Skolkovo Innovation Center as a basis for global technological dialogue

Сегодня в Роснано прошел российско-британский круглый стол «Формирование благоприятного для инноваций делового климата» при участии Анатолия Чубайса и госсекретаря Великобритании по делам предпринимательства, инноваций и профессиональной подготовки Винсента Кейбла. Я рассказал про «Сколково» как платформу для глобального технологического диалога.

Today our meeting is devoted to innovations and creating special environment for its development. So I’d like to tell you about Skolkovo innovation center as a basis for global technological dialogue.
Skolkovo is not just an international innovation center, it is going to be a smart city, built with the latest innovation technologies and in line with all modern requirements.
The main difference of Skolkovo from other Russian research centers is that it is an international one. It is being created in collaboration with researchers, universities, multinationals, venture capitalists, governments and all kinds of other entities from all over the globe. That makes it a unique example of international social creative process that will result in an environment most conducive to innovation and investment, education and entrepreneurship, research and recreation.
Nowadays Russia has chosen the way of modernization its economy. So Skolkovo is to become an innovation hub that will stimulate innovative entrepreneurship and disseminate (распространять) entrepreneurial culture across the country to integrate Russia into the global economy. That’s why this project is under personal control of Russian President Mr. Medvedev. But it doesn’t mean that it is managed by Russian government. The government provides initial funding and signals credible commitment to support the project in the future.
Therefore the research process will concentrate on priorities of Russian technological development (energy, biomedical, IT, space, nuclear) and will be conducted in appropriate technology clusters. They will specialize in developing new technologies and products.
Integration to the world scientific community will foster advancement of human capital in Russia by attracting foreign specialists and creating conditions for local innovative talent development. Also it will encourage creating globally competitive products and services based on cutting-edge research and establishing global innovative companies in Russia.
That’s why there will be Skolkovo Institute of Technology (SIT), which is to become a major generator of innovation in Skolkovo. It will specialize in world-class graduate program to train future young experts and scientists and focus on applied research and development of technological expertise. SIT will produce Intellectual Property which can be commercially developed in Russia. The institution will support setting up labs in Skolkovo as well as network-based labs affiliated through partnerships agreements with other academic institutions.
I’m telling you about Skolkovo in future time, because real Skolkovo (in terms of infrastructure) hasn’t been built yet. The first buildings will be ready by 2014. But Skolkovo is already in process. We’ve done all regulatory laws and other documents, which give undoubted preference to Innovation center’s residents. We’ve signed memorandums of understanding with such transnational companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Siemens, Nokia, Boeing. The Corporation Rusnano is also our partner. In December we’re planning to open representative offices in the Silicon Valley and Boston. Soon we will announce the first company-residents in Skolkovo. They will be awarded “virtual Skolkovo residents” statuses. Therefore by that time their startups will be launched.
Despite possessing a fundamental scientific base, Russia still needs global technological partners. International cooperation fosters creating of new knowledge. So the parity in developing new technologies is the way to global dialogue.
I know that Britain’s government pays a lot of attention to developing scientific platform. Thus I think the participation of UK side scientists and companies will bring benefits to both parties.