Dmitry Medvedev's speech:

I'd like to welcome you warmly to Moscow and congratulate you on receiving the 2011 Government prizes for your achievements in science and technology. I'd also like to tell you that literally five minutes ago I signed a federal programme on science and technology and I hope it will benefit the country.

All those present have at least one thing in common – a desire to work for the good of this country and to add to the number of achievements in the professions to which they have devoted their lives. The projects of the winners who are here are both multifaceted and diverse. What is maybe even more important for the country is that you are working in various parts of our enormous, multi-ethnic state – in Moscow and St Petersburg, Siberia and the Far East and many other places.

The prize winning projects involve some very diverse areas. I'm sure you are aware, but I would still like to mention some of them. Take, for example, the megawatt gyrotron system – a breakthrough in fusion energy science, or space environment monitors that make it possible to control emergencies or study global climate change. I'd also like to mention the pipe production technology for our fuel-and-energy sector, which is very important for us considering our expanses and our substantial energy assets. This is already being used at three domestic plants. Resource-saving technology, equipment for the production of hull plates and load-bearing units and promising marine technology as well as a host of other developments have all received Government prizes.

Let me congratulate you again on this occasion.

Despite considerable difficulties, the crisis, and the complicated market environment, in the last few years we have increased spending on science and education, the technical retooling of our industry and international cooperation in research. Needless to say, not everything has been done and we have a great deal of work ahead of us but the amount of funding today no longer compares with what it was just five or seven years ago, not to mention 15. This is absolutely true.

The Government instituted grants in 2010 and the winners of the competition received a handsome sum of up to 150 million roubles for research, the creation of internationally competitive laboratories and the recruitment of bright young employees. We are also supporting the cooperation of universities and research institutions that are carrying out projects to create high-tech production lines. This is an urgent task for this country. The federal budget will allocate a substantial 18 billion roubles for these purposes in 2013-2015.

I mentioned the programme that has been planned for up to 2020. The goal is to create an achievement-oriented research sector and create the conditions for a breakthrough in the innovative development of all economic branches. By 2020 we want the innovative sector of our economy to reach about 3% of the GDP and the percent of new equipment from innovative companies to grow to 70%.

Obviously, this is an ambitious but fairly feasible goal if we do a good job and have no global upheavals. We plan to spend more than 1.5 trillion roubles on this programme up to 2020.

And there is one more important point about this programme that I'd like to mention in this hall because you are the people who know this better than anyone else. By 2020 we should have many more young people involved in research. Researchers under 40 should account for no less than one third of all scientists. You know very well that science cannot develop without this fresh point of view.

The Presidential prizes in science and innovation for young scientists were launched in 2008 (I have awarded them more than once and think they are a very good impetus). Scholarships for young researchers and post-graduates employed in the innovative areas of economic modernisation were instituted in 2012. Today the Government's seven prizes were designed specifically for young scientists. Young as they are, the prize winners are fairly accomplished specialists who have discovered recent insights and invented competitive technology. Many of these have been put into practice and are yielding tangible economic results.

Dear friends, the world is changing and we should be changing with it. This country will be a world leader only if it can compete in this global race. The development of our country has been very uneven – sometimes we lagged behind in global history and at other times we reached the peak of progress. Each time one era replaced another. The current circumstances demand that we retrieve what we lost during the complicated period of our history.

I’ll tell you frankly, and this is not an idle compliment, I’m absolutely confident we have the power, the research potential, the intellect and now also the money to make it happen. The main thing is to distribute this money properly and make sure that everyone rather than just the state is involved in this process. Naturally, this applies to business people and civil society representatives, among others. This approach should capture the imaginations of many people in this country. We will have to upgrade entire industries and we are aware of this. I regularly visit research institutions and hold meetings on different issues. Some things look pretty good whereas others are in sad shape. Therefore, we must spare no effort on this uphill road. I’m sure you will deal with this process for many years to come and the Government strongly relies on your assistance and support.

I’d like to congratulate you on the New Year and wish high spirits and health to you and your families and friends. Let me congratulate you again on the presentation of these Government awards.