In the “Strategy for Industrial-Innovative Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2003-2015,” innovation is defined as the final result innovation activity, which has been sold in the form of a new or improved product sold on the market, new or improved technological process, used in practical activities. We can conclude that the main content of innovation is change, and innovation activity is a function of change. According to J. Schumpeter's definition, changes are:

¨ the use of new equipment or technological processes, as well as market support for product sales;

¨ introduction to the market of products with new properties;

¨ use of new raw materials;

¨ changes in the organization of production and logistics;

¨ new sales markets.

According to Ch. Freeman's classification, technological innovations can be classified into product innovations and process innovations.

Product innovation is the introduction of new or improved products.

Innovative products are newly introduced or improved products, as well as products whose production is based on new or significantly improved methods.

Process innovation is the development of new or significantly improved products or the organization of production. Moreover, the existing equipment or production methods are unsuitable for the production of such products. In the USA, 1/3 of all innovations are process innovations, and 2/3 are product innovations; in Japan it's the opposite. Process innovations include the development, introduction into production and commercialization of new consumer values.

The famous West German economist G. Menz divides innovations into basic, improving and pseudo-innovations.

Basic innovations include those whose implementation leads to the emergence of new industries or new markets. Further, as they improve, basic innovations turn into improving ones. When the innovative potential is exhausted, then the innovations that appear on the basis of this technology belong to the class of pseudo-innovations (rationalizing innovations).

Companies are seeking competitive advantages through innovation. They learn new methods to achieve competitiveness or find best ways competition when using old ways. Innovation manifests itself in a new product design, a new production process, a new approach to marketing, or a new methodology for improving employee skills. Most innovations turn out to be quite simple and small, based more on the accumulation of minor improvements and achievements than on a single, major technological breakthrough. There is a need to invest in skills and knowledge, physical assets and brand reputation. Some innovations create competitive advantages, creating fundamentally new opportunities in the market or filling market segments that other competitors have not paid attention to.

If competitors are slow to respond, innovation can create sustainable competitive advantage. For example, in the automotive industry and consumer electronics, Japanese companies have achieved competitive advantages through special attention to models that are smaller, consume less energy, that is, with parameters that their foreign competitors neglected, considering them less profitable, less important and less attractive.

Once a company achieves a competitive advantage through innovation, it can only maintain it through continuous improvements. We must remember that any achievement can be repeated or copied. For example, Korean companies have caught up with their Japanese competitors in the mass production of standard color televisions and VCRs, and Brazilian companies producing special types leather footwear, have developed technological processes and designs comparable to competitive Italian firms.

If a company stops improving products and introducing innovations, it will immediately and certainly be surpassed by competitors. Sometimes initial advantages such as customer relationships, economies of scale in existing technologies, or reliability of distribution channels are sufficient to enable a company to maintain its position for years or even decades. However, sooner or later, more dynamic competitors will find ways to circumvent these advantages based on their innovations, or create better or cheaper ways of doing similar business.

Currently, four classifications using the following system-forming characteristics are most widespread in the analysis of innovations:

The degree of novelty of the innovation (fundamentally new, modernized, improved);

Type of final product of innovation (technique, technology, organization);

Degree of impact on the economy;

The breadth of innovation implementation in social production.

Innovation activity is an activity aimed at using the results scientific research and developments and their commercialization, that is, effective implementation domestically and foreign markets. Innovation activity consists of a whole complex of scientific, technological, financial and commercial activities that form innovation.

Innovative activities are carried out in the innovation management system according to the “science - technology - economics - education” scheme. It includes work both on the development of knowledge-intensive and resource-saving technologies, and on effective use licenses, patents and know-how. Diffusion of new products, technologies, methods of organizing production and management - required condition innovation activity.

