A 40-strong team from the Skolkovo Foundation, which has been dubbed Russia’s version of Silicon Valley, held a roadshow in London on Wednesday to present its projects to British and international investors. The visit took place according to the agreements reached in September 2011, during the British Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Moscow.
The man acknowledged as the boss of Skolkovo, billionaire Russian businessman Victor Vekselberg said, “Our target was explain to people what Skolkovo is, what the project is, how we are looking to cooperate with science community of the British … I strongly believe that after that roadshow we already have the number of the very practical projects, what we can realize near future. And even during this time we signed final agreement with Imperial College and BP to develop one of the projects linked to energy efficiency and we already have the list of our potential cooperation Vekselberg said.
The roadshow showcased opportunities for UK universities, institutes and businesses to gain funding from Skolkovo through joint research of commercial projects in five key areas or ‘clusters’: IT, Biomedical, Energy, Space and Nuclear
The Skolkova roadshow was jointly organised by the UK Trade and Investment and The Department for Business and the UK Science & Innovation Network. It attracted over 100 academics, venture capitalists, bankers and businessmen who ignored a plea by controversial Labour MP Denis MacShane in Tuesday’s Daily Telegraph who wrote to Trade Minister Lord Green "It seems irresponsible for British companies to be putting themselves in harm's way without full disclosure about the tragedies that could befall them in Russia.
"The Government should add an official health and safety warning so British businesses seeking to be involved in Russia do so with their eyes open." MacShane said.
The $6bn hi-tech research hub’s plans centre on a $6bn investment by the Russian Government to create a modern science park, on the outskirts of Moscow. The London event comes after the Minister for Trade & Investment, Lord Green, signed an agreement with the Skolkovo Innovation Centre on scientific co-operation between the UK and Russia, as part of his visit to Moscow last year. The Roadshow is seen as an important first step in bringing about greater scientific and hi-tech collaboration between the two countries.
Lord Green said:
“Russia’s future is high-value and hi-tech. This event will showcase the unique opportunities in Russia’s ‘Silicon Valley’ for UK hi-tech companies, with all their expertise in innovation and creativity. They are well-placed to build a lasting partnership with Russia, which will be of great mutual benefit.”
Viktor Vekselberg said:
“We want the UK to play a major role in this once in a lifetime project, opportunities of this scale cross national borders and need international partners to thrive. Innovation is key to modernising Russia’s economy. We have big plans and working together with British companies, we can make these a reality.”
Russian business billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, who is also the chairman of Renovca Industries one of three companies in the AAR consortium which partners BP in the TNK-BP joint venture, will oversee the running of the Skolkovo project. He co-chairs the Skolkovo Foundation (the project’s management company) with Craig Barrett, formerly CEO at Intel.
Vekselberg told the conference, “Today, Russia is on the verge of great changes, both economic and political.
“Cooperation with Skolkovo Foundation is not just about assistaiumg Russia in its modernization, it is not simply altruism. This is mutually beneficial cooperation.”
Vekselberg pointed out that special status and laws relating to the 500 hectare site where 26,000 people are expected to live and work “offers foreign business a unique investment environment: the absence of political rfisk and tax, customs, legal and other benefits, as well as the support of the Russian state, which should remove the traditional fears of investors of the “unpredictable Russian reality.”
Source: BSR Russia