Innovation and Development as a Global Priority” held a meeting at the WEF in Davos
On January, 24, 2013 in Davos B20 taskforce “Innovation and Development as a Global Priority” held an extended meeting, which was the first event at the highest level after Russia’s inauguration as the leader of G20 and, accordingly, coordinator of member countries business associations’ informal network. The discussion goal was to gather the taskforce members’ views on the emerging agenda and to attract new participants from the target industries.
official logo of the Russian leadership program in G20
The discussion brought together 50 C-level businessmen and world-renown academia. On the rights of the organizer and taskforce chair Skolkovo Foundation President Viktor Vekselberg opened the meeting. As honored guests the meeting was attended by Russian G20 Sherpa and Chief of Presidential Experts' Directorate Ksenia Yudaeva, head of B20 steering committee and Chairman of Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin, MIT President Rafael Reif. The meeting was moderated by the taskforce Sherpa Skolkovo Foundation Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel Igor Drozdov.
The participants expressed their interest and support for the taskforce's priorities: facilitating technology transfer in biotech, energy, and ICT – critical areas for development – to promote growth and overcome imbalances in the world economy; establishing a global framework for fair competition and cooperation”.
Eskom Holdings (South Africa) chairman and member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Zola Tsotsi invited the Taskforce to incorporate the next meeting in the BRICS countries’ summit to be held in March in Durban. The next sessions will take place in Saint Petersburg in June, July and in September, when the final recommendations will be presented to the G20 leaders.
“We are trying to involve the wide international business community into our activities to work out the effective agenda for the discussions at the SPIEF. Our taskforce is open for new ideas!”
Viktor Vekselberg.
The main result of the cooperation within B20 must be economic growth, restoration of confidence, job creation and all this must be reached on the basis of innovation. That is why taskforce headed by Mr. Vekselberg is the core taskforce”,
Alexander Shokhin
Governments need to know world business opinion on how to improve economic structure, make it more flexible, make it easier for business to innovate”,
Ksenia Yudaeva
Paul Stoffels, taskforce Co-chair, Worldwide Chairman and Research Leader, Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceuticals: “New technology is the solution for many problems in the world, whether it is if for energy or biotechnology. Healthcare is something which has a very important development aspect for economy. Most of you probably don’t know that if you prolong life expectancy for 1 year, you increase GDP in country by 4%. I will gather the necessary groups of scientist people, opinions leaders to be able to help forming idea and bringing technology forward”.
Business 20 (B20) is an informal network of business associations, collaborating in order to maintain a continuous dialogue between the business community, G20 governments, and relevant international institutions. In 2012 was formed the Taskforce “Innovation and Development as a Global Priority” under Mr. Viktor F. Vekselberg, the President of the Skolkovo Foundation. The first meeting of the group took place on 12th December at the inaugural B20 event. The taskforce are co-chaired by: Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan, President Designate, CII and Executive Co-Chairman of Infosys Limited; Mr. Jean Pascal Tricoire, President, Schneider Electric; Dr Paul Stoffels, Worldwide Chairman, Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceuticals.