The 7th Moscow International Forum for Innovative Development "Open Innovations" has concluded in the Skolkovo Innovation Centre on October 17. It has been attended by over 20,000 people.
The Forum was titled Sources of the Digital Breakthrough. This year, the Open Innovations Forum was held over three days, with the program of each day focused on a specific topic: Manpower and Education; Business and State; Science and Technology. Its programme included over 200 events, such as panel sessions, conferences, round-table discussions, and presentations of innovative projects and programmes. At the StartUp Station and in the iMarket space, young entrepreneurs presented over 220 projects in 11 industry sectors.
Speakers and guests of the Forum included representatives of the government, the business and start-ups, senior executives of major companies, researchers and experts on high technology, education, R&D and investment. The participants came from 90 countries, including the US, China, Japan, India, Germany, Israel and South Africa.
The Forum was attended by the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev; the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Maxim Akimov; the Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin; the Co-Chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation Council and President of the Skolkovo Foundation Victor Vekselberg; the Co-Chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation Council and Chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation Arkady Dvorkovich.
During the plenary session titled "Smart Country. National Strategy", Dmitry Medvedev pointed out: "Obviously, in the digital era, the speed and scope of change are constantly increasing. To make the most of the progress, we need to create an environment that is capable of incorporating a system of continuous updates. Its main components include state-of-the-art technological infrastructure and the people's readiness to harness and use these new technologies. This is a necessary prerequisite for digitization, which will take the economy, the social sphere and public administration to a new level of performance that is consistent with the notion of a Smart Country."
Victor Vekselberg, Co-Chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation Council, President of the Skolkovo Foundation: "Over the past three years, the Skolkovo Foundation has provided a venue for the Open Innovations Forum, and this has influenced its character in a certain way. Along with a large number of discussion platforms forming part of the forum, we give priority to start-ups and innovative entrepreneurs. Initially, their participation was limited, but last year, the Forum was attended by about 150 companies. This year, their number has increased to 220."
During the three days of the Forum, Russian and international companies, funds and development institutes signed 34 agreements. These included a strategic partnership agreement between Skolkovo Ventures and the Russia-China Investment Fund for Regional Development on investment totalling RUB 1.5 billion;; a partnership agreement between Huawei and Skolkovo on the establishment of a joint innovation centre.
As part of the Forum, the Skolkovo Foundation and Yandex signed an agreement on the launch of an unmanned taxi at the Skolkovo Innovation Centre. It was first tested by Dmitry Medvedev accompanied by Arkady Volozh, CEO of Yandex.
The Open Innovations Forum was attended by almost 1,000 representatives of the Russian and foreign media. During the three days of the Forum, over 40 media events were held.
Co-organizers of the Open Innovations Forum included the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, the Moscow Government, the Skolkovo Foundation, the Fund for Infrastructure and Educational Programmes (RUSNANO Group), RVC, the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises and Vnesheconombank.
Skolkovo Forum is the Fund's subsidiary specializing in organizing and conducting technological events. Skolkovo Forum's portfolio includes creating a program, organizing and conducting such events as Start-Up Tour Open Innovations (a national initiative to discover promising technological projects), annual Open Innovations Forum (a unique discussion platform for participants of the innovative ecosystem), Startup Village (the largest start-up conference for technological entrepreneurs in Russia and CIS countries).
The annual Open Innovations Forum, which has been held in Moscow since 2012 under the aegis of the Government of the Russian Federation is the largest platform demonstrating the main trends and key achievements in the innovative spheres of the economy in Russia and it is one of the largest forums of its kind in the world. In 2017, the Forum held 180 business sessions. There where a total of 18,200 visitors, including more than 3300 representatives of science and education, 802 investors, more than 8000 technological entrepreneurs, representatives of innovative infrastructure and corporations, as well as a wide range of state administration and media representatives.
The Skolkovo Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in September 2010 by the Russian government with the objective of accelerating Russia’s transformation from a resource-intensive to an innovation-based economy. To achieve this objective, the Foundation is overseeing the creation of the Skolkovo Innovation Center, composed of more than 1,800 high-tech startups, Skolkovo Technopark, the Skolkovo Institute of Technology (Skoltech) - a new graduate research University established in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - and Skolkovo city, located near Moscow. Together, these entities establish a vibrant ecosystem of technology innovation and entrepreneurship. The cumulative revenue of Skolkovo’s startups reached $2,5 billion. They brought in more than $186 million in investment, creating 27,000 jobs and filing over 1,100 patent applications along the way. By 2020 over 2 million square meters of residential and office space will be built in Skolkovo with 35,000 people working daily in the Innovation Center. For more information: http://www.sk.ru/en
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