Skolkovo Foundation and Microsoft Agreed on Cooperation
President of the Skolkovo Foundation Viktor Vekselberg and Head of Microsoft Corporation Steve Ballmer signed a memorandum of understanding. According to the memorandum, the Skolkovo Foundation and Microsoft Corp. have agreed on cooperation. Microsoft is planning to develop the following five areas at Skolkovo:
Establishment of a Microsoft Software Development Center at Skolkovo. The Center is aimed to create elements of Technical Computing, (a new initiative to establish large-scale solutions in the field of data processing for scientific research, engineering, and engineering data analysis and simulation) and Microsoft Business Solutions (business application). Russian software developing companies may be involved as subcontractors for certain development projects. It is supposed that solutions created at this center will be used not only in Russia, but all over the world.
Collaborative research projects cooperation with Russian and foreign universities. Microsoft is planning to organize research programs in a number of promising areas jointly with Russian and foreign universities, research institutes and research teams. Besides that, joint international research events and workshops are also planned, which will attract leading world-class specialists in both IT and high-tech and related domains.
Extended Russian innovative start-ups assistants program. In the ecosystem of Skolkovo Microsoft will act as a key player that will support startups at early stages of their development, while engaging market players in project investments and providing technological review for such projects.
Microsoft is also planning to provide financial support for implementation of the most promising ideas at their early stages. The selection of candidates for such support will be conducted by an expert committee consisting of the heads of the Microsoft office in Russia and representatives of Russian Seed Investment Funds.
The Microsoft BizSpark program, which has already provided more than 1,500 startups with a technology platform and tools, will also be extended. According to the plan, in the future certain software startup companies residing at Skolkovo will be provided with favorable terms for accessing Microsoft’s cloud services.
Establishment of a Technology Center to provide collaborative access to IT technologies in Skolkovo. Based on the successfully operating Microsoft Technology Center that was opened in Moscow a year ago and was the first in Central and Eastern Europe, Microsoft Corporation is planning to establish in Skolkovo a Technology Center to provide collaborative access to IT technologies. With recourses of such center companies working in Skolkovo will get a unique opportunity to test and adapt their solutions on corporate-scale IT infrastructure.
Support of the creation of the Technological University at Skolkovo. One of the major areas of activity of Microsoft will be support of the creation of the Technological University in Skolkovo. Students and professors will be taught latest technologies with close support from Microsoft. Students will also get the opportunity to learn at specialized Microsoft schools and do internship in the major research centers, including Microsoft Research in Cambridge and Redmond.
“We are pleased to welcome such an important IT player as Microsoft as a member of the Skolkovo project”, - said Viktor Vekselberg. – “The huge experience of this corporation, both in creation of cutting-edge IT products and solutions and in the organization and support of research, and its expertise and ability to create an innovative ecosystem will be very useful for developing Skolkovo”.
“Microsoft is committed to continuing investments that foster local IT industry development and expand opportunities for the growth of innovative economy. The Skolkovo project represents an important step toward increasing technology innovation and modernizing Russia’s economy, and we are proud to be participating in it”.
About the Skolkovo Innovation Center Project:
Skolkovo Innovation Center is a new town aimed to provide special economic conditions for companies operating in the priority sectors of Russia's economic modernization, such as: space and telecommunications, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, energy efficiency, information technology, and nuclear technology. The main aim of the Foundation is to create in Skolkovo a special environment that will help concentrating intellectual resources and successfully produce innovations. On Feb. 11, 2010 during a meeting of the Commission on the Modernization and Technological Development of the Russian Economy, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that a decree on establishment of Russian Research and Development Center (Skolkovo Innovation Centre) had been signed. The Skolkovo Foundation Council is co-headed by Viktor Vekselberg, Chairman of the Renova Group Board of Directors, and Craig Barrett, the former head of Intel Corporation. Co-Chairmen of the Skolkovo Advisory Scientific Board are Nobel laureates Jaures Alferov and Roger Kornberg. More information on the Skolkovo project can be found at www.i-Gorod.com.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft Corporation is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal computers and servers.
Microsoft develops and manufactures a wide range of software products. These include desktop and network operating systems, server applications for client / server environments, desktop business and office applications, interactive programs and games, Internet and development tools. In addition, Microsoft offers on-line services, publishes books on computer science, manufactures peripherals for computers, and deals with research and development of new computer technologies. Microsoft products are sold in more than 80 countries around the world, translated into more than 45 languages (including Russian) and are compatible with most PC platforms.
In November 1992 Microsoft opened in Russia its office (since July 2004 — Microsoft Rus OOO), engaged in software promotion, partner network development, product introduction, state-of-the-art solution localization and IT market development in Russia.
For details on Microsoft Company and its products please visit Microsoft web servers: http://www.microsoft.com/rus (Russian) andhttp://www.microsoft.com (English).