processes by stakeholders involved in the automotive sector.

The article considers how the past and present tendency to focus on selecting the best projects based on the sole criterion of meritorious science may result in a sub-optimal portfolio. The authors argue that scientists need to proactively engage in the discussion over the need to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of societal investments to ensure that the next generation of the management and decision-making process for our science, technology and innovation system is rooted in sound principles.The classic peer review process tends to provide unintended overlap and allows for an ill fit between some of the pieces and unwanted gaps to occur. Areas of high risk and high return can be missed due to their controversial nature and split decisions typically resulting in negative funding decisions. In general, high risk and a high frequency of split decisions tend to be replaced with lower risk initiatives. The authors propose herein supplementing peer review with research portfolio evaluation approaches and decision-making tools that can better assess research uncertainties and other special features of the transformation of the resulting knowledge into improved social well-being. A coupling of research quality review by peers with more systematic portfolio meta-analysis of recommended projects is both possible and essential.

In this article, the mechanism of human capital accumulation is explored as an example of the participation of the economically active adult population in the main forms of lifelong learning. Demand for expanding lifelong activities is expressed by those employers who are concerned about the development of sustainable skills and upgrading the qualifications of their employees at companies. This process is driven by companies engaged in innovation activity. Russia has a high position in the world if the criterion for assessment is the level of formal education of employees, but Russian employees improve their professional knowledge and skills through lifelong learning less actively than employees in the EU. According to the results of the surveys, the gap between the rates of participation in lifelong learning of top and middle managers and the rates of participation of other employees is quite dramatic, and it demonstrates a failure in exchanging and transferring new knowledge and skills in Russian companies. In its turn, such a disproportionate state creates an obstacle for innovation activity in companies. In this article, we will discuss some state and corporate compensatory measures aimed at adjusting the extreme inequality in the education and training of employees. A higher return on investment in training can be achieved only by the harmonization of advanced knowledge of top and middle managers, who are most actively participating in lifelong learning, with a process of training other employees at companies. Middle managers are considered a key element, a sort of proponent of such a knowledge and skills exchange system, because they act as a mentors for workers.The paper’s core is comparative analysis of international surveys and a survey of Russian employers in six sectors of economy as a part of project “Monitoring of education markets and organizations,” which was initiated by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and was conducted by National Research University HSE and Levada Center. In the paper we estimate the educational capital of top and middle managers and their rate of participation in lifelong training compared with the rate for employees occupying lower positions and evaluate Russian employers’ contribution to the provision of lifelong learning for employees in comparison with their colleagues from countries in the EU and OECD.

Strengthening the motivation, quality and efficiency of researchers’ work is a pressing issue in all countries active in science, technology and innovation policy. One way to address this challenge is by introducing flexible remuneration mechanisms which are country-specific yet still share certain basic principles such as the relationship between compensation and research productivity. Improving researchers’ remuneration is particularly urgent issue now in Russia and it is addressed by recent policy measures adopted since 2012.This paper contributes new evidence from Russian researchers, RD improving funding mechanisms; attracting non-budgetary funds; improving the work of public science foundations; upgrading facilities and equipment; implementing targeted measures to preserve disciplinary schools in science; and attracting young people into science.

Public research plays an extremely important role in social and economic development, and has implications for industry, services, education, training, the creation and diffusion of knowledge, management etc. In turn, R&D and innovation activities in the business sector are becoming increasingly open. Being influenced by increasingly tightened global competition, companies are entering into partnerships with other companies, universities or public research institutions (PRIs) to leverage competences from different places and organizations to foster innovation. The search for partners and the management of many co-operations itself are new challenges especially in terms of administering intellectual property rights. Universities and PRIs must respond to the changing requirements imposed by companies while maintaining their unique positions as research and science related institutions. The overall framework conditions for these actors are changing, which in turn requires new government policies especially given the slowdown in key performance indicators of the commercialization activities of PRIs.The paper highlights recent trends and approaches related to knowledge and technology transfer from public research and education to industry. It considers legislative initiatives to target industry engagement and research personnel, new technology transfer office models, collaborative intellectual property (IP) tools, and initiatives to facilitate access to public research results. The authors stress that the quality of research has a strong influence on knowledge and technology transfer. In turn, contrary to the widespread belief that knowledge and technology transfer activities might negatively impact scientists’ academic work several studies found evidence that the engagement of scientists in technology transfer and commercialization activities does not have negative impacts on the quality and quantity of academic research. In fact, scientists who are actively engaged in technology and knowledge transfer, i.e. through patenting, also enjoy a high scientific reputation and in most cases do excellent scientific work.

Causal layered analysis (CLA) is a key tool for Deep Futures approach, which is seen by numerous experts as a prospective trend in evolution of Foresight studies. It reveals hidden basic prerequisites for actual incidents thus providing an information basis for the making efficient decisions.The paper considers the nature, features and possibilities of CLA drawing on the works of French philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari who offer the organic metaphor of the rhizome as a way to understand the hybrid and multiple nature of reality. In this relation it argues that CLA is a method of the multiple that offers a process-theory of knowledge that facilitates new becomings and alternative futures. It makes the case that agency and social learning are enhanced through understanding human contexts as layered and dynamic. CLA is an ideal vehicle for articulating this insight and enabling futures practitioners in their work to empower stakeholders to realise their preferred futures.Concepts have effects and therefore can be understood best through application and reflection. CLA’s uses can be in the academic sphere as taxonomy or in the applied sphere of process method in which it functions pedagogically as a critical facilitator of libratory consciousness and the social learning. Thus it treats any singular projection of reality with suspicion, instead embracing the plural as the creative inversion of given context. In this way structure becomes flexible and open to transformation whilst agency finds itself located in structure so as to critique and influence it in ways that make it more reflective of optimal current and future possibilities.