Applied scientific research development in Russian mechanical engineering

Abstract

Recent vital structural and functional transformations in the national science resulted in decreasing of the social significance of the country’s science and scientific potential. Analysis of statistic data demonstrates noticeable decline of scientific human resources potential and reduction in the number of research organizations. Moreover, government funding becomes the main driving force for development of scientific research in Russia, and the role of Russian business and other sources is of secondary importance. The situation in the national science and lack of funding for research and development in particular caused such negative tendencies as slowing down innovative transformations in the country, outflow of qualified human resources, lower quality of scientific research and its efficiency. Due to low speed of developing advanced research and development the national mechanic engineering is lagging behind in developing new technologies which proves that this sphere of applied science is in unsatisfactory condition. Applied science is developing in two main directions: directive and natural science. The first option presupposes that development of science is influenced mainly by external factors such as material production needs and the state of social and economic sphere of the society. The second direction is based on the determining role of the internal logics of the scientific development and the continuity of scientific ideas between the old and new knowledge. Natural science way of developing applied (technological) science is not explored properly; government support of scientific schools is obviously insufficient. It results in their gradual degradation with rare exceptions. This can also happen to a new trend in mechanic engineering technology – additive manufacturing of products from metals and alloys. If new knowledge is not generated purchasing of foreign equipment becomes inevitable, and such equipment quickly becomes obsolete both morally and physically.