OREANDA-NEWS. February 14, 2011. Speaking at a meeting of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs on developing innovation in Russia to 2020, Russian Railways President Vladimir Yakunin said: "The innovative development of the Russian economy needs to address the issues of education and demand for innovation in industry", reported the press-centre of RZD.

"To develop an innovative economy in Russia, two problems have to be solved. One is the question of education, which is closely associated with the preparation of highly qualified people. The second issue is the demand for technological innovation in industry itself. If industry makes no effort to obtain these results, innovation will fall by the wayside," said Vladimir Yakunin.

In this respect, Vladimir Yakunin stressed the need to create a special body to coordinate the development and introduction of innovative technologies in various fields and which would also supervise the education and training of specialists.

"We need someone to be responsible for this work in the country. Therefore, this new special body should not be part of an existing ministry, but rather a separate structure needs to be set up which is equipped with the appropriate powers and resources," he said.

Yakunin also said that the government should clearly define the areas for innovation and provide the necessary support throughout the whole process.