Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang paid a visit to the Skolkovo stand at the Open Innovations Forum in Moscow on Tuesday, checking in with resident companies to stay abreast of the latest advances in technology.
Medvedev has close ties with the Skolkovo project, having signed the order on its creation as Russian president in 2010.
Several top Skolkovo residents are exhibiting their innovations at the foundation’s stand, and Medvedev took particular interest in the work of Transbiotech, and Aerob, an engineering company in Skolkovo’s space and telecommunications cluster.
Medvedev, center, visiting the Skolkovo Foundation stand with Li Keqiang on Tuesday. Photo: sk.ru
Transbiotech is on a mission to equip all ambulances with its external blood circulation device, while Aerob produces drones with artificial intelligence for civilian use.
“It was very interesting to have the premier visit our stand,” said Transbiotech research leader Oleg Reznik. “I described our product and I was certainly met with understanding on his part. He reacted very positively,” he added.
Aerob CEO Andrei Mamontov hailed Open Innovations as an "excellent forum for contacts with representatives of industry, potential partners and investors."
Of the meeting with Medvedev, he noted: "When we can put our development into production, begin manufacturing, we need the requisite level of contacts with the state organs."
"Open Innovations give us the extra possibility to interact with them," Mamontov said.
Medvedev was shown around the Skolkovo stand by its president, Viktor Vekselberg, in a moving media scrum that made it difficult to navigate the stand.
The Open Innovations forum is Tuesday and Wednesday at the Technolopolis in southeast Moscow. Medvedev is a regular at the conference, already in its third year.
China is an official partner of this year's event, which is aimed at boosting bilateral trade ties.