There is still a high dependence on social economic development Kazakhstan from the export-oriented raw materials sector of the economy, as well as from the import of science-intensive and high-tech products. Many countries of the world, and primarily the USA, Japan, Germany, and Sweden, are intensively moving to the use of national innovation systems that make it possible to implement scientific knowledge and technologies in the interests of the challenges facing these countries (innovation activities provide about 60% of the increase in their gross domestic product). Against the backdrop of accelerating technological progress in the leading countries of the world, Kazakhstan faces a growing threat of finding itself on the periphery of global development with the status of predominantly a raw material donor.

Kazakhstan has all the prerequisites, unique scientific, technical and educational potential, has world-class scientific knowledge, however, the effectiveness of their practical use in the conditions of market mechanisms is insufficient, since the formation of a national innovation system is still at the initial stage, including the creation of a comprehensive regulatory framework base of innovation activity. As a result, the allocated budget funds are not spent effectively enough. Scientific knowledge and technologies aimed at solving pressing problems of ensuring the livelihoods of the population, the development of the world market by domestic producers, do not receive proper development and implementation, rational use energy and natural resources Kazakhstan. Many types of products (services) are not competitive not only in the world market, but also in many segments of the domestic market, which are dominated by foreign countries (machines and equipment, electronics, automotive equipment, pharmaceuticals, and a number of other goods).

The current situation in the field of innovation activity is holding back the formation of Kazakhstan as a dynamically and steadily developing state and does not provide the necessary pace for solving the task of doubling the gross domestic product in the coming decade.

In the “Social and Economic Development Program of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2003 - 2015.” a transition to innovative development of industrial sectors was expected. Priority development is given to industries with high added value, the role of science in economic development will increase. Reform of the science sector should be aimed at strengthening the innovative orientation of applied scientific research and development, as well as increasing their contribution to the economic growth when saving state support fundamental science. The business climate will be improved and the necessary economic incentives will be created to promote the spread of innovation.

Literature:

1. Schumpeter I. A. Theory of economic development. M.: Progress, 1982.

2. Shelyubskaya N. “Indirect methods of state stimulation of innovation: the experience of Western Europe.” - International Journal “Problems of Theory and Practice of Management.” - No. 3, 2001.

3. Kryukov V.A. Institutional structure of the oil and gas sector: problems and directions of transformation..., 1999.

4. Shagiev P.P. Integrated oil and gas companies / Under. Ed. A.G. Aganbegyan...

IN Russian law the term "innovation" appeared in the early 1980s. The definition of innovation is given in the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 24, 1998 N 832 “On the concept of innovation policy Russian Federation for 1998-2000"*(988). Innovation (innovation) is considered as the final result of innovative activity, realized in the form of a new or improved product sold on the market, a new or improved technological process used in practical activities.

Formed different approaches to understanding the essence of innovation. Innovation is considered both as a result of scientific and technical activity, and as a process of creation and dissemination of new equipment, technology, organizational forms and so on. The concepts of novelty, innovation, and innovation are used in different ways. They are often identified. Sometimes innovation is associated with the initial stage of the scientific and production cycle (invention, know-how, etc.), innovation is associated with the use of innovation at an intermediate stage, and innovation is considered as the dissemination of innovation at the final stage of the scientific and production cycle. The main characteristic properties of innovation include, first of all, novelty and commercialization. Innovations do not always take commodity form. They can be created for internal use, but even in this case, commercialization remains a potential property of innovation.

Currently, there is no unified approach to dividing innovations into types. They are classified, for example, depending on the level of novelty of the innovation: radical (introduction of discoveries, inventions, patents) and ordinary (know-how, rationalization proposals, etc.) or depending on the field of application of the innovation: managerial, organizational, social, industrial. The criteria for classifying innovations can be the scale of innovation, effectiveness, stage of the scientific and technical process, and the pace of implementation.

IN general view All innovations are divided into two main categories: technological and non-technological. Technological innovations include innovations that affect means, methods, and production technologies that determine scientific and technological progress; non-technological innovations include organizational, managerial, and social innovations. Technological innovations, in turn, are divided into product and process innovations * (989).

