Dmitry Medvedev: "The number of residents is growing, with the overall number of participants already nearing 1,500. About 18,000 high-tech jobs have been created here and around the country."
Excerpts from Dmitry Medvedev’s opening remarks:
Meeting of the Skolkovo Foundation’s Board of Trustees
The changes at Skolkovo are obvious. This is a full-fledged city where research centres and new housing are being built. The project is almost ready. It is the largest innovation project in this country, a truly global one.
The number of residents is growing, with the overall number of participants already nearing 1,500. About 18,000 high-tech jobs have been created here and around the country.
The ideas of the project’s participants have received international recognition and awards at prestigious specialised forums. The ecosystem created by Skolkovo helps researchers and entrepreneurs come together and turn ideas into businesses.
Revenues generated by Skolkovo projects continue to grow. In all, Skolkovo residents have made over 80.5 billion roubles. In 2015 they submitted over 800 applications to register intellectual property rights and more than half of them were processed through a dedicated centre in Skolkovo itself.
Last year investment in Skolkovo nearly tripled from the year before, approximating 15 billion roubles. This money was invested not only in the centre’s infrastructure but also in the companies of its participants throughout the country. This is taking place owing to the measures taken to support innovative companies and, of course, the rules that we elaborated together and that have become law by now.
These efforts are having a positive effect on our international performance – over 10 percent of Skolkovo participants have started selling their products on world markets and new venture partners from China and other countries have emerged. A number of residents have surpassed targets on profits, patents, jobs and investment several years ahead of schedule.
More and more, the foundation is helping set the technology agenda. The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) has become a key consultant and integrator on related subjects under the national technology initiative. Skolkovo residents are playing an active role in implementing its road maps, with participants enjoying access to all Skolkovo’s benefits in return.
The foundation has decided to open an office in the People’s Republic of China.
This autumn, Skolkovo will host the 33rd World Conference of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation. This is evidence of our growing capacity and, of course, how the world sees Skolkovo.
