What has been done in Skolkovo?

Skolkovo – for Manilov or Nobel?
12 laureates of the most prestigious scientific prize have applied to innogradYuri Medvedev, Rossiyskaya Gazeta – Federal Issue, 30.01.2013

Why is there still an open field on the site of innograd? When will the first product "Made in Skolkovo" appear? Is our developments in danger of an "innovative hap"? The correspondent of "RG" talks about this with the vice-president of the Skolkovo Foundation Alexander Chernov.

After the stormy birth of the project, he went into the shadows for more than a year, and now he suddenly found himself in the spotlight again. And in the wake of criticism. So, on one of the central channels they showed a clear field, transparently hinting that Skolkovo is another multibillion–dollar "toy" that will be safely forgotten. One of the most authoritative Russian economists and politicians also spoke negatively about the project. What is the situation today? Is there really an open field there?Alexander Chernov: Of course, I can't wait to come and see a lot of tower cranes.

Erected walls, paved roads. But there are no miracles. As it should be, first you need to create the entire infrastructure: lay communications, cables, distribution networks, etc. And on this basis, start building a new city.

Much has already been done. The first building of the innovation center, the Hypercube, was built and put into operation. The Skolkovo Foundation and FGC UES have just signed an agreement on the creation of the first intelligent energy supply system in Russia in Innograd. Two powerful substations have been built, and now the question of a third has arisen. We already feel that we are going beyond the limits that we once drew for ourselves. Some project decisions have to be changed on the go. The city needs more energy, as the requests of laboratories, the requests of large companies to the scale of scientific research exceed the initial plans.

This is the answer to the question of where we are. We are not even halfway there yet, but very serious steps have already been taken to create a unique innograd for Russia. In the middle of this year, the construction of the university, the technopark and residential quarters will begin. The first settlement is scheduled for 2014.

There was a lot of controversy around Skolkovo: what will it be – a Potemkin village or an innovation factory? The news of innograd periodically flashes the world-famous names who visited it, various contracts are signed. And what's next? How are things with the innovation factory?Alexander Chernov: First about the Potemkin village.

I will give just one example. 15 centers of science, education and innovation will be created in Skolkovo. So far they exist on paper, but about 250 applications for participation in these centers have already been submitted. There are 12 Nobel laureates among the applicants. I can't name the names yet, these are the conditions of the competition, the results of which will be known on May 13 this year. That is, while a number of Russian experts continue to criticize and express skepticism, famous scientists believe in the project. Moreover, we are ready to participate in it.

You'll believe it, because the grants are worth $ 12 million.Alexander Chernov: The best scientific centers of the world are fighting for the Nobel laureates.

Everyone dreams of getting them, because this is the highest quality mark for any institute or university. Therefore, for such scientists, money is not a problem at all. They are in second place for them. And on the first – your name in science and reputational risks. The winner will calculate and think many times before accepting this or that offer. He will not take the bait for money, for what may turn out to be a soap bubble. For me, this is an axiom.

Now about the innovation factory. There are still many myths and misconceptions here. For example, one has to hear, and often from well-known authoritative people, why do we need to invest billions at all and build this Skolkovo if there are science cities where thousands of strong scientists work? Give them money and they will do everything. But that's the point, they won't. Science city and Skolkovo are, as they say in Odessa, two big differences. They have completely different tasks. Most science cities were formed in the 1960s and 70s for development, mainly in the defense industry. And none of them practically engaged in innovation, commercialization, the transformation of scientific developments into a commodity.

But that's what Skolkovo was created for. We will be judged not by what scientific research has been conducted here, but by the total capitalization of our companies on the largest stock exchanges in the world – in Singapore, New York, London, etc. This is the main criterion of our work.

Which of the science cities set themselves similar goals? And are they able to achieve them? It is unlikely, because, I repeat, they were sharpened for completely different tasks. By the way, I will give a very simple example that only emphasizes the fundamental difference between science cities and us. There is such a person, Peter Vesterbaka, who invented the toy "Angry Birds" and developed a billion-dollar business on this. But if he had come to science city with this thing, they would have laughed at him, advised him to go to a nursery. So Vesterbaka, by its very nature, is our man. He is an innovator.

Scientists will tell you that when Skolkovo was created, breakthrough high-tech technologies were announced, and they are engaged in toys there. Because commerce rules the ball, and serious science is in the background.Alexander Chernov: I want everyone to finally realize that we are not engaged in fundamental science.

There is an Academy of Sciences for this. We have to do what Russian scientists still cannot do: turn ideas into money. At the same time, the most serious science will be in Skolkovo, it is no accident that I spoke about Nobel laureates, but all their developments should come out of the flask and reach the market. The whole ideology of innograd is aimed at this.

And yet, for which projects does Skolkovo allocate a lot of money? Under "toys" or under serious breakthroughs? At one time, one of the presidents of the scientific Advisory council of Skolkovo, Nobel laureate Zhores Alferov complained that when making decisions on the allocation of grants, the word of scientists is secondary. The final verdict is up to the businessmen.Alexander Chernov: Our expertise is radically different from most of those that are being conducted in Russia today.

Many reputable foreign scientists participate in it. Sending projects for review is conducted by a computer. In fact, this is a random sample. They are sent blindly, anonymously, it is unknown who received what. No one can influence the decision of experts, no hardware games. If they said "no", then this is the final verdict. Therefore, in principle, there can be no claims that the examination is biased.

As for the Advisory Council, which Alferov is talking about, its main task is not to examine projects, but to develop a common strategy, determine whether we are moving there, whether we correspond to the main global trends in the five clusters that are the main ones for Skolkovo: IT technologies, space, nuclear technologies, biomedicine and energy-efficient technologies.

How many residents have already been selected? Maybe there are already products with the label "Made in Skolkovo"?Alexander Chernov: Now we have about 800 registered residents who are implementing their projects.

Some have already turned ideas into a product that sells. We have just started, and the total revenue of residents has exceeded one billion rubles. It is clear that the lion's share was brought here by IT specialists. They do not need long-term scientific research, which also need to be repeatedly checked. Not to mention the creation of new drugs, where the cycle of creating novelties lasts for several years.

Some projects, I think, will amaze many. For example, 3D technology is offered when glasses are not needed to view a three-dimensional image. It is enough to connect a special set-top box to the TV. And there is a project that will allow anyone to make a movie using a computer. You just type the text of your script on the keyboard, for example, a cat jumped on the table and looked out the window. And the computer immediately builds a frame from its database on the screen.

One of the tasks of innograd is called the attraction of private capital, the creation of a tandem "science – business". It was even about the fact that the ratio of investments of the state budget and business was 50-50? Succeed?Alexander Chernov:

We strive for this. But again, I will say that we are at the very beginning of the road. We need to convince people who risk their money. And you need to learn this art too. And, apparently, we are not the worst students, because interest in our projects from venture funds is growing rapidly. Already, extra-budgetary investments have amounted to about 