The Perils of Spatial Cloning: the case of Russia's ‘Silicon Valley’ Nadir Kinossian, IfL Kevin Morgan, School of Geography and Planning Cardiff University Innovation in Spatial Planning Conference, 25-26 February 2016

Spatial planning challenges Tackling spatial disparities Negotiating conflicting interests Balancing the goals of spatial equalisation and productivity

New Economic Geography New Economic Geography champions “agglomeration” Productivity and innovation are strongly correlated with agglomeration of economic activity Economic growth is uneven but NEG argues that development can be inclusive if connectivity is good The implication is that policy-makers should foster urban agglomerations not frustrate them NEG provides the rationale for metro-centric economic policy, bordering on “metromania”

The limitations of NEG Refers to the experiences of the most globally-oriented cities and regions Less relevant for less privileged locations Nevertheless, NEG ideas are influential – they have travelled far and fast in the academy and in the worlds of policy and practice through many different “carriers”

‘Metromania’ – academic carriers

‘Metromania’ – policy carriers

Where Russia’s wealth is generated: Share of GDP by region (2013) Source: IFL Cartography Department using Rosstat data (2013).

Share of the national GDP in 2013, top-ten regions Share in national GDP, % Moscow 21,54% Tyumen region 9,29% Moscow region 4,72% St. Petersburg 4,62% Krasnodar kray 3,00% Sverdlovsk region 2,94% Tatarstan 2,86% Bashkortostan 2,35% Krasnoyarsk kray 2,33% Samara region 1,93% Total 55,57%

Rich and poor: GDP per capita by region in roubles (2000-2013) 2005 2010 2013 Minimum 6 668 17 435 48 239 88 462 Maximum 176 918 673 208 977 256 4 003 354 Average 30 488 98 615 219 386 389 258 Standard deviation 18 062 85 250 168 741 528 582

Tackling spatial disparities: policy context The spatial policy framework is incoherent; The central government intervenes directly tackling specific problems using a plethora of tools (budget transfers, grants, special development zones, mega-projects…)

Main actors Putin: we should start with the territories around large economic centres. Consultants, think tanks Cities and Regions

Case study: the Skolkovo Innovation Centre A 400-hectar site outside Moscow Five “high-tech sectors” including energy, IT, telecommunication, biomedical and nuclear research Development and commercialisation of new technologies Special planning, fiscal and immigration arrangements Excellent conditions for work and life Leading Western consultants and designers

Location of the Skolkovo Innovation Centre

Proposal by Arep (2010)

Project in making (2015) Source: RBC

What is innovative about Skolkovo? Co-locating research, development and commercialisation activities; Ex-territorial entity linked with the global markets and flows; Special governing regime Designed according to perceived ‘best practices’

‘Collateral damage’: doing innovation under political authoritarianism Scandals, investigations of embezzlement; Is not immune to arbitrary prosecution and harassment by law enforcement agencies; De facto annexed Crimea and associated regime of western sanctions, capital flight, ban on technology transfer; Shifting policy priorities, funding withdrawals, new areas of ‘utmost importance’; Weak demand for innovation under political authoritarianism and resource-based economy

Spatial innovation or lack of it? This study is not about a specific case but approaches to spatial planning: Arbitrary rather than systemic reform of spatial planning; Growing spatial polarisation in a highly polarised country; Fragmentation of state space and regulatory regimes; Potential conflicts between prioritised and non-prioritised spaces; ordinary and special; strategic and non-strategic spaces.

Conclusions Skolkovo is a project in making; Skolkovo is legitimized via neoliberal pro-growth rhetoric – but in reality, initiated, funded and governed by the state; Most problematic is the attempt to produce innovations by ‘spatial cloning’ and failure to populate spatial form with meaning; Need for more comparative research at global scale to: explore the limitations of the western models as original ideas take a grotesque form.

References EBRD (2012) Diversifying Russia. Harnessing regional diversity. URL: http://www.ebrd.com/pages/research/publications/special/diversifying-russia.shtml (Accessed 13 March 2014). Glaeser E. (2011) Triumph of the City. London: Pan Books. Katz, B. and Bradley, J. (2013) The Metropolitan Revolution: How Cities and Metros Are Fixing Our Broken Politics and Fragile Economy. Washington: The Brookings Institution. Kinossian N and Morgan K (2014) Development by decree: the limits of “Authoritarian Modernization” in the Russian Federation. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 38(5), pp. 1678-1696. World Bank (2011) Russia. Reshaping economic geography. World Bank, Washington, DC. URL: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2011/06/16332782/russia-reshaping-economic-geography (accessed 14 August 2015).