Starting this article, I absolutely do not want to repeat the mantra “we are behind, we are behind!”. Let others do it. We will try to rise to the level of perception at least one bar higher and, by expanding the horizon, comprehend where the country is on the path of integration into the realities of the new economy. Therefore, first of all, we should turn our attention to such a concept as innovation - a very difficult phenomenon of institutional science and applied field of activity in the economy.

The place of innovation in the general field of innovation concepts

A whole series of materials will be devoted to the history of the issue on our website. In this article, we will focus on finding the definitions closest to the essence of the concept of innovation and finding out the significance that this phenomenon has on the formation of a new technological order.

The ending "atika" has a complex grammatical nature of ancient Greek origin. It is assumed that the ancestral word was "mathematics" as the queen of all sciences. Therefore, such an ending testifies in the modern world to involvement in science. In this regard, we can assume that innovation should be considered as a branch of scientific knowledge about innovation. Then the question arises, in what conceptual field is the area of ​​knowledge under consideration located? Let's look at a far from complete list of related concepts:

• innovation (innovation);
• innovation (innovation);
• innovation process;
• innovative activity;
• commercialization;
• innovation infrastructure;
• innovative potential of the company (region, industry, country);
• innovative project;
• innovation market;
• market of intellectual labor;
• engineering;
• technology transfer;
• innovation and investment process.

In our reflections, I propose to consider innovation from three points of view, which in recent years have been consolidated in various literary sources. Undoubtedly, innovation is a very young and promising field of scientific knowledge. In addition, innovation should be understood as a complex of systematic methodology for bringing the author's idea through innovation into the state of a product accepted by the market. And this is its deep practical significance. Finally, we must necessarily consider innovation as a specialty and as a profession that a professional who decides to devote himself to innovation management strives to master.

Based on the above, we can give a more complete description of the three aspects of the indicated complex phenomenon.

1. Innovation is proposed to be understood as a separate area of ​​scientific activity. In this direction, the development and development of theoretical foundations is carried out, scientific methodology and methods of forecasting, creative search, design and implementation of innovations in practice are being created. The theory and methodology of innovation are based on methods from the latest achievements in the field of system analysis, called systemology. It is systemology that makes it possible to study the phenomena and objects of cognition in a holistic way, to find and make the most balanced sociotechnical decisions. Naturally, applied innovation arises from the field of theoretical knowledge.
2. Under the applied aspect of innovative knowledge, we mean a special area of ​​scientific practice in which theoretical and applied problems of planning, organizing infrastructure, processes and implementing innovative activities are developed.
3. The essence of innovation is closely connected with such a phenomenon as the intellectual labor market, that is, with the area in which there is a supply and demand for the relevant categories of personnel. And among such personnel, in addition to scientists, specialists in engineering professions, and other workers in various areas of innovation, we single out a special group of professionals called innovators.

The importance of personnel in innovation

With the advent of the new economy in our life, the role of human capital increases many times over. Such a direction as innovation requires a serious rethinking of many management blocks: organizational culture, labor market relations, the functional composition of personnel management, especially its motivation and organizational behavior. There is an active formation of the intellectual labor market in the world, including on an international scale. A clear example of these events are the processes taking place in the field of information technology, including offshore programming. And the number of people employed in the IT sector indirectly indicates the level of development of the information economy as a certain infrastructural basis for mass innovations.

Characteristically, in India, with its 1.3 billion population, the army of programmers is growing at an unprecedented pace. In 1999 there were about 300 thousand of them, in 2005 - 1.3 million, and in 2013 already 2.75 million. It is also planned that by 2018 there will be 5 specialists in the IT industry in this country, 2 million. And this despite the fact that in the leading country of the planet the United States, the number of IT specialists in 2013 was 3.6 million people. China is also actively progressing in this direction: it is predicted that by 2018 the number of programmers from China in the global labor market will approach the level of 1.9 million people.

Competition in the labor market associated with the new economy is growing not only in the IT sector. The growing number of innovative projects in the world gives rise to an unprecedented demand for scientists with a real author's position, for specialists in other professions: designers, engineers, etc. Competition in national and international markets is growing, and this is just the beginning. Today, a young person who begins to wonder who to work with can no longer ignore the realities that are happening in the world. At the same time, on the subject of the article, we are primarily interested in the profession of an innovator.

