Successes and Difficulties of Small Innovative Firms in Russian Nuclear Cities: Proceedings of a Russian-American Workshop (2002)

Summary: In October 2000 the Department of Energy (DOE), the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy (Minatom), and the National Research Council (NRC) agreed that a workshop on small innovative firms in atomic cities in Russia would be helpful in identifying business approaches and Russian governmental policies that should be encouraged. A workshop was held in Obninsk in September 2001. The presentations addressed many aspects of the establishment and management of small innovative firms in Russia, including a number of specific examples of the activities of small firms, as well as lessons learned in establishing commercially viable firms in the United States. While there are great differences in the business environments, in the training and experience of entrepreneurs, in the communication and physical infrastructures, and in the availability of financial resources in the two countries, some principles concerning management, marketing, and general business strategies are relevant in both countries.