Innovation and Research
The Company’s innovation activities are aimed at developing and creating advanced techniques and promoting their use by the Company on a constantly renewable basis.
The Board of Directors approved the Innovative Development Program of the Company covering the period until 2016 (“Program”). The Program received approval from the Working Group on Public-Private Partnership Development in Innovation under the Governmental Commission on High Technologies and Innovations. The Program was adjusted in November 2012.
The Company defined the main areas of innovative development listed below:
- Introducing high-technology equipment and advanced techniques;
- Improving business processes and the innovation process management system;
- Enhancing energy conservation and energy efficiency;
- Raising environmental friendliness;
- Improving the quality control system;
- Developing and implementing innovative services and products to be promoted in existing and new markets;
- Cooperating with higher education institutions and scientific organizations;
- Cooperating with innovative small and medium-sized businesses.
Due to the transfer of the powers of the Company’s sole executive body to FGC UES in July 2012, it was decided to consolidate both companies’ innovative development programs and formulate a common R&D plan in order to avoid the overlapping of activities and measures.
The 4th quarter of 2012 saw the completion of the preparatory stage of carrying out the Program, focusing on the implementation and validation of the necessary regulatory framework that had previously been developed to govern the innovation activities of the Company and its subsidiaries, innovation project management, and the creation of an environment for the implementation of the R&D plan.
In addition, adjustments were made to the consolidated R&D plan outlined in accordance with the Regulations for Innovation Project Selection of the Company and approved by the Board of the the Company Scientific and Technical Council (STC). The list of subject areas defined for the 2012 consolidated R&D plan was modified after reviewing and agreeing upon terms of reference, selecting contractors on a competitive basis, and agreeing upon R&D subject areas within the relevant panels of the Company STC. It was recommended that the relevant R&D titles be included in the innovative development programs of the Company’s subsidiaries in the course of adjusting them. The list of subject areas consists of 159 R&D assignments (including 51 carried over from 2011) with 899.67 million rubles if total financing for 2012.
During 2012, contracts were awarded for 60 R&D assignments. In the reporting period, 112 assignments were in the implementation phase (out of the planned 159 assignments) and received 729.56 million rubles of financing, or 46% of the planned financing for subsidiaries’ own R&D programs for 2012.
The year 2012 witnessed the completion of 31 R&D assignments with the contract value totaling 212.36 million rubles.
As part of collaborating with research centers, the Company and the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) signed an agreement in December 2012. Skoltech is a graduate research university aimed at educating global leaders in innovation, advancing scientific knowledge, and fostering new technologies to ensure the accelerated growth and competitiveness of the Russian economy.
On a regular basis, the Company and its subsidiaries cooperate with educational institutions that provide training in energy. Under agreements, educational establishments organize training sessions on specific subjects, arrange study tours of training grounds, and hold open house events. Additionally, representatives of the Company and its subsidiaries take part in meetings of certification commissions evaluating graduation projects, while researches and teachers of higher education institutions are engaged to conduct studies as part of efforts to carry out subsidiaries’ R&D plans. Measures are taken to provide target-oriented personnel training at higher education institutions on a systematic basis and under programs of extended occupational education and advanced training.
Engaged by the Company’s subsidiaries, higher education institutions carried out 14 R&D assignments in the reporting year with the contract value totaling 70,213.8 thousand rubles and the actual financing reaching 24,185.39 thousand rubles.
INFORMATION ABOUT COOPERATION BETWEEN THE COMPANY’S SUBSIDIARIES AND HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN R&D IS DETAILED BELOW:
Contracting Subsidiary Company | Higher Education Institution |
---|---|
IDGC of Center and Volga Region | Vyatka State University |
IDGC of Center and Volga Region | R. E. Alekseev Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University |
IDGC of Center and Volga Region | Ryazan State Radio Engineering University |
IDGC of Center and Volga Region | South Russian State Technical University (Novocherkassk Polytechnic Institute) |
IDGC of Center and Volga Region | Udmurt State University |
IDGC of Center and Volga Region | Izhevsk State Technical University |
Yantarenergo | Kaliningrad State Technical University |
Kubanenergo | South Russian State Technical University (Novocherkassk Polytechnic Institute) |
Kubanenergo | Kuban State Agrarian University |
MOESK | Moscow Power Engineering Institute (National Research University) |
Tyumenenergo | Novosibirsk State Technical University |
Tyumenenergo | Tomsk Polytechnic University |
As related to improving business processes and developing information technology, the reporting year’s efforts aimed to methodologically prepare an environment for introducing the Integrated Production Asset Administration System into the Company’s subsidiaries engaged in electricity distribution. For instance, the Company formulated and approved the Model Standard for Production Asset Administration for its subsidiaries. In addition, the Company devised the Concept of Building the Unified Referenced Data System of the Company and its subsidiaries in Technical Operation and Maintenance Management. The Company also prepared basic reference books with a view to compiling equipment records, such as a uniform equipment classifier, a classifier of equipment status parameters and attributes, an equipment model register, a standard value register for equipment models, and a configuration and template register for standard functional locations.