Product innovation can be basic or improving. Basic product innovation is New Product, the functional characteristics of which, the materials and components used, significantly distinguish it from previously produced products. Improving product innovation is existing product, the quality or cost characteristics of which have been noticeably improved. Process innovation refers to a technologically new or improved production method. In connection with the mentioned innovations, it is worth noting the changes made to the methodology for determining the innovative activity of industrial enterprises. If previously innovation activities included the entire complex of scientific, technological and organizational activities carried out at industrial enterprises, then since 2003 it has been recommended to classify innovation activities as in official statistics, technological innovations - product and process. Such changes were caused by the need to identify the most effective innovations introduced into production with the aim of significantly intensifying production and improving the quality of manufactured products * (990).

The above-mentioned resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation "On the concept of innovation policy of the Russian Federation for 1998-2000" contains a definition of innovation activity. Innovation activity is understood as a process aimed at implementing the results of completed scientific research and development or other scientific and technical achievements into a new or improved product sold on the market, into a new or improved technological process used in practical activities, as well as related additional scientific Research and development.

There is a distinction between the concept of innovation in a broad and narrow sense. In a broad sense, innovation activity refers to the use of scientific and technical knowledge to transform various aspects of social life. In a narrow sense, this is an activity aimed at obtaining new scientific and technical knowledge and its implementation in the production sector with the aim of creating a competitive product.

It should be noted that in regulations and scientific literature there is no single approach to defining innovation activity. Some authors believe that research activities do not always lead to results that should be implemented and can hardly be considered innovative. In this case, innovative activity turns out to be an activity only for the creation of developments and their practical implementation, and beyond its scope remains the process of creating and identifying innovations (knowledge, technologies, etc.).

Another definition of innovation activity is associated with understanding it as the process of performing work or services for the creation, development in production and practical application of new or improved products, a new or improved technological process. This broader definition of innovation is more commonly used, according to which scientific activity and scientific and technical activities are stages of the innovation process and their combination with “material” stages (production, trade and consumption) is considered as an innovation cycle.

The innovation process can be divided into separate stages. Sometimes three phases of the innovation process for a new product are considered: development, adoption and distribution. We can talk about four stages of this process: basic research, applied research, development and experimental development, commercialization of the results of scientific research and development. Innovative activity is also considered as an intermediary link between the scientific and production spheres themselves. In this case, the innovation sphere is distinguished from the scientific and production sphere by the presence of a specific marketing function, specific financing, lending and methods legal regulation, a special system of motivation for subjects of innovative activity * (991).

The development of innovation processes is determined primarily by socio-economic transformations. Innovation activities in modern Russia associated with the formation of a new entrepreneurial culture. The idea of ​​innovative activity as the main functional characteristic of entrepreneurship was substantiated by J. Schumpeter. He wrote about an entrepreneur carrying out “a reorganization of economic life on the basis of greater private economic expediency” * (992). The goal of innovation is to increase production efficiency and create a competitive product that can provide additional profit. Any innovative activity is entrepreneurial because it is independent and is associated with the entrepreneur’s willingness to take on all the risk and responsibility for implementing a new project.

Sometimes innovative activity is considered as a type of activity that includes only elements of entrepreneurship. This is explained by the fact that the creation of new and original products and their implementation as elements of the first stages of the innovation process do not belong to entrepreneurial activity in the exact meaning of this concept, because the decisive criterion that determines commercial success, is the quality of new final products, technologies and machines. In addition, at the first stages of the innovation cycle, activities are usually non-profitable * (993).

In the mid-80s of the twentieth century. in the western economic literature The term “national innovation system” appeared. The national innovation system is considered as a set of interconnected organizations (structures) engaged in the production and commercial implementation of scientific knowledge and technologies within national borders. At the same time, the national innovation system is a complex of legal, financial and social institutions that ensure innovative processes and have strong national roots, traditions, political and cultural characteristics * (994).

The effectiveness of innovative development depends on the interaction between participants in the innovation process. The role of the state, for example, is to promote innovative business, but also private sector provides support to the state in its innovation policy, in particular, through contributions to innovation funds and assistance to scientific organizations. In order to promote new technologies into production, interaction between state scientific organizations and universities and industrial enterprises is necessary.

