Non-US High Technology Clusters: Skolkovo Innovation Center

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Clusters are geograpbic concentrations of interconnected companies and institutions in a particular field. Clusters encompass an array of linked industries and other entities important to competition. They include, for example, suppliers of speeialized inputs sucb as components, macbinery, and services, and providers of specialized infrastructure. Clusters also often extend downstream to channels and customers and laterally to manufacturers of complementary products and to companies in industries related by skills, technologies, or common inputs. Finally, many clusters include governmental and other institutions - such as universities, standards-setting agencies, think tanks, vocational training providers, and trade associations - that provide specialized training, education, and information. This is a brief research on Skolkovo Innovation Center - the technology cluster in Russia.

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SKOLKOVO INNOVATION CENTER by Irem M, Jeremy G, Jonathan L

Clusters Considered Krakow Technology Park

Skolkovo Innovation Center

Singapore Asset/Wealth Management Cluster

Video http://vimeo.com/36998580

Agenda

•  What is Skolkovo Innovation Center (SIC)?

•  Economic & Political Impacts

•  The Future of SIC

WHAT IS SIC? by Jonathan Loo

The Cluster Principle ‘Eco-system for innovative companies’ Primary objective: coordinating all activity in a certain

direction Interconnectivity between the university, large companies,

new initiatives/startups support

Skolkovo Innovation Center

Strategic Development

Residents at SIC 20-30% acceptance rate Benefits: Resident Status & Grant → Skolkovo Foundation, Rusnano, Rostelecom, Russian

Venture Company, ITFY → Research institutes SOU and SIT

Sub-Clusters at SIC

Why Russia? 100 billionaires 8th largest economy in the world Largest internet/mobile market in Europe Capital investments from both Domestic/international firms

abroad Dedicated human capital

ECONOMIC & POLITICAL IMPACTS by Irem Marasligil

Economic & Political Impact •  Promote technology transfer from around the world •  Stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship in Russia

The Skolkovo Foundation hopes that, ultimately, the new center will help modernize Russia’s economy, transforming it from an economy based on natural resources (oil and gas) to one based on innovation and scientific development.

Economic & Political Impact Skolkovo was set up as an innovation playground with its own laws, customs

and immigration rules and other regulations

•  achieve quick wins in terms of establishing new technology companies and developing a number of new technologies in Skolkovo itself

•  develop and test a business environment that could later be expanded out to the rest of the country

Economic & Political Impact

The Institute

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has

entered into a three year agreement to develop the new graduate university Plans to enroll 1,800 graduate students Sent an initial class of 21 students for a year of study abroad

The Institute •  Legislation requiring state enterprises to set aside a percentage of their

revenue for The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (SKTech), depending on the profitability of its industrial sector

Plan → energy sector - 5% Realization → only JCJ Russian Railways contributed 1%

Investments

Skolkovo is making selected investments in foreign technology companies

⇒ Palo Alto– based firm Jelastic which has created a cloud platform for Java applications ⇒ received US$1 million in funding from Skolkovo and would establish a

secondary office there to develop security features enabling governments and corporations to use the platform

Economic Impact

•  running nearly 1,000 startups •  has created 12,000 highly skilled jobs

o  each job equals ‘10’ ordinary jobs o  contribution to Putin’s program to create 25 million Russian jobs by 2020

•  25% of Russian patents came from Skolkovo •  first eight months of 2013, more than $43.1 million was invested in Skolkovo

startups

Viktor Vekselberg President of the Skolkovo Foundation

THE FUTURE OF SIC by Jeremy Gan

Political Turmoil

Vladimir Putin Dimitry Medvedev

Controversies

Irregularities •  “Out of control and extravagant” spendings of

government funds - $3.9 billion •  17 grants for a sum of $113 million distributed

without any expert review o  Members of grant commision, including foundation

president, found benefiting from lax grants issuing

West vs East Influence •  Skolkovo is Western-oriented innovation center

o  Partnership with MIT o  Active recruitment of staff, students, and companies from

Europe and North America

•  But… o  Should Skolkovo be turning to the East to maximize

Russian trade and economic cooperation with Asia instead?

Long or Short Term Solution? •  “Potemkin village” or Catalyst For Change? •  Weak laws, heavy taxation, fickle government

support •  Tax break and “Startup Visa” a joke

o  Too short-lived (lasting only 5 - 7 years) o  Russian law would intervene again after

Made In Russia? •  Most Startups are NOT incorporated in Russia

o  Registered in other countries with more business and investor friendly corporate law structure

•  Cyprus o  Proximity o  Superior intellectual property protection o  Long-term adhesion to those laws

To Be Considered A Success... •  Create and strengthen a functioning “system of

innovation” o  Public and private sector interact, exchange knowledge,

and learn from technologies

•  Encourage the creation of start-ups o  Act as specialised suppliers for other firms nationally and

globally

Cont. •  Innovation city MUST avoid predators in the

Russian state o  Come clean from corrupt officials who make large

individual gains at the expense of public money

Challenges Faced •  Birth of successful global tech companies •  Make $$$ < Spend $$$ •  Turn ideas into profitable solution •  Trust from decision makers

o  Russian politicians, in general, are distrustful of innovations they don’t understand

Distant Future

Questions?

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