President of the Skolkovo Foundation Victor Vekselberg in the Internet conference on Wednesday, December 28, spoke about end-year results and main achievements of the innovation center in 2011, shared the expectations for project results in 2012 and answered the questions of the audience who were interested in the topic of innovations and modernization of the Russian economy.
According to Victor Vekselberg, the major success of the ending year was “emerging recognition of Skolkovo brand itself…both in Russia and abroad.” As head of the Foundation mentioned, “The structure of the Foundation is shaped out, there exist a team that are not indifferent to the things we do.”
He reminded that in 2011 there were signed 13 agreements between the Skolkovo Foundation and large Russian and foreign companies on opening their R&D centers in the Innograd, with total budget of over 12 billion roubles and total staff more than 1000 people. There were organized road shows in Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Austria, France, Spain. A number of events were held for popularization of the new educational institution – Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology or SkolkovoTech. There were reached agreements on co-operation with strategic partners, including venture funds, non-profit organizations etc. There was created one of the most solid and representative national expert panels for selecting the companies-participants of the innovation center, etc.
As Victor Vekselberg announced, by the end of December 2011 333 companies became the residents of the Innograd, and more than 1.5 thousand applications for this status were submitted last year. Weekly the Skolkovo Foundation receives over 50 new applications.
Alongside, the first objects of intellectual property started appearing in the Foundation. “We wish that the residents manage to register not less than 100 objects of the intellectual property, including copyright objects,” said Victor Vekselberg.
Skolkovo grant committee in the year 2011 reviewed around 100 projects for granting them government financing, and provided financing for 70 projects for the total sum around 5 billion roubles, mainly on co-financing terms. Grants are given to the resident Skolkovo companies, and the sum of the grant depends on the project stage. So, the companies that do not provide a business plan cannot apply for sums over 1.5 million roubles. Companies that are eligible for co-financing can receive up to 300 million roubles.
“We would like to see not less than 500 participants next year, and we plan to create a stable process of grant allocation, with forecast for not less than 120 grants in 2012, for the total sum of 6 billion roubles, mentioned Victor Vekselberg. We hope to start getting results from this activity, we hope that the scientists come and develop some areas in co-operation with Russian universities and academic institutions.”
Answering the audience’s questions, Victor Vekselberg stressed that creating an own venture fund for financing start-ups is not planned by the Skolkovo Foundation, and that the grants would remain priority form of financing for companies-residents of Skolkovo.
In the meantime, according to him, the Foundation plans to finance academic research with the elements of applied science. In particular, there has been made a decision to provide to Russian Quantum Center around 15-20 million USD in the nearest 3 years. “It is a substantial sum for scientific applied research,” mentioned Victor Vekselberg.
In 2011 the Foundation also paid great attention to the educational programs. Apart from creating SkolkovoTech, there was organized a contest of concepts in order to launch an educational institution of the new format, Skolkovo School, that will become a model for developing a network of innovation schools around the country. This idea gained wide recognition and support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, and of the heads of the number of subjects of Russian Federation. Skolkovo Open University (SOU) organized a number of lectures with the leading professors of the world.
According to Victor Vekselberg, in the next year the construction of the Innograd itself will start. The installation started last year, and by April 2012 the first office building – “the hypercube” - would be constructed. The president of the Foundation foresees that the large amount of construction works demands increase of the staff involved.
“Skolkovo includes the Technopark, the educational institutions…these are the representatives of the large Russian corporations and holdings… and the task is to create environment that fosters the ways for realization of the potential of every participant…Our main potential is in people, motivated and talented people,” mentioned the head of the Foundation.
He also positively estimated appointment of Vladislav Surkov, who led the creation of Skolkovo project, deputy prime minister for modernization. “My attitude towards appointment deputy prime minister of such a creative and indifferent person as Vladislav Yurievich is positive. It is an additional positive factor for creating Skolkovo,” said Victor Vekselberg.
According to him, Skolkovo is a self-organizing project and it should exist by itself, being regulated by law and its internal processes. “We should establish the rules, and further on there should appear the new innovative life of high quality,” stressed Victor Vekselberg.
End-year results of the Skolkovo Foundation in 2011 were also mentioned last week during the annual address of the President of Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev to the Federal Assembly. The President’s initiative earlier gave a start for creation of the innovation center. Head of the state expressed his constant support to the project.
“I know that sceptics were in place when we just started that project. Of course, they are here now as well. However, what are the facts? Over 300 companies that are involved in cutting-edge research and development became Skolkovo residents. A modern technological university is being built. The agreements are signed with the leading global companies to set up their R&D centers in Skolkovo. Really, it is just the beginning, but I am sure that Skolkovo will become an example of the first in 30 years successful project of the global scale in the sphere of science, education and innovations. This project will be the first in the row, but not the last one,” said head of the state.