The formation and state of the national innovation system is influenced by many factors. The current state of the national innovation system in Russia is called a crisis. It is due to insufficient funding for science from the federal budget, lack of demand for scientific and technical developments from the private sector, “brain drain,” etc. An innovation system of a new type must be formed in Russia, which can unite the efforts of the state, the scientific community and the private business sector of the economy to transition the country to an innovative path of development.

The formation of a national innovation system involves the construction of an innovation infrastructure, i.e. a complex of organizations providing services for the creation, development in production and practical application of a new or improved product, a new or improved technological process. They are in a certain connection, expressing the unity of the stages of innovation activity. These are investment and innovation funds, banks, business incubators, economic associations, financial groups associated with scientific and technical innovations, etc. A mandatory element of the innovation market infrastructure are the so-called innovation intermediaries, who promote innovations to the market. These include organizations involved in patenting, licensing, commercialization of developments, consulting and marketing of innovations. Specialized firms - innovation intermediaries receive intermediary profits by optimizing the innovation process or its individual stages.

The most important direction in creating innovation infrastructure in Russia is the formation of scientific and technological parks, innovation and technology centers and business incubators. The first domestic technology park was created in 1990 in Tomsk. Today, hundreds of small innovative firms operate as part of and with the support of innovation technology centers and technology parks. The difference is that in the first case, assistance is provided to already established small innovative firms, in the second case - to starting small firms. There are two types of business incubators: they can be integral part technopark, but can also be an independent organization. Legally, business incubators are most often formalized as non-profit organizations, specializing in supporting small businesses. Currently, there are about 40 innovation and technology centers, 80 technology parks and about 60 business incubators in Russia. From the point of view of forming a technology park, science cities that concentrate the scientific and technical potential of the defense sector and large universities are promising.

According to the definition given in the "Concept of Innovation Policy of the Russian Federation for 1998-2000", innovation is the final result of innovation activity, realized in the form of a new or improved product sold on the market, a new or improved technological process used in practical activities.

Innovation is the final result of innovative activity, embodied in the form of a new or improved product introduced on the market, a new or improved technological process used in practical activities, or a new approach to social services.

An innovation is considered accomplished if it is introduced into the market or into the production process. Accordingly, two types of technological innovations are distinguished: product and process.

Product innovation covers the introduction of new or improved products. Process innovation is the development of new or significantly improved products and production organization. The production of such products is impossible using existing equipment or production methods used. It is worth noting the differences between the American and Japanese innovation systems: in the USA, 1/3 of all innovations are process innovations, and 2/3 are product innovations; in Japan the opposite is true.

Innovation is closely related to scientific and technological progress(NTP), acting as its result. Scientific and technological progress is an essential factor in the production of products, ensuring, through the improvement of means of production and technologies based on the discovery by science of new patterns, phenomena and properties of the surrounding world, an increase in labor productivity.

There are basic innovations that implement major inventions and become the basis for the formation of new generations and areas of technology; improving innovations, usually implementing small and medium-sized inventions and prevailing in the diffusion and stable development phases of the scientific and technological cycle; pseudo-innovations (or rationalizing innovations), aimed at partially improving outdated generations of equipment and technologies and usually slowing down the technological process (they either have no effect on society or bring a negative effect).

The innovation process is the process of transforming scientific knowledge into innovation, which can be represented as a sequential chain of events during which innovation matures from an idea to a specific product, technology or service and spreads through practical use. Unlike scientific and technological progress, the innovation process does not end with implementation, that is, the appearance on the market of a new product, service or bringing it to design capacity new technology. This process is not interrupted even after implementation, because as it spreads (diffusion), the innovation is improved, becomes more effective, and acquires previously unknown consumer properties. This opens up new areas of application and markets for it, and therefore new consumers who perceive this product, technology or service as new for yourself. Thus, this process is aimed at creating products, technologies or services required by the market and is carried out in close unity with the environment: its direction, pace, goals depend on the socio-economic environment in which it operates and develops.

