Group biomedicine
Skolkovo will create centers for collective use in biomedicine
RIA NewsThe Skolkovo Innovation Center will be engaged, in particular, in the creation of collective use centers in Russia – infrastructure "platforms" for its projects, including biomedicine, Roman Bolgarin, Director for development and business processes of the Biological and Medical Technologies cluster of the innocenter, told RIA Novosti.
Each system project in the field of biomedicine, supported by the Skolkovo Foundation, can theoretically become a center for collective use (CCP), he noted.
The biomedical cluster has its own strategy regarding the creation and development of collective use centers, he stressed. "We want to create a special expert commission, with the participation, in particular, of specialists from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Industry, members of the advisory scientific council of the foundation, external experts from strategic investors in order to determine what is the best in Russia in terms of biomedicine and biopharmaceuticals infrastructure," the Bulgarian explained.
The best and most effective sites will be selected as potential future CCPs based on the results of the work of such a special expert panel within the framework of an open tender, he noted.
"Thus, the role of the biomedical cluster also consists in creating an information and analytical platform for analyzing and monitoring existing research and educational centers in Russia in four areas of the cluster's work. The purpose of this work is the selection and development of the most effective centers and their involvement in the infrastructure ecosystem of the cluster," the Bulgarian said.
The Skolkovo Foundation plans to create such centers (including on the basis of supported projects) not only in Moscow, but also in the regions, he said.
"Among those already supported by the foundation, there is a very strong project in Yekaterinburg. We will support strong regional projects – in St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Kazan, Vladivostok, and other regional centers where there are concentrations of competencies in priority areas for our cluster," the expert said.
The biomedical cluster plans, within the framework of the work strategy, to create a CCP on the basis of existing institutes and universities, including in such key areas as preclinical research (including a vivarium for laboratory animals certified according to international standards of good laboratory practice), trans– and postgenomic technologies, regenerative medicine, computer modeling of medicinal products complex personalized therapy of autoimmune and cancer diseases.
When creating a CCP, the Skolkovo Foundation can optimize its costs for future grants – there is no need to allocate additional money for equipment, it will already be within the framework of previously funded projects, the Bulgarian explained.
"The fund has the right to use all purchased equipment as part of the implementation of specific projects free of charge – and this is fixed in grant agreements with project companies," he said.
At the same time, there is no need to fear a conflict of interests of companies for equipment, because in Russia, competition in the field of biomedical infrastructure sites is, unfortunately, not so great, the Bulgarian believes.
The Skolkovo Innovation Center in the Moscow region is to become Russia's largest testing ground for a new economic policy. Special conditions for research and development, including the creation of energy and energy-efficient technologies, nuclear, space, biomedical and computer technologies, will be created on a specially designated territory.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru01.04.2011