The existing global integration and the current trends in the development of the world leaders of innovative entrepreneurship show that the most promising way of development of the Russian economy is the formation of an innovative corporate sector that has effectively established the reproduction of full-cycle innovations. In modern economic conditions, it is the intellectual capital of corporations that is the basis of the innovation economy, and therefore the core of the knowledge economy. However, at present, innovation activity in the Russian Federation is not the main factor in the growth of the national economy. Over the past few years, the state leadership has been paying great attention to issues related to the state of the scientific and technical sphere, as well as to the formation of an effective innovation policy in Russia. The necessity of implementing the results of scientific research in various industries of the Russian Federation is noted. The article evaluates the innovative activity of Russian companies, highlights their strengths and weaknesses, and shows the role of intellectual capital in the innovative development of the Russian economy using the example of the oil and gas industry. The priority value of the corporate research and design complex (on the example of Rosneft) in the reproduction of the company's intellectual capital as a basic unit for making any scientific and technical decisions and producing organizational and managerial innovations in the production areas of economic activity is determined and justified. The study highlights the current problems and promising directions for the development of corporate intellectual capital in basic industries as a key factor in the innovative transformation of the real sector of the Russian economy.