The basis of the innovation process is the process of creating and mastering new equipment (technologies) (PSNT). Technology is a set of material factors of production (means and objects of labor) in which new human knowledge and skills are materialized. Technology is a set of techniques and methods for manufacturing and using equipment and converting natural substances into products for industrial and household use.

Innovation activity is an activity aimed at using and commercializing the results of scientific research and development to expand and update the range and improve the quality of products (goods, services), improve the technology of their production with subsequent implementation and effective sales in the domestic and foreign markets. Innovative activities associated with capital investments in innovations are called innovation-investment activities.

Innovative activity involves a whole range of scientific, technological, organizational, financial and commercial activities, which together lead to innovation.

The varieties of main types of innovation activities include:

a) preparation and organization of production, covering the acquisition of production equipment and tools, changes in them, as well as in procedures, methods and standards of production and quality control necessary to create a new technological process;

b) pre-production development, including modifications of the product and technological process, retraining of personnel for the use of new technologies and equipment;

c) marketing of new products/involving activities related to the release new products to the market, including preliminary market research, product adaptation to different markets, advertising campaign;

d) acquisition of non-materialized technology from outside in the form of patents, licenses, disclosure of know-how, brands, designs, models and technological content services;

e) acquisition of embodied technology - machines and equipment, in their technological content related to the introduction of product or process innovations;

e) production design, including the preparation of plans and drawings to define production procedures and technical specifications.

The basis of innovative activity is scientific and technical activity (STA), which is closely related to the creation, development, dissemination and application of scientific and technical knowledge in all fields of science and technology. The concept of scientific and technical documentation was developed by UNESCO and serves as the basic category of international standards in statistics of science and technology.

a) scientific research and development;

b) scientific and technical education and training;

c) scientific and technical services.

When implementing normative and technical documentation important has the concept of "scope of scientific work", which includes the following:

scientific (scientific and technical) direction - the largest scientific work, which has an independent character and is dedicated to solving an important problem in the development of this branch of science and technology. Decision one way or the other scientific direction possibly through the efforts of a number of scientific organizations;

scientific (scientific and technical) problem - part of a scientific (scientific and technical) direction, representing one of the possible ways of its implementation. A scientific problem can be solved in the form of a targeted scientific and technical program, which acts as a complex of works linked by resources, performers, and deadlines. The coordination of these works should be carried out by the parent scientific organizations;

a scientific topic is part of a problem that is solved, as a rule, within a scientific organization and acts as the main unit of the thematic plan in the financing, planning and accounting of work. The goal of the topic is to effectively solve a specific problem of researching patent or economic works, etc. Depending on its complexity, a topic can be divided into stages and substages.

Innovation is a materialized result obtained from investing capital in new technology or technology, into new forms of organizing labor production, service, management, etc.

The process of creating, mastering and disseminating innovations is called innovation activity or the innovation process.

The result of innovative activity can also be called an innovative product.

State innovation policy - determination by authorities state power of the Russian Federation and government bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the goals of the innovation strategy and mechanisms for supporting priority innovation programs and projects.

Innovation potential (state, region, industry, organization)" - totality various types resources, including material, financial, intellectual, scientific, technical and other resources necessary for carrying out innovative activities.

Establishing a specific range of aspects that characterize the essence of any concept is the starting point for formulating the goals, structure and scope of further research. Therefore, it is advisable to distinguish between the concepts of “novelty” and “innovation”. Innovation is a formalized result of fundamental, applied research, development or experimental work in any field of activity to improve its efficiency. Innovations can take the form of: discoveries; inventions; patents; trademarks; rationalization proposals; documentation for a new or improved product, technology, management or production; organizational, production or other structure; know-how; concepts; scientific approaches or principles; document (standard, recommendations, methodology, instructions, etc.); results of marketing research, etc. Investing in the development of an innovation is half the battle. The main thing is to introduce innovation, to turn innovation into a form of innovation, i.e. complete investment activity and get a positive result, then continue the diffusion of innovation. To develop an innovation it is necessary to carry out marketing research, R&D, organizational and technological preparation of production, production and formalization of the results.

