The Skolkovo Foundation has signed an agreement with the Turku Science Park in Finland to create a 200 million euro ‘Biocity’ – a leading biomedical research facility.
Victor Vekselberg, right, and Rikumatti Levomaki signing the deal at Startup Village.
Skolkovo president Victor Vekselberg and Turku Science Park general director Rikumatti Levomäki inked the deal on the Open Stage at the end of the opening ceremony at Startup Village on Tuesday.
Turku Science Park is taking on the role of partner and operator of the project, according to Kirill Kaem, Skolkovo vice president and executive director of the biomed cluster. The Biocity will cover a territory of around 20,000 square meters and be financed by Finland’s Capital Development Group to the tune of 200 million euros, Kaem said.
“Our cluster is interested in collaborating with our Finnish colleagues in all biotechnology areas, including those linked in some way to IT in agriculture,” he said.
“The Finnish partners will receive the opportunity to work in Russia on our biomed projects, to collaborate with Russian scientists, to work at Russian clinical labs. And we will be able to invite to Russia European biomedical and biotech startups that are interesting in expanding into Russia,” Kaem said.
Skolkovo is signing more than a dozen deals at Startup Village, which runs Tuesday and Wedensday at Skolkovo Innovation Center.