Evolution of Student Innovative Entrepreneurship in Russia

Abstract

All over the world, students are regarded as the most creative and driving force of innovative entrepreneurship. Technological entrepreneurship is an essential tool for the transition to innovative economic development. It is especially in demand in modern conditions, when the most sensitive and strategically significant blow to Russia is inflicted precisely in the technological plane. The purpose of the article is to analyze the evolution of student entrepreneurship in Russia in order to generalize the accumulated experience, identify promising areas for further development of youth innovations. Based on a significant historiographical analysis, the study of the documentary database, statistical data and qualitative content analysis of the official websites of nine universities, three main stages in the development of youth innovative entrepreneurship in Russia have been identified. The first stage is associated with the creation of student business incubators for the development of small innovative enterprises, the second - with an increase in the involvement of business incubators in the educational process, when universities begin to practice the protection of final qualifying work as startups, the third – with the beginning of the formation of a unified startup ecosystem of student technological entrepreneurship in Russia. The first results of the implementation of the federal project "Platform of University Technological Entrepreneurship" are summarized, achievements and problems are shown. Conclusions are drawn about the weak coverage of non-technical universities by innovative entrepreneurship, special attention is paid to new financial instruments aimed at commercializing the results of intellectual activity created in educational institutions and supporting student startups at earlier stages of development.