Victor Vekselberg took to the regions on Tuesday to convey an important message to Russia’s startup community: If you have an idea for an innovation, you’ve got Skolkovo’s support.
Victor Vekselberg addressing startups in Rostov-on-Don. Photo: sk.ru
Opening the 2015 Russian Startup Tour in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don along with regional governor Vasily Golubev, the Skolkovo Foundation president addressed dozens of entrepreneurs hoping to become part of the Skolkovo ecosystem by winning a pitch competition there on Sunday.
“In Skolkovo we have created an entire system that can help you realize your potential,” Vekselberg said.
“We want you to have the confidence that if you have an idea, this idea will find support in us to try to make it happen.”
Rostov is the first in a 12-city roadshow around Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan as Skolkovo uncovers the best startups and invites them to the Startup Village in June.
Vekselberg noted there was no shortage of potential to develop a high-tech economy despite the years of stagnation following the fall of the Soviet Union.
"When the Skolkovo project started, opinion was split into two camps. There were its supporters in business and government and there were the skeptics, who noted the colossal natural resources our country has and saw no need to develop an innovations economy," Vekselberg said.
Hundreds of entrepreneurs and guests assembled at the Don Plaza hotel in Rostov for stage one. Photo: sk.ru
"Most skeptics said there aren't enough serious high-quality projects due to the long period of destruction of science and education in our country, and any talented people remaining who were actually capable of creating something left the country," he added.
"The thinking was that today we have a too few interesting [innovation] proposals, so there is no point in wasting any energy on them."
"We don't agree with this point of view. One of Russia's major achievements is its huge intellectual potential, its people - young and not too young - who are true experts in their field and whom we still haven't lost. We were simply lacking a system that could help realize this potential,” Vekselberg said.
The purpose of the tour is to stimulate innovation-development in the Russian regions by giving local innovators the tools they need to commercialize their ideas, from mentorship to financing and other support mechanisms.
It culminates in the Startup Village at the Skolkovo Innovation Center in June.