This paper examines some of the Russian and international experience with regard to stimulating innovation activity in enterprises within the metallurgical sector. The key focus is on implementation issues regarding innovations within the sector and possible ways to resolve them. The authors explore the current state of innovation activity in metallurgical enterprises and examine some of the most promising areas for innovation in metallurgy. The paper brings forward a set of measures designed to enhance the stimulation of innovation activity in Russian metallurgical enterprises based on the experience of other European countries. The authors examine some of the most promising tenets of a government program on innovation-driven development within Russia's metallurgical sector, which includes various measures of direct and indirect stimulation of innovation within metallurgy.