  The renormalization group (RG) is used in order to obtain the RG improved
effective potential in curved spacetime. This potential is explicitly
calculated for the Yukawa model and for scalar electrodynamics, i.e. theories
with several (namely, more than one) mass scales, in a space of constant
curvature. Using the $\lambda \varphi^4$-theory on a general curved spacetime
as an example, we show how it is possible to find the RG improved effective
Lagrangian in curved spacetime. As specific applications, we discuss the
possibility of curvature induced phase transitions in the Yukawa model and the
effective equations (back-reaction problem) for the $\lambda \varphi^4$-theory
on a De Sitter background.
