Centres of Excellence in the System of Contemporary Science Policy

Abstract

Centers of excellence is one of the key elements of a modern innovation system. In general, this term refers to organizations that conduct research and development in breakthrough fields and have the unique logistical, intellectual and human resources. Their work is of high quality and efficiency, thus they can serve as benchmarks for other institutions of similar profile. The article describes the formal and informal criteria of qualifying scientific and innovation organizations as the centers of excellence, the main features of these centers, and their typology and development prospects in Russia.