Skolkovo put 12 of its top energy startups on display Wednesday at the second annual Oil and Gas Forum in Moscow, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich and moderated by Skolkovo Foundation president Viktor Vekselberg.
The first day of the October 22-24 international conference at the World Trade Center was opened with a minute’s silence after the death of Total CEO Christophe de Margerie, who died in an air crash in Moscow earlier this week.
Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich perusing the Skolkovo catalogue. Photo: sk.ru
The Skolkovo project is a major effort by the Russian government and private investors to help diversify the Russian economy away from its dependence on oil and gas.
One of Skolkovo’s five research clusters is devoted to efficient energy technologies, as demonstrated at the forum by 12 Skolkovo resident companies engaged in the field.
The firms offer products and services in everything from contactless pipeline diagnostics to cleaner car fuel.
Half of Russia’s budget revenues are derived from oil and gas, amplifying the importance of any advances in technological efficiency.
“The condition of today’s oil and gas sector prompts a lot of questions from specialists,” said Vekselberg in opening remarks at the forum’s plenary session.
“The sector has developed very dynamically over the last decade, but today we have collided with challenges that need to be addressed,” he added.
Dvorkovich, for his part, noted the importance of innovation in modernizing infrastructure.
“It’s great that we have the experience of implementing the results of innovative research, although this hasn’t become widespread yet, but there should be masses of examples already visible, and here we have work to do,” he said.
It is the second major international forum with Skolkovo participation in the last seven days.
The Open Innovations Forum at the Technopolis attracted thousands of visitors and was devoted to boosting Russian-Chinese trade.