Importance As instructed by the Government of the Russian Federation, economic modernization implies the development of innovative activities so to ensure business competitiveness in the future. The article constitutes another attempt to analyze knowledge and skills pertaining to leaders of units and departments in the group of companies. Objectives The research examines knowledge and skills leaders of the business entity's departments need to meet competence requirements to the innovation manager, considering needs of key agents in the region's innovative systems. Methods We used questionnaires and methods of comparative evaluation of indicators to analyze knowledge and skills of leaders in the business entity's departments, which would be vital for innovative activities. Results We reviewed the competence of innovation managers and found that the educational level of department managers should be increased. Conclusions and Relevance Respondents are found to mix up the concepts of innovation and new developments. In the mean time, we can note rather high enthusiasm in developing and implementing new projects for the company, and necessary knowledge and expertise. Innovation and its role become even more important, considering the situation in the external and domestic markets, and intentions to make the Kemerovo oblast a carbon-free region. Innovation will mean business survival and competitiveness, rather than simply business initiatives and ambitions. Therefore the educational level of corporate leaders should be elevated, thus streamlining their work in the fashion of innovative management. The findings can be used by educational institutions to substantiate corporate managers’ training programs.
Barykin A.N. [Innovative manager: metaphor or profession?]. Menedzhment innovatsii = Innovation Management, 2010, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 106–122. (In Russ.)
Brizhak O.V. [Owners and managers: institutional contradictions and an influence on innovative development of corporations]. TERRA ECONOMICUS, 2012, vol. 10, no. 2-2, pp. 32–34. (In Russ.)
Gorbashko E.A., Dyukov I.I. [Innovative development of Russia's economy: the quality of managers' training]. Standarty i kachestvo = Standards and Quality, 2014, no. 1, pp. 76–81. (In Russ.)
Gryazeva-Dobshinskaya V.G. [Innovative leadership: modeling of corporate managers' performance trends]. Vestnik Yuzhno-Ural'skogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Ser. Psikhologiya = Bulletin of South Ural State University. Series Psychology, 2010, no. 17, pp. 9–17. (In Russ.)
Emel'yanova E.I. [An innovative model for forming the personal and professional competence of future managers in high school]. Kachestvo. Innovatsii. Obrazovanie = Quality. Innovation. Education, 2014, no. 5, pp. 11–16. (In Russ.)
Kalendzhyan S.O. [DBA as an innovative form of top managers' training]. Rossiiskii vneshneekonomicheskii vestnik = Russian Foreign Economic Bulletin, 2012, no. 12, pp. 58–68. (In Russ.)
Kisin K.A. [Innovative development of society and the modern system of managers' training]. Filosofiya prava= Philosophy of Law, 2013, no. 5, pp. 26–29. (In Russ.)
Komarov S.V. [The manager's self-determination. Innovative development of the company and solution of issues]. Kreativnaya ekonomika = Journal of Creative Economy, 2010, no. 8, pp. 71–75. (In Russ.)
Nikitenko S.M., Borisova A.L. [Innovative managers: does demand create supply?]. Innovatsii = Innovations, 2006, no. 7, pp. 54–57. (In Russ.)
Pervakova E.E. [Corporate culture factors influencing the Russian managers' innovative and entrepreneurial activity]. Mezhdunarodnyi nauchno-issledovatel'skii zhurnal = International Research Journal, 2013, no. 4-2, pp. 43–47. (In Russ.)
Skamai L.G. [Entrepreneurial management is an innovative component of modern managers' training]. Vestnik Universiteta. Gosudarstvennyi universitet upravleniya = Scientific Journal of University, 2012, no. 7, pp. 25–31. (In Russ.)
Zinov V.G., Lebedeva T.Ya., Yashin V.G. [Needs for innovative managers]. Innovatsii = Innovations, 2008, no. 3, pp. 38–49. (In Russ.)
Psikhologiya sovremennogo liderstva: amerikanskie issledovaniya [Psychology of Contemporary Leadership. American Researches]. Moscow, Kogito-Tsentr Publ., 2007, 288 p.
Virine L., Trumper M. Project Think: Why Good Managers Make Poor Project Choices. Surrey, Gower, 2013, 252 p.