Under the innovator, we mean a project manager engaged in innovative activities, who has chosen as his goal the successful implementation of projects for the commercialization of innovations. People who intend to master this profession should clearly understand what kind of work awaits them, what knowledge, skills and abilities they should receive. And first of all, these are the competences of the head of investment and innovation projects.

In Russia, in the specialty 222000 "Innovation", universities train innovators with two qualifications: bachelors and masters. There are still few graduates, but the process is underway. At the same time, specialized courses for future economists, managers, engineers and engineers-managers are also taught under the same name. The main tasks of the subject training of specialists are:

• formation of a systematic vision of professional practice for the creation of innovations, their production on an industrial scale and further commercialization;
• mastering the basic rules of work and related activities related to the transformation of innovations into a market product with high added value, which is the essence of innovation.

The history of our country demonstrates a lot of paradoxes associated with a special national culture. For example, the most significant innovative breakthroughs in the country's economy took place in the mobilization mode. This is the most difficult and costly path, because it is accompanied by an unprecedented strain of human strength. Something tells us that the transition to the sixth technological mode will also take place in a similar emergency mode. In this case, the country, all the same, needs to nurture a generation of innovators, which means that such specialists need to be trained much more, laying in them the maximum of what the university system is capable of today.

About specialty:

Description of the specialty innovation, which universities teach innovation, admission, exams, subjects in the specialty.

The curriculum combines economics, management and many technical specialties. The student will have to master a large number of disciplines, such as: mechanics, production technology, electronics, economics, management and management. The student, in the process of learning, will master system analysis and decision-making and implementation mechanisms, the introduction of new technologies in industry, all the subtleties of modern innovation and marketing in modern sectors of the economy.

Employment in the field of innovation

This specialty is aimed at training specialists in innovative development of both the country as a whole and its regions, territories of industries and individual enterprises. Graduates will be able to find a place for themselves both in government bodies at various levels of government, and in various companies that are interested in the innovative development of their business. Innovation specialists can count on the positions of project managers, business planners, technical directors responsible for hardware and software at all levels of management, heads of various structural divisions.

Career in innovation

Specialists in this field are in demand in all sectors of the economy. The greatest demand is observed in politics, logistics and IT-sphere. From the applicant for such a position, knowledge of management, business management and IT technologies is required. High requirements for specialists correspond to high salaries. The young specialist will have to recruit positions at lower levels of management, such as project manager and innovation specialist

Description

Bachelors of this direction will be able to:

• create and coordinate the production process of innovative products;
• provide support for the project implementation process at the planning and control stage;
• competently distribute and check the efficiency of the use of technological and production resources;
• organize commissioning and acceptance testing;
• work on the project at the designated stages, based on compliance with the quality and requirements of the new product;
• carry out technological audit;
• prepare information in the field of innovative products, processes and technologies;
• adjust production processes and organize events to promote an innovative product, as well as provide its technical support and service;
• create conditions that ensure the protection and preservation of intellectual property objects;
• prepare for negotiations with potential partners by developing special tools and materials;
• evaluate the profitability of the project, including the costs of marketing activities and collecting information about competitors;
• conduct a logical-structural analysis;
• before introducing a new product to the market, collect and study patent-legal and commercial information.

Whom to work

Specialists will be able to become logistics, marketing, innovation and risk assessment managers. Also, graduates are employed by specialists in innovation and innovation project management. The acquired amount of knowledge is enough to perform the functions of a financier or economist. The undisputed leader among the places where recent graduates send their resumes are research centers and complexes, the priority of which is the implementation of innovative activities. A highly demanded area is also an investment specialist in the relevant departments of banking structures.

Innovation Manager- the transformer of reality, the profession of a new generation of modern Russia. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in physics, chemistry and social studies (see choosing a profession for interest in school subjects).

In modern Russia, innovation is given special attention. The condition for the successful prosperity of any company and the economy as a whole is the development of an innovative component. For this, in addition to qualified technical specialists in production or science, competent management personnel with innovative thinking are needed. Therefore, many Russian universities have included a separate specialization and even entire faculties of innovation and technology business in the curriculum. The profession of innovation manager has a great future.

