At the solemn opening ceremony of Startup Village in Skolkovo, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation Andrei Fursenko, Chairman of the Board of the Skolkovo Foundation Igor Drozdov and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Skoltech Viktor Vekselberg delivered welcoming speeches. During the first day of the conference, representatives of government and business will discuss the prospects for Russian technology companies and the trajectory of interaction.
According to Dmitry Medvedev, Russian startups have already proven their ability to develop innovative solutions and products despite sanctions and restrictions. In modern conditions, it is necessary to continue to be sustainable and quickly respond to market demands.
On the first day of the Startup Village conference, more than a dozen major events will be held, in which entrepreneurs will show which projects will provide Russia with technological sovereignty and a basis for sustainable development in the long term.
The key event of the first day of the Startup Village at the Skolkovo Innovation Center will be the plenary session “Rethinking Innovation. State, markets and society in times of upheaval”. The participants will focus on the creation of new import-independent production chains in modern conditions, in which sanctions and non-market restrictions on the part of various players complicate the competitive struggle of companies.
At the largest pitch session for early-stage investors, organized by the Skolkovo Ventures team, representatives of business incubators and accelerators will select the best projects to support.
Also in the middle of the first day, an agreement is expected to be signed between the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Skolkovo Foundation. The head of the region, Aisen Nikolaev, and the chairman of the board of the fund, Igor Drozdov, will share the details.
As part of the TechExplorer demo day, 15 technology companies will show their projects to representatives of venture funds and major Russian corporations. Participants of the SAFEty Rules session will discuss the main options for venture deals that exist on the Russian market, as well as the risks associated with them. Pavel Morozov, managing partner of Skolkovo Ventures, will talk about these and other nuances.
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Skolkovo Foundation: “Over these ten years, Startup Village has come a long way. Interest in him was and remains great. A large number of entrepreneurs gather who are engaged in modern high technologies. Now this event is of particular importance for us, because, being under this pressure, which is being exerted on our country, it is very important for us that the innovation processes and the country’s development processes continue. So that the eco-environment that we have created at Skolkovo works. So that you get new partners, make new friends and realize your ideas. This is the goal of Skolkovo, and I hope that the 10th anniversary Startup Village will also bring a lot of new ideas, projects and the implementation of your ideas.”
The importance of the SUV as a format of communication for startups, corporations and government officials in his speech was emphasized by Andrey Fursenko, Assistant to the President of Russia.
Andrey Fursenko, Assistant to the President of Russia, member of the Board of Trustees of the Skolkovo Foundation: “Startup Village is of great importance not only for the implementation of projects, the development of the economy, but also for the education of those who are nearby. It is very important that you see not only your developments. You see the developments of those who are close to you, you understand that you are not alone. In fact, the country has a lot of things that have already been done, a lot of things that we are ready to do. The more you work with your colleagues, the more confidence you have that everything will be fine and right with us.”
Igor Drozdov, Chairman of the Board of the Skolkovo Foundation, spoke about the exclusive features of the forum and the results that have been achieved over the past 10 years.
Igor Drozdov, Chairman of the Board of the Skolkovo Foundation: “Today we are gathering here for the 10th time. For the first Startup Village, we gathered about 200 companies from all over the country. We saw for the first time when investors, customers, start-ups find themselves in one place – the prototype of an innovation system. Now there are twice as many companies in the Skolkovo technopark alone. Startups communicate with each other within the ecosystem, with customers and investors, on a routine basis. And Startup Village has its own exclusive features. Firstly, today more than 400 companies simultaneously show their developments within the framework of the exhibition and pitch sessions, and secondly, this is communication outdoors in an informal setting.”
Viktor Vekselberg, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Skoltech: “I am very glad that the next Startup Village has gathered a large circle of like-minded people and friends. In total, we expect about 10 thousand participants at the Startup Village. It is very important that higher education today is showing interest in innovative developments, preparing children and personnel who can independently promote ideas and create start-ups. We will support these initiatives in every possible way. Skoltech, as the key core of this project, is always open to new talented people, and we believe that this will be the case in the future.”