OXFORDSHIRE, England (ISIC PR) – The International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC) is delighted to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Skolkovo Foundation, a non-profit organisation that focuses on the development of new technologies and a commercialisation centre based in Russia.
The MoU was signed at the Farnborough Airshow on Tuesday 10 July in the Space Pavilion, between Barbara Ghinelli – ISIC’s Executive Chair and Sergey Zhukov – Executive Director of the Skolkovo Foundation, in front of a large international audience including the Right Honourable David Willetts MP – Minister for Universities and Science, Jean-Jacque Dordain – Director General of the European Space Agency, and Vladimir Popovkin – Head of ROSCOSMOS, the Russian Space Agency.
The MoU represents an agreement and understanding between the two organisations to promote cooperative research and technology development consistent with their programmes, aims and capabilities, their industrial and academic partners, as well as the Governments of the UK and Russia. Both organisations have agreed to share the development tasks that allow the most efficient use of resources and cooperation that will be based of mutual benefit, equality, and reciprocity.
Barbara Ghinelli, said: “This is a very important step forward for ISIC in its drive to develop and grow its international collaborations and activities. The MoU will include many aspects of joining our activities and mutual knowledge transfer. This will be in respect of the integration of space applications and technologies into business processes and associated customer requirements; collaborating in the provision of, or attendance at specialised conferences and other scientific and technical meetings, and discussions on subjects of mutual interest for our industrial and academic partners. It will also facilitate the provision of educational and out-reach services, resources and training programs, the exchange of scientists, engineers and technical and other industry specialists, including the provision of leadership knowledge for small and medium sized enterprises.”
Sergey Zhukov said: “This MoU is a very important framework agreement which will allow both organizations to jointly support concrete competitive projects to the benefit of aerospace business development of both countries on the world market. We are especially interested to conduct right now a joint activity for the NovaSAR S-band civilian radar which could be also very useful for Russia.”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bisgovuk/7555969140/in/photostream/
Dr Julia Knights, Head of Science & Innovation at the British Embassy in Moscow said: “This joint agreement is an important follow up of the UK Russia Year of Space held last year and is an exciting development in strengthening joint research and commercial prosperity opportunities in the space industry for both our nations.”
The MOU will be effective from the day of signing and will be valid for a period of three years.
Editor’s Note: Some additional information about both organizations from their websites:
About ISIC
The International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC) drives innovation and enterprise, creating new technologies and developing applications and intellectual property for the benefit of the UK. Launched in May 2011, ISIC is a not-for-profit organisation based in the UK formed between industry, academia and government.
ISIC was established as part of the UK’s Space Innovation and Growth Strategy, which sets out to grow the sector’s annual turnover from £6bn in 2008 to £40bn in 2030.
ISIC is based on the Harwell Oxford campus which is also home to the UK ESA Centre, the ESA-STFC Business Incubator, the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, RAL Space and a range of private sector companies. In addition, ISIC has a growing network of member locations throughout the UK including the Universities of Surrey (ISIC-Surrey) and Reading (University of Reading).
About Skolkovo Foundation
The strategic goal of the Skolkovo Innovation Centre is to concentrate international intellectual capital, thereby stimulating the development of break-through projects and technologies. In the course of implementation of the project, companies that are engaged in innovative development are discovered. After a selection process, some of these become project participants of the centre. They are provided with all assistance necessary for development. The Skolkovo Foundation and its partners transform the infrastructure, resources and other possibilities of the centre, into effective services for companies that are project participants. http://isic-space.com/
Within the Skolkovo project, there are five clusters focused on developing innovative projects. These include: Information, Biomedical, Energy Efficiency, Nuclear and Space Technologies clusters. http://www.sk.ru/en.aspx
Source: parabolicarc.com