Features of the profession

The profession of an innovation manager implies a phased solution of diverse tasks:

• marketing research of the market in order to identify the needs of the population in new products, services, materials, high technologies;
• preliminary calculation of the volume of needs for an innovative product;
• search (or creation) and analysis of innovative ideas that meet the needs of the population;
• development of a project to implement the idea, marketing policy and business plan;
• search for a suitable enterprise capable of implementing this innovation;
• joint work with a specific enterprise on the development of technology and equipment for the production of products;
• search for suppliers of the necessary equipment and raw materials, conclusion of contracts.

Separately, it should be noted the work with risks. Any innovative project may turn out to be unprofitable or unsuccessful. The innovation manager must keep this in mind and protect the project from risks by compiling a list of events and conditions under which it is better to curtail the project.

Pros and cons of the profession

pros

• Serious innovative projects, as a rule, are launched in large and advanced companies. Working in them is in itself a big plus in terms of professional growth, opportunities for creativity, decent pay and, ultimately, a prestigious status.
• In the process of working with innovative projects, you can become a high-class expert who confidently predicts the prospects of projects.

Minuses

• Any innovation involves the risk of failure.
• Insecure employment and low demand due to the fact that there are not many companies in Russia that constantly implement innovative projects. In addition, in a crisis, reducing the costs of any company begins with the reduction of innovative projects.
• Constant intensive work on the creation of a new and extraordinary product entails fatigue and the so-called "professional burnout". It is not easy to be always on top, generate brilliant ideas and surprise with bright novelties.

Important qualities

Successful innovation managers have the ability to research scientist, traditional manager and qualified economist.

Important personal qualities:

• high professionalism in the field of activity where the innovative project is being implemented;
• broad outlook;
• creativity, ingenuity, resourcefulness;
• constant striving for the development of new knowledge;
• the ability to convince and defend one's point of view;
• leadership and organizational skills;
• the ability to rally a team around an idea and inspire a brilliant result.

Required professional skills:

• experience in scientific development, modeling and process control;
• knowledge of intellectual property rights and how to protect them;
• possession of the basics of financial analysis and accounting.

Where to study as an Innovation Manager

The Russian Institute of Vocational Education "IPO" - recruits students to receive a specialty through a remote program of professional retraining and advanced training. Studying at the IPO is a convenient and fast way to receive distance education. 200+ training courses. 8000+ graduates from 200 cities. Short deadlines for paperwork and external training, interest-free installments from the institute and individual discounts. Contact us!

The main education of an innovation manager is his main specialty in the industry where he leads innovation projects. The second additional education in the field of innovation project management can be obtained at the following educational institutions:

Higher Education Innovation Managers

• Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation, Faculty of Innovation and Technology Business;
• Institute of Innovation and Logistics at the State University of Management.
• Excellent technical training for the implementation of innovative projects related to technology, specialists receive in state technical universities:
• Moscow State University Lomonosov - Higher School of Management and Innovation, Higher School of Innovative Business;
• MSTU im. N.E. Bauman;
• MGUPB (Moscow State University of Applied Biotechnology);
• MGUTKhT them. M.V. Lomonosov (Moscow State University of Fine Chemical Technologies);
• MIPT - Faculty of Innovations and High Technologies;
• MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute).

Place of work

Depending on the type of activity, an innovation manager can work in a variety of areas: from scientific developments in the field of high technologies to the production of ordinary consumer goods with new properties.

Places of work for innovation managers:

• Academy of Sciences;
• Universities providing professional training for innovative managers;
• research institutes implementing their own scientific developments;
• scientific societies;
• corporations with development and research departments in their structure;
• design bureaus;
• venture funds;
• business angel associations;
• business incubators, technology parks;
• consulting firms accompanying innovation processes.

Salary

Salary as of 08.08.2019

Russia 20000—90000 ₽

Moscow 35000—150000 ₽

Career steps and prospects

A career as an innovation manager can start from two different positions: professional and amateur. Professionals include managers who have received special education - managerial, economic or financial. Hobbyists are professionals from scientific fields who promote their own innovative project or graduates of technical universities who specialize in promoting the scientific developments of their colleagues.

A manager with many years of experience, who has implemented several successful innovative projects, is highly valued in the labor market. Career advancement is possible in the following positions: quality director, development director, direction director, executive director.

Relatively recently, professional standards for the profession of an innovation manager were developed in Russia, which are enshrined in the Decree of the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation dated March 5, 2004 No. 34 “On Approval of the Professional Standard for the Profession “Manager of Innovation Activities in Scientific, Technical and Industrial Spheres”.