OpenBio-2018: results
"Active intelligence" and growth points are in the focus of attention of OpenBio participants
The fifth anniversary OpenBio platform became a place to discuss the results of scientific research, topical issues of industry development and interaction between high-tech business and government. The central event of the business forum was the plenary discussion "New Resources, risks and growth points for Russian biotechnological projects", where federal and local experts discussed the potential of the regions and the possibilities of support for high-tech companies from both government authorities and Russian development institutions.
Within the framework of a three-day scientific conference in the sections "Virology", "Biotechnology" and "Molecular Biology", young scientists told about the results of their work. The researchers who presented the most significant results for the development of science received valuable gifts from the organizers and partners of OpenBio, as well as a chance to use the support from the state for further continuation of research.
Lectures of invited scientists gathered a full house of professional audience. Victor Volchkov, a graduate of NSU, now a professor at the French Claude Bernard University, director of the laboratory at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Lyon, France, reported new facts in the study of the pathogenicity of Ebola and Marburg viruses. Valery Loktev, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Head of the Department of Molecular Virology of Flaviviruses and Viral Hepatitis of the Federal State Medical Center of the World Bank "Vector", spoke about new structural features of the tick-borne enphalitis virus, West Nile virus and others. Dr. B.N., Head of the laboratory of the V.N.Orekhovich Research Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, laureate of prizes and awards of the Government of the Russian Federation, Welfare Fund for domestic medicine assistance, "Moscow Professor" Awards" Alexey Ivanov reported new facts about the technology of surface plasmon resonance.
The central event of the business forum was the plenary discussion "New resources, risks and growth points for Russian biotechnological projects", which was held with the participation of representatives of regional and federal authorities. Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Novosibirsk region – Minister of Economic Development of the region Olga Molchanova presented the project "Regional Champions", in which high-tech regional leading companies can count on support from the regional government and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
Anna Volodchenko, Deputy Director of the Department of Special Programs, Development of State Scientific Centers and Science Cities of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, spoke about the results and new approaches to the development of Russian science cities. She noted that it is necessary to improve the mechanisms for supporting innovative projects in the regions, including including non-financial measures. Now, according to her, a range of potential opportunities are being discussed, including the development of cooperation between science cities, the creation of a master's degree network, improving the quality of management teams of science cities and supporting the marketing promotion of regional brands and high-tech industries in foreign markets.
Innovative companies located in the Siberian hinterland are closely watched abroad. The question of which industries and forms of cooperation are of interest to foreign partners and investors in the first place was discussed at the International Round Table "SIBERIA AND THE WORLD" by representatives of the authorities of foreign countries, including Spain, France, Austria, Japan, Finland, Bulgaria and China. This time, Chinese representatives participated in each of the OpenBio sections, including a scientific conference of young scientists and an exposition of the companies' achievements. The potential of the Novosibirsk Region is unique, but many Russian regions are already ready to compete with the capital of Siberia, so the meeting was attended by the heads of specialized clusters of the Omsk Region and the Altai Territory.
"The dialogue that took place was dynamic and very constructive," said Yulia Linyushina, founder of OpenBio. According to her, such meetings within the framework of the platform are primarily of practical importance. In particular, the next meeting will be held in December on a promising project to create the production of microcapsulated vitamins for feed additives, in which Spain and China participate in addition to the Russian side. It is planned to sign an investment agreement by the end of the year. "The volume of investments is estimated at 4.5 billion rubles, the company will be able to occupy 30% of the domestic market, which is now represented only by imported vitamins," Linyushina stressed.
The participants of the discussion devoted to the introduction of the achievements of biotech companies into the practice of agricultural producers discussed a range of the most exciting problems for farmers. During the discussion, it became clear that not only large players in the agricultural market are interested in introducing modern biotechnologies into their practice, but also small farms. After the discussion, the interested parties could agree on further cooperation. Also, within the framework of OpenBio, B2B negotiations were held in a tight schedule with the participation of such foreign companies as Sumitomo Corporation (Japan); Coway International TechTrans Co., Ltd. (China); TOFFLON (China); as well as major Russian players such as EFKO Group, BIOCAD, SPLAT.
Traditionally, there are many startups and start–up high-tech businesses among the OpenBio participants who are keenly interested in developing and attracting investments. Representatives of the largest biotech and pharmaceutical industry players spoke in detail about the current business cases from the practice of companies during the expert discussion "Live Investments: the practice of industrial partnership". The prospects and pitfalls of cooperation between technology projects and major players were explained by experts from development institutes.
The discussion "Active Intelligence" turned out to be acute, dedicated to one of the most painful topics for knowledge–intensive businesses - the preservation and capitalization of intellectual property.
"It is not enough to create a patent, it needs to be converted into a financial result," Yulia Linyushina defined the essence of the discussion. According to her, the experts discussed a number of practical issues, in particular, how to properly dispose of the rights to the results of scientific work, when it makes sense to patent, and when it is more effective to keep the development secret, and other pressing issues.
The development of the pharmaceutical industry is another priority of OpenBio. At the round table organized by the project office "Promotion" of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, a discussion was held on the problems and prospects of commercialization of drug developments, in particular, supported under the Pharma 2020 program. Representatives of leading pharmaceutical manufacturers, as well as developers of innovative drugs discussed the formats of interaction with potential investors and the opportunities that are provided under state programs.
"There are not so many projects from Siberia so far," said Olga Belokoneva, Deputy head of the project office of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, "but at the same time many of them can be called leaders among innovative developments supported under the Pharma 2020 program; a number of them enjoy increased interest from industrial partners: they are distinguished by a high scientific level and the quality of research, competently "packaged" and correctly positioned from the point of view of the market." The expert singled out the developments of the Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, NNIIPK named after Academician E. N. Meshalkin and the group of companies from Tomsk "IFAR". According to her, taking into account the highest scientific potential of the region, one of the urgent tasks for the region is to increase the representation of projects from Siberia in the pool of developments applying for state support. Currently, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia is developing mechanisms for venture financing of early phases of research and innovation and creating tools for compensating costs associated with the entry of Russian pharmaceutical products into foreign markets."
Considerable interest was aroused by the expert discussion "Breakthrough in the global race", dedicated to the possibilities of the Center for Collective Use "Siberian Ring Photon Source" ("SKIF"), the creation of which is planned on the territory of the Koltsovo science city.
Representatives of high-tech business in the field of biotechnology, scientists and representatives of authorities and development institutions discussed the importance of "SKIF" for changing the eco-environment of the Novosibirsk Scientific Center, the development of international scientific, technological and business cooperation. Representatives of the scientific community from the NSU, the Institute of Nuclear Physics named after G.I. Budker SB PAH, G.K. Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, V.S.Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy SB RAS, IHBFM, FSB SSC World Bank "Vector" of Rospotrebnadzor discussed the experimental possibilities of the megasience project.
"During the open dialogue under the auspices of OpenBio, representatives of the expert community were able to receive information from the creators of SKIF about the possibilities of using synchrotron radiation for projects in the field of bio, honey and pharma, and valuable suggestions were made on the functionality of the Collective Use Center, based on the current challenges and specific needs of high–tech companies," Yulia Linyushina emphasizes.
Thanks to the efforts of the Governor of the Novosibirsk Region Andrey Travnikov, the Openbio Site has acquired federal status.
By Order of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 337-r dated 28.02.2018. OpenBio is included in the Action Plan "Development of Biotechnologies and genetic Engineering" for 2018-2020.
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