ИСТИНА

Our article presents the specifics of cluster support policy in Russia and the analysis of results of a detailed survey of quality management in Russian clusters. The Government in its attempt to foster development of innovations and commercialization of technologies in Russia decided to support «innovative territorial clusters». In the beginning of 2012 Ministry of Economic Development of Russia initiated a competition of regional cluster projects. Russian regional administrations submitted about 100 applications and among them 25 were selected for support from the federal budget. At the beginning of the program clusters could spend federal subsidies mainly on improving infrastructure in territories of their location. The clusters are situated in more than 20 Russian regions, and in future should highly affect the regional development processes. Selection process was aimed at choosing high-tech clusters with high innovative potential. These enterprises operate in such spheres as biotechnology, aerospace industry, nuclear power medicine, informational technologies. The main problem of these clusters is that they lack a tie of small companies and are not highly integrated in regional networks. Ministry of economic development is now addressing this shortcoming by organisation of special centers for cluster management that will provide soft infrastructure services - facilitation of interactions between cluster participants, provision educational services, etc. In conclusion of the article we identify the strong sides and areas of improvement for Russian cluster policy, especially for regional application. This analysis will be useful for researchers and politicians from regions where cluster policy became a mechanism of development.