Innovations can be developed both for their own needs (for implementation in own production either for accumulation) or for sale.

IN modern economy the role of innovation has increased significantly. Without the use of innovation, it is almost impossible to create competitive products that have a high degree of knowledge intensity and novelty. Thus, in market economy innovations are an effective means of competition, as they lead to the creation of new needs, a reduction in production costs, an influx of investment, an increase in the image (rating) of the manufacturer of new products, and the opening and capture of new markets, including external ones.

All economic processes, like human life, take place in time, i.e. have a beginning, forward movement and ending. People's needs and attitudes change as they move from one stage of life to another. In the same way, any goods and services go through a number of stages, which together represent some kind of life cycle.

A cycle means a set of interrelated phenomena, processes, and works that form a complete circle of development over a period of time.

The life cycle of an innovation is a certain period of time during which the innovation has active life force and brings profit or other real benefits to the manufacturer and/or seller.

The concept of the innovation life cycle plays a fundamental role in planning the production of innovations and in organizing the innovation process. This role is as follows:

The concept of the innovation life cycle forces the business entity to analyze economic activity both from the perspective of the present time and from the point of view of the prospects for its development.

The concept of the innovation life cycle justifies the need for systematic work on planning the release of innovations, as well as on the acquisition of innovations.

The concept of the innovation life cycle is the basis for analysis and planning of innovation. When analyzing an innovation, it is possible to establish at what stage of the life cycle this innovation is, what its immediate prospects are, when a sharp decline will begin and when it will end its existence.

Technological innovation represent the final result of innovation activity, embodied in the form of a new or improved product or service introduced on the market, a new or improved process or method of production (transfer) of services used in practical activities. An innovation is considered accomplished if it is introduced into the market or into the production process.

In industry and services, there are two types of technological innovation: product and process.

In industry The following definitions are distinguished.

• 1. Product Innovation involve the development and implementation of technologically new or improved products. The introduction of a new product is defined as a radical product innovation if it concerns a product whose intended application, functional characteristics, properties, construction or materials and components used are significantly different from previously released products. Such innovations can be based on fundamentally new technologies or on the combination of existing technologies in their new application. Technological improvement of a product (incremental product innovation) affects an already existing product, the quality or cost characteristics of which have been significantly improved through the use of more efficient components and materials, partial changes in one or a number of technical subsystems (for complex products).
• 2. Process Innovation – This is the development of technologically new or significantly improved production methods, including product transfer methods. Innovations of this kind can be based on the use of new production equipment, new methods of organization production process or their combination, as well as on the use of research and development results. Such innovations are typically aimed at improving the efficiency of production or transfer of existing products in an enterprise, but may also be intended to produce and supply technologically new or improved products that cannot be produced or supplied using conventional production methods.

In the service sector The following definitions apply to this group of innovations.

• 1. Product Innovation include the development and implementation of fundamentally new services, improvement of existing services by adding new functions or features, significant improvements in the provision of services (for example, in terms of their efficiency or speed).
• 2. Process Innovation cover the development and implementation of technologically new or significantly improved methods of production and delivery of services.

The measurement of process innovation is carried out in a differentiated manner, highlighting new or significantly improved methods of production of goods and services, production methods of logistics, delivery of goods and services, methods in auxiliary activities, such as Maintenance and repairs, purchasing operations, accounting and computer services.

Process innovations, as a rule, are aimed at reducing the costs of production or activities for the transfer of products, services per unit of production, improving the quality, efficiency of production or transfer of products already existing in the organization, but can also be intended for the production and transfer of technologically new or improved products and services , which cannot be produced or supplied using conventional production methods (Table 1.1).

