The use of principal components method for the evaluation of scientific and technological capacity parameters

Scientific and technological capacity contributes to the organization of innovative activities and implementation of research ideas and projects of scientific and technological progress. The determination of its level in the context of economic entities will allow them to make more effective and correct management decisions and frame better innovation policy at the state level. It should be noted that scientific and technological capacity category is assessed with the help of a synthetic indicator that consists of various statistical indicators. In practice, such estimates are usually performed through the calculation of the multiplicative index. The indicators used in this estimation are often equal, which, in practice, is incorrect. In order to determine their proportion or weights, the factor analysis method of principal components may be used. This article considers the basic theoretical principles of innovative activity and assessment practices of scientific and technological capacity used by leading organizations in Russia. When making these calculations it is necessary to determine clearly the significance of each indicator. In this regard, the algorithm for the calculation of these weights has been offered. In addition, the algorithm groups the indicators, integrating them due to various types of correlation. From the mathematical point of view, this procedure implies the position of vectors in dispersion cloud space. The article presents the results of calculations according to the data from the subjects of the Russian Federation (80 regions) for 2011-2012 with a preliminary justification of the selected indicators and their bringing to a comparable form on the basis of normalization regarding the best values in each of the periods under consideration. The paper also proposes further research stages, which ensures a more precise and reliable estimation of scientific and technological capacity.