"Our post-crisis economy should be based on knowledge and innovative technologies, not on Russia's potential in raw materials, no matter how endless they are," Medvedev said.

"So far we have not seen any changes in this area.... Our businesses are not changing and our government is not changing in the way that one would desire," the president said in a speech at a nanotechnology forum in Moscow.

Medvedev said that the global economic crisis had been a "huge stimulus" for economic reform and argued that the nascent recovery must not be allowed to end the process.

"We must not proceed along the familiar scenario: the global economy begins to grow, oil prices rise, export potential rises, we don't need any technology and we can continue to export energy resources," Medvedev said.

"This scenario would be fatal for our country and our economy," he said.

During the eight-year presidency of Medvedev's predecessor, Vladimir Putin, Russia enjoyed strong growth thanks to high prices for commodities such as oil, gas and metals.

This year the Russian economy is expected to shrink by about eight percent, after the crisis caused oil prices to plunge from heights of over 147 dollars per barrel in the summer of 2008 to around 70 dollars now.

Critics of Putin -- who is now the country's powerful prime minister -- say he missed the opportunity to carry out badly needed structural reforms when Russian government coffers were flush with oil revenues.

Medvedev, a 44-year-old who maintains a blog and solicits feedback from citizens via the Internet, has made high-tech innovation one of the themes of his presidency.

Tuesday's forum was organised by Rosnano, a state-owned company that was founded in 2007 with a budget of five billion dollars and a mandate to turn Russia into a leading force on the world nanotechnology market.

Nanotechnology, a broad term covering many different applications, involves the use of tiny structures that scientists can manipulate to create devices such as solar heating panels, improved computer chips or medical tools.

Medvedev said that Russia would allocate 318 billion rubles (10.6 billion dollars, 7.2 billion euros) through 2010 in a huge investment program to develop the country's nanotechnology industry.

"I hope we can make nanotechnology, the nanoindustry, one of the strongest sectors of the Russian economy," Medvedev said.

The president also called for legislative changes to Russia's customs system to boost technology exports, including a "green corridor" to ease exports of high-tech goods.

Businessmen in Russia have long complained that the country's customs system is corrupt and inefficient.

If Russia's nanotechnology project succeeds, it would be a striking turnaround for a country whose manufacturers have typically focused on heavy industry and produce few small-scale electronics.

Optimists say that Russia can succeed by tapping into its highly educated population and particularly its wealth of scientific talent, which has its roots in the Soviet Union's lavish support for the sciences.

"What is lacking is the ability to turn intellectual findings into commercial projects," Mikhail Pogosian, head of the Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi, said at the forum.

"Those who are leaders in technology are not leaders in business."

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