PDF, 2492 KB - Roland Berger Strategy Consultants

Study 13RussiaSaudi Arabia23.1 bn 708 mnR&D investments in 2011, 1.1% of GDPR&D investments in 2007, 0.3% of GDPThe Russian government plans to develop a Russian Silicon Valleynear Moscow where Nokia recently inaugurated a handset R&Dfacility. Announced in 2012, the plan is to invest USD 3 billion overthe next three years to build the Skolkovo Center for Innovationand Entrepreneurship as the cornerstone for a major high-techpresence in the mobile market. Intel is one of the most activemajor companies investing in Russia and former CEO Craig Barrettco-chairs the Skolkovo Foundation Council. Other prominentin dustrial investors include Quintiles and Astra Zeneca. Russianhigh-tech R&D support also extends to funding wirelessinfrastructure joint ventures between Russian state-ownedmanufacturers and such foreign partners as Nokia SiemensNetworks and Huawei. However, a concern restricting large vendorinvestments has been a poor intellectual property protectionrecord. While Russia is expected to strengthen rules to matchinternational standards, the country's current position in the WEFIntellectual Property Protection Index at 2.5 (position 126 out of142) is below average.The Saudi economy is highly dependent on petroleum and relatedproducts. The government issued development goals to create amore knowledge-driven economy and 96% of respondents in theGE Innovation Survey reported that the Saudi innovation en vironmenthas improved over the past five years. The King AbdullahUniversity of Science and Technology (KAUST), inaugurated inlate 2009, seeks to promote university/business collaboration byattracting world-renowned scientists and top students.In 2011 Siemens Energy founded an R&D center with the KingFahd University of Petroleum & Minerals in Dhahran, a leadingMiddle East research and teaching institution, to offer R&Dsupport for energy related issues, as well as university studentand outreach training. In 2010 Intel opened as part of thecompany's Digital Transformation Initiative an R&D center toexplore wireless applications in the Kingdom and wider region.Patent protection in Saudi Arabia lasts 20 years and the timebetween application and registration is about three years. Thecountry has a satisfactory score of 5.1 (position 25 out of 142)in the WEF Intellectual Property Protection Index.