Skolkovo celebrated its fifth birthday in style on Monday, receiving recognition from Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev as an innovation center of global standing.
Dmitry Medvedev speaking at the Google Hangout. Photo: sk.ru
Medvedev, who signed the decree on Skolkovo’s creation when he was president on September 28, 2010, made the remarks at an international online conference entitled ‘Russian Agenda in Technological Revolution,’ a Google Hangout event broadcast from the Skolkovo Hypercube.
Betting on developing a high-tech economy is a “justified approach,” noted the prime minister during the hangout, moderated by TechCrunch editor Mike Butcher.
“You see what a huge construction project this is. You see what’s already at work here, and what should enter operation very soon.”
“Whatever happens, we are getting a world-class center of innovation, which has been developing over the last five years,” Medvedev added.
He went on to explain that “over these five years, we have created a critical mass of innovations,” referring to the 1,000-plus startups that have registered as participants of the Skolkovo project in that time.
“Every time I come here, I see something new,” he said.
In his introduction, Butcher described Skolkovo as Russia’s answer to Silicon Valley, but Medvedev politely objected, calling it oversimplified.
“Russia has its own peculiarities and conditions. That’s why we decided to go with the idea of creating an innovation city near Moscow and chose a financing model that brings together public and private sources.
“This approach has been justified,” he said.
Medvedev pointed out that “we are only taking the first steps, but I don’t doubt that we are on the path to success.”
Referring to the number of startups at Skolkovo, Medvedev said “whether that’s too few or too many is hard to say.”
In the future there will undoubtedly be more, but even this quantity is “enough to create the critical mass of innovations,” he said.
Other participants in the hangout included the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Rafael Reif; Craig Barrett, co-chairman of Skolkovo Foundation Council; president of strategic relationships at Google Carlo d’Asaro Biondo; director general of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) Luis Sanz; managing partner of UMJ Russia Fund Yusuke Otsubo; Francis Gurry, director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); and CEO of Group IB Ilya Sachkov.
“A thousand startups is colossal progress in such a short time,” said Rafael Reif, adding that current diplomatic issues between Russia and the West mustn’t blow the innovations process off course.
Medvedev and Skolkovo president Victor Vekselberg. Photo: sk.ru
“Russia has a huge talent pool, and MIT is interested in interacting with them. Russia is striving to create a knowledge-based economy. For MIT this is a critically important approach, and that’s why we’re working with Skolkovo,” he added.
The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, which saw the graduation of its first students this summer, was consistently mentioned as a key part of the innovation engine. It was set up in collaboration with MIT in 2011 as Skolkovo’s own university, unique because its curriculum is built around innovating.
Meanwhile, Medvedev took the opportunity to assuage concerns raised by Carlo d’Asaro Biondo that new laws governing the electronic storage of personal data could repel companies away from Russia.
“A few companies are currently deciding what to do,” Medvedev said. “You mentioned Twitter and Facebook. We are definitely not trying to squeeze anybody out. We definitely want everyone who works in accordance with the law to remain and work with us. I think this is really a question of good will, of seeking compromise and reaching agreement on concrete issues of presence and fulfilling Russian rules,” he added.