The Russia-France clean technologies forum, which takes place from November 17-19, covers green industry, smart city technologies, waste management, and renewable energy with particular focus on hydroelectricity.
Participants of the Russia-France Clean Technologies Forum. Screenshot: Sk.ru.
The forum was organized by Trianon Dialogue, Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, the Skolkovo Foundation, and KSETEK. The event aims to give startups the opportunity to present their clean technology solutions to large companies as well as discuss the underlying challenges in the sector.
On day one, two dozen startups from Nice, Moscow, and St. Petersburg together with experts and representatives from private companies discussed the main underlying problems in creating and implementing clean technologies. On the second day, forum participants will hold B2B meetings, and on the third and final day French startups will give masterclasses for Russian students.
The vice-mayor of international relations of the city of Nice, Christiane Amiel, opened the session by highlighting the Skolkovo Foundation’s role, calling it, “an important actor in French-Russian collaboration.” Meanwhile, France’s ambassador to Russia, Pierre Levy, stated that he was left satisfied after his first visit to Skolkovo at the beginning of this year.
Chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation Arkady Dvorkovich. Screenshot: Sk.ru.
The chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation Arkady Dvorkovich stated, “We have a long history of collaboration with our French partners, including in the framework of the Trianon Dialogue forum.”
The chairman described the forum in so many words as a call for all European countries and indeed the world to make clean technologies a priority, with particular emphasis on urban and industrial technologies as well as other sectors. Mr. Dvorkovich then went on to underline the importance of applicable business cases rather than scientific presentations.
“It is very important that today’s session is not about scientific presentations but about specific business cases that could be useful to specific customers, cities, regions, and indeed countries,” he stated. “Today we will see challenges presented by large corporations as well as city and regional leaders, and both Russian and French startup companies will answer those challenges with their own specific solutions. I think this is the best approach and we should concentrate on integrating and putting the best solutions into practice. Nonetheless, in spite of the fact that the forum’s priority is business, the other priority is research and education, and it is very important that the third day be devoted to communication between companies and students.
“The Skolkovo Foundation will continue to focus a large portion of its resources on implementing such technologies,” said Mr. Dvorkovich. “We are collaborating with Moscow, our largest consumer of clean technologies, and we are collaborating with large companies such as Sibur. We believe that step by step we need to implement optimal technologies in various markets, regardless of their origin.”
The chairman also said that Russian and European approaches to environmental problems differ and that the forum should serve to improve mutual understanding between both sides regarding the topic.
Maxim Romanov, vice-president of international development at the Skolklovo Foundation. Screenshot: Sk.ru.
Maxim Romanov, the deputy vice-president of international development at the Skolkovo Foundation, stated that the Trianon Startups program allows for companies from both countries to collaborate with corporations. In 2019, Skolkovo was partner to the first Trianon Startups program which took place in the Palace of Versailles, and it was there that twenty Skolkovo Foundation startups had the opportunity to present their solutions to French corporations.
“We will continue to collaborate with Trianon Startups and to provide more and more new technologies to French corporations,” said Mr. Romanov. “I hope that Russian corporations will have the opportunity to find out about what French startups are doing.”
Twelve Skolkovo startups are taking part in the clean technologies forum alongside Skolkovo Foundation partners such as Sibur and Norilsk Nickel, according to the director of operations at Skolkovo's energy efficiency cluster Oleg Pertsovsky. Mr. Pertsovsksy stated that approximately five hundred Skolkovo startups are currently working in clean technologies for industry, transport and smart cities.
Oleg Pertsovsky, director of operations at Skolkovo's energy efficiency cluster. Screenshot: Sk.ru.
“Recently, we have seen increased interest in these technologies from Russian big business, as evidenced by the foundation’s Greentech Startup Booster initiative, the first clean technologies accelerator in Russia,” said Mr. Pertsovsky. “It’s important that foreign companies also take part alongside Russian corporations, including France’s Total and EDF. When French companies seek technologies from among high-tech Russian startups, that to me is an important example of close cooperation.
“As it happens, the selection of the program finalists is due to be completed today. Initially there were 853 applicants not just from Russia, but from nineteen other countries. This is a quantitative record for our acceleration programs. The Greentech Startup Booster demo day takes place in mid-December and it is then that the winners of the final will be announced. Let us hope that our industrial partners find developments that will help them overcome their challenges so that they can launch pilot projects in the coming year, which is one of the goals of this program.”