Russia in international science, technology and innovation indexes

The scientific and technological (S&T) development of the Russian Federation is one of the government top priorities. In the context of globalization, a clear image of the country's global S&T ranking can be helpful for decision making in science policy. The paper analyzes the main international statistical data banks which allow for cross-country comparisons of S&T capabilities and reviews various international rankings, including special innovation indices and rankings based on science and technology indicators, which provide opportunity to locate position of Russia in the global S&T and innovation landscape. The study is based on data from the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), UNESCO, international rankings reflecting the countries' readiness for a knowledge-based economy: the Global Innovation Index, the Bloomberg Innovation Index, The IMD World Competitiveness, The Global Talent Competitiveness Index, the Networked Readiness Index. The article focuses on analysis of Russia's positions in international science, technology and innovation rankings. The discussion ends with the conclusion that despite rather high R&D expenditures and quality of human capital, R&D effectiveness and impact of S&T on the Russian economy are estimated as rather low.