Table 1.1

Process Innovation

Product innovation includes the development and introduction into production of technologically new and significantly technologically improved products. They may be based on fundamentally new technologies, on the use or combination of existing technologies, or on the use of research and development results. Moreover, they may be new to the enterprise, but not necessarily new to the market. In addition, it does not matter whether innovative products were developed within the enterprise or by other organizations. Types of product innovations are presented in table. 1.2.

Table 1.2

Types of Product Innovations

In innovation statistics, the observation of organizational and managerial changes has been carried out since 2001. Initially, the object of the study was organizational innovations carried out by the organization over the past three years. Starting from 2006, in order to calculate the indicator of the aggregate level of innovative activity, introduced into international practice, in Russia the methodology for measuring organizational innovation was brought to unified system calculation of innovation activity - for the reporting year.

Research conducted by the Russian Managers Association showed that only through organizational and managerial innovations in Russia can labor productivity be increased by 80%.

The term “innovation” comes from the Latin word “innovus” (in - in, novus - new, innovare - to do new) and means renewal or improvement.

In scientific and legal literature, this term first began to be used in the 30s of the twentieth century, while almost every specialist involved in the study of innovation issues described it differently. Thus, attempts to define innovation were made by J. Schumpeter, P. Drucker, W. Hippel, W. Kingston and other authors.

In international practice, the version of the definition of “innovation” given in international standards“Oslo Manual on invention statistics and collection and processing of R&D data (“Oslo Manual”). In accordance with these standards, “innovation” is the final result of innovative activity, embodied in the idea of ​​a new or improved product introduced on the market, a new or improved technological process used in practical activities or in a new approach to social services.

In the Order of the Federal Service state statistics dated October 30, 2009 N 237 “On approval of statistical tools for organizing federal statistical monitoring of activities carried out in the field of science and innovation” contains the following definition of innovation: “Innovation is the final result of innovative activity, embodied in the form of a new or improved product ( product, work, service), production process, new marketing method or organizational method in running a business, organizing workplaces or organizing external relations.”

For a company, innovation is the main means of increasing profits, the opportunity to create strategic advantages in the most competitive areas, the keys to new markets. For a country, the ability to effectively use innovation means achieving national goals such as national security, defense environment, healthcare, as well as increasing labor productivity, attracting international investment, that is, ultimately, increasing the level and improving the quality of life. Governments are relying on innovation as they try to overcome the crisis.

Innovation is the end result of innovative activity, which means activities aimed at using and commercializing the results of scientific research and development to expand and update the range and improve the quality of products (goods, services), improve the technology of their production with subsequent implementation and effective implementation in the domestic market. and foreign markets, innovation activity involves a whole range of scientific, technological, organizational, financial and commercial activities, which together lead to innovation.

The Order of the Federal State Statistics Service dated October 30, 2009 N 237 “On approval of statistical tools for organizing federal statistical monitoring of activities carried out in the field of science and innovation” gives the following definition of innovation activity: “innovation activity is a type of activity associated with transformation ideas (usually the results of scientific research and development or other scientific and technical achievements) into technologically new or improved products or services introduced into the market, into new or improved technological processes or methods of production (transfer) of services used in practical activities. Innovation activity involves a whole range of scientific, technological, organizational, financial and commercial activities, which together lead to innovation.”

In the Main Policy Directions and Target Program, innovation activity is understood as the performance of work and (or) provision of services aimed at:

• · creation and organization of production of fundamentally new products (goods, works, services) or with new consumer properties;
• · creation and application of new or modernization existing methods(technologies) for its production, distribution and use;
• · the use of structural, financial and economic, personnel, information and other innovations (innovations) in the production and sale of products (goods, works, services) that provide cost savings or create conditions for such savings.
• 1.2 Classification and types of innovations

In the practice of innovation management, various innovation classifiers are used.

Based on the type of novelty for the market, innovations are divided into: new to the industry in the world; new to the industry in the country; new to of this enterprise(groups of enterprises).

Based on the stimulus of appearance (source), we can distinguish:

• · innovations caused by the development of science and technology;
• · innovations caused by production needs;
• · innovations driven by market needs.

