This paper focuses on the prospects for using new materials and nanotechnologies in pharmacology and pharmaceutical industry. The authors systematize science and technology priorities of the global pharmacology and determine the perquisites for the application of the technologies emerging in the production of pharmaceutical products. The study has been conducted using the method of critical technologies. The object of the study is the thematic science and technology focus area “Hybrid materials, convergent technologies, biomimetic materials and medical supplies”. Based on the findings, the authors have drawn a number of conclusions within the frameworks of the monitoring of science and technology development of priorities implemented by a network of centers for industrial foresight. Besides, the authors have analyzed the implementation of the existing approaches to the definition of critical technologies in the context of Russia’s pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, the authors have determined the conditions for application of the method of critical technologies in the Russian pharmaceutical industry based on the thematic research and development focus area “new materials and nanotechnologies”.

In the article, we analyze the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on banking development. Banks implement AI to provide digital assistance and financial advice to clients, measure their financial standing etc. The paper also includes cases of the AI solutions marketing and some ideas of brand-new banking AI-based services. Despite the rapid spreading of AI across the different spheres, its efficiency is based, primarily, on consumers` attitude and loyalty to this technology. Our research shows that Russian business and consumers perceive AI in a positive light. Sberbank specialists have a positive attitude to the AI implementation in their work, consider these solutions as assistance in performing routine operations and are not afraid of dismissals. They use AI solutions both at work and in everyday life. The emerging fears are associated with possible technical failure, unauthorized transmission of personal data, lack of privacy, and unexpected consequences of AI implementation. However, in general, experts understand that the future of the financial sector is connected with this technology. According to Sberbank employees, consumers tend to demonstrate a certain level of mistrust to AI, which could result from misunderstanding of how this technology works, and what impact it has on their ways of life. Meanwhile, the level of AI resistance from both sides decreases with time. Therefore, state and financial mediators could create necessary conditions for banking development based on modern technologies.

This paper describes the establishment of the new joint laboratory for medical materials science in Tomsk in the framework of the Technology Platform “Medicine of the Future”. The objective of this paper is to analyze the promising research areas within Medicine and Healthcare in the field of medical materials science. The study has been carried out using patent analysis and the method of critical technologies. The research object is the science and technology thematic area “biodegradable composite materials for medical applications”. According to the analysis of patent databases of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property (Russia) and the European Patent Office, the authors have made conclusions concerning the level of inventive activity with regard to “biodegradable composite materials for medical applications”, and determined the common and distinct country features of patent activity in medical materials science. Besides, the authors have suggested a new approach to improving the inventive activity in Russia and abroad, based on the method of critical technologies.

Abstract. The paper considers macro parameters of corporation innovation activity in the BRICS countries. The authors determine transnational corporation behavior strategies in the context of creating and transferring new knowledge, where developed countries (the USA, European countries and Japan) play an important role and take a leading position in this process. Companies from emerging economies focus on using and adopting innovations. The reason for this is that knowledge "is coded" specifically, consequently the participants of its exchange have to be in similar intellectual space. Nevertheless, the market-leading corporations from the BRICS countries join the world chains of innovation creation, building their networks to satisfy their branches needs concerning technological decisions and personnel training

This paper reports results of comparison of retirees' assets, incomes, and consumption expenditures among three countries (the UK, US and Russia). The analysis was conducted on the basis of official statistic reports and on the data of special government and public organizations. Our findings are the following. The decrease of income while aging is the common feature for every country. Retirees in the UK and US own assets the revenue from which helps them to overcome the reduction in income. But for Russian pensioners it is hard to get by with only social payments. Their main strategies are to continue working or to cut some expenditure. But still they have savings. As a result special marketing policies which should be oriented on old people are suggested.