On Monday 14 November at 11 am the International Space Technology Association (ISTA) will host the “Galactic business lunch” at the Space Business Centre Sferium in The Hague, with the participation of Viktor Vekselberg, President of the Skolkovo Foundation; Sir Richard Branson, Founder and Head of Virgin Corporation; Sergey Zhukov, cosmonaut and Executive Director Space cluster Skolkovo Foundation.
A prize presentation will take place during the “Galactic business lunch”. The ISTA will award Sir Richard Branson for the “pioneer gains in the field of sub-orbital business of operator company Virgin Galactic” and the Skolkovo Foundation for “the Skolkovo Innovation Centre profound leadership in the field of Space Technology Business”.
During the event the Skolkovo Foundation and ISTA have planned to sign a partnership agreement. Commenting on this future partnership President Viktor Vekselberg said: “This agreement marks the joining of the Russian Federation as one of the leading spacefaring nations to the international industry of commercial cosmonautics. Its prosperity will not only allow thousands of people to implement their dream of a spaceflight, but also will contribute to accelerated human technological development”.
A personal meeting between Viktor Vekselberg and Sir Richard Branson is also expected to take place; discussions will focus on a future partnership between the Skolkovo Foundation and Virgin Corporation in the field of space technologies.
The lunch is open to journalists who can be welcomed in the media loge and will have the opportunity to take part in the press conference at 2 p.m. upon the event completion.
Background information
VIKTOR VEKSELBERG, President of the Skolkovo Foundation
Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of Renova Group. President and Co-chairman of the Foundation for Development of the Centre for Research and Commercialising of New Technologies (Skolkovo Foundation).
Born on 14 April 1957 in the city of Drohobych, Lvov Region, Ukraine. Graduated with honours from the Moscow Transportation Engineering Institute and began post-graduate studies at a computing centre with the Russian Academy of Sciences.
In 1990, Mr Vekselberg founded the Renova asset management company (initially a Russian-American joint venture). Currently, he is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Renova Group.
In 1996, Mr Vekselberg co-founded the SUAL Group and remained its President until 2003, when he became Chairman of the Board of Directors. Since United Company Rusal (UC Rusal) was set up in 2007 (as a result of the merger of SUAL, Rusal and Glencore), Viktor Vekselberg has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of UC Rusal.
2002–2003 – Chairman of Tyumen Oil (TNK). Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors of TNK-BP.
Viktor Vekselberg is also a member of the Management Bureau of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and Chairman of the Committee for International Cooperation of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.
In March 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev appointed Vekselberg Head of the Russian section of the Innovative Centre Project in Skolkovo.
SERGEY ZHUKOV, Executive Director of the Space Technologies and Telecommunications Cluster
Born in 1956 in Dhezkazgan, Kazakh Soviet Republic.
PhD in Technical Sciences, research cosmonaut, member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics.
Graduated *** laude in 1979 from the Bauman Moscow State Technical University specialising in nuclear power plants.
Worked for Energia rocket and space corporation, supervised experimental set ups in astrophysics and radiobiology aboard the Mir space station, instructed cosmonauts.
In 1991-1993 he was deputy head of a cosmonautics working group affiliated to the Russian government. It secured the establishment of the Russian space agency as well asthe adoption of laws regulating space issues.
In 1996, under the auspices of the agency, Sergey established and headed a company called Centre for Transfer of Technologies. In 2000,based on this company, an Industry research centre for patenting and licensing activity and commercialisation of technical scientific research results was created.
Participated in establishing the Russian technologies state corporation in 1997 and the Vostochnycosmodrome in 2007, headed the development of the Interdisciplinary innovation centre for the military industrial complex in 2007-2010.
President of the Moscow space club public association, Council of Federation expert, author of poetry books and scientific publications.Since 2003 is member of the Russian cosmonaut corps.
The Skolkovo Foundation
The Skolkovo Foundation for Developing a Center for Research and Commercialising New Technologies is a non-profit-making organisation created on the initiative of Dmitry Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation, in September 2010. Skolkovo is to become an innovation hub that will stimulate innovative entrepreneurship and disseminate entrepreneurial culture across the country to integrate Russia into the global economy.
The aim of the foundation is to mobilise Russia’s resources in the field of contemporary applied research and to create a favorable environment for undertaking scientific developments in five priority areas of technological development: power engineering and energy efficiency, space, biomedicine, and nuclear and computer technologies.
The project includes setting up the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (SIST), research institutes, a business incubator, a technology transfer and commercialization center, representative offices of foreign companies and R&D centers, housing and social infrastructure, and also subsequently disseminating an efficient system of operating to other regions of Russia engaged in innovation.
The Skolkovo innovation center’s activities are regulated by a special law which provides its residents with special economic conditions.
Contact information:
Seda Pumpyanskaya
Vice President of the Skolkovo Foundation for foreign affairs and public relations
Tel.: +7-495-967-0148 ext. 2242
Cell phone: +7-917-511-7677, +33645900935
Fax: +7-495-967-0148
E-mail: SPumpyanskaya@corp.i-gorod.com
www.i-gorod.com