By place in the system (in an enterprise, in a company) we can distinguish:

• · innovations at the enterprise input (raw materials, equipment, information, etc.);
• · innovations at the output of the enterprise (products, services, technologies, information, etc.);
• · innovation of the system structure of the enterprise (managerial, production).

Depending on the depth of changes made, the following are distinguished:

• · radical (basic) innovations that implement major inventions and form new directions in the development of technology;
• · improving innovations that implement small inventions and prevail in the phases of dissemination and stable development of the scientific and technological cycle;
• · modification (private) innovations aimed at partially improving outdated generations of equipment and technology.

For filling purposes statistical reporting several types of innovation are identified, each of which has its own definition and description, and several types of activities are identified that are not clearly recognized as innovative innovations. The corresponding recommendations are contained in the Order of the Federal State Statistics Service of October 30, 2009 N 237 “On approval of statistical tools for organizing federal statistical monitoring of activities carried out in the field of science and innovation”, which contains form No. 4-innovation “Information on innovative activities organizations." This form divides innovation into three main types: technological, which in turn includes product and process innovations; marketing innovation and organizational innovation.

Technological innovation - activities of an organization related to the development and implementation of technologically new products and processes, as well as significant technological improvements in products and processes; technologically new or significantly improved services, new or significantly improved methods of production (transfer) of services.

Product innovation - development and introduction into production of technologically new and significantly technologically improved products.

Process innovation is the development and implementation of technologically new or technologically significantly improved production methods, including product transfer methods.

Marketing innovations - the implementation of new or significantly improved changes in the design and packaging of products, the use of new methods of sales and presentation of products (services), their presentation and promotion to markets, the formation of new pricing strategies.

Organizational innovation is the implementation of a new method in doing business, organizing workplaces or organizing external relations.

1.3 Innovation process

A sequential chain of events during which an innovation is transformed from an idea into a specific product, technology or service and disseminated with the goal practical application and commercialization is called the innovation process.

The course of an innovation project is determined by the innovation infrastructure, which includes:

• · relevant regulatory and legal legislative framework;
• · an established market for scientific and technical products;
• · a network of organizations involved in the commercialization and capitalization of scientific developments;
• · consultation centers;
• · information intermediary services;
• · organizations carrying out export-import operations on innovations;
• · network of organizations carrying out engineering, auditing, management, coordination and other paid services;
• · scientific and practical personnel ready to perceive innovations.

The innovation process includes seven elements, the connection of which into a single sequential chain forms the structure of the innovation process.

These elements include:

• 1. initiation of innovation;
• 2. marketing innovation;
• 3. release (production) of innovation;
• 4. implementation of innovation;
• 5. promotion of innovation;
• 6. assessment of the economic efficiency of innovation;
• 7. diffusion (distribution) of innovation.

The beginning of the innovation process is initiation. Initiation is an activity consisting of choosing the goal of innovation, setting the task performed by the innovation, searching for the idea of ​​innovation, its feasibility study and materializing the idea. Materialization of an idea means turning an idea into a commodity (property, new product, etc.).

After justification of the new product, marketing research of the proposed innovation is carried out, during which the demand for the new product is studied, the volume of product output is determined, and the consumer properties and product characteristics that should be given to the innovation as a product entering the market are determined. Then the innovation is sold, that is, the appearance of a small batch of innovation on the market, its promotion, evaluation of effectiveness and diffusion.

Promotion of innovation is a set of measures aimed at implementing innovations (advertising, organizing the trade process, etc.).

The results of the implementation of innovation and the costs of its promotion are subject to statistical processing and analysis, on the basis of which the economic efficiency of the innovation is calculated.

The innovation process ends with the diffusion of innovation. Diffusion (Latin diffusio - spread, spreading) of innovation is the spread of once mastered innovation in new regions, in new markets.

Thus, the innovation process is aimed at creating products, technologies or services required by the market, and its focus, pace, and goals depend on the socio-economic environment in which it develops and operates.