Putin allowed science funding to reach 2% of GDP before 2030

Russia can achieve funding of science up to 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) earlier than the planned 2030. Russian President Vladimir Putin said this at a meeting with participants of the IV Congress of Young Scientists in Novo-Ogaryovo on December 2.

"I understand that [some] issues are for sure related to financing. Let's discuss all these topics. Of course, we have a goal, and we will realize it - 2% of GDP should go to science. By 2030. Maybe we will reach this amount of funding earlier," he said.

In addition, Putin announced that special attention will be paid to issues related to the training of qualified engineering personnel. According to him, in the next three years it is necessary to provide training for one million specialists, and by 2030 this figure should grow to 1.8 million people.

"In general, all work in this direction is underway <...>. We have created 50 high-level engineering schools on the basis of Russia's leading educational institutions, and by 2030 there should be at least 100 of these engineering schools," Putin said.

The IV Congress of Young Scientists was held from November 27 to 29 in the educational center "Sirius" near Sochi, it was attended by more than 7 thousand people from 62 countries.

Earlier, on November 28, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said at the plenary session of the IV Congress of Young Scientists that spending on the development of Russian science in 2024 will exceed Br1.6 trillion. Chernyshenko noted that in addition to these funds, investments in projects worth about Br3 trillion are envisaged. Nine national projects will be aimed at creating technologies within the framework of these projects, concluded the deputy chairman of the Russian government.

On the same day, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev announced the creation of a joint venture fund with Sirius, the capital of which is Br1 billion. Dmitriev noted the importance of attracting Russia's talented young people to projects, adding that Sirius has already been successful in attracting leading scientists.

In February this year, Putin instructed the Russian government to work on the possibility of expanding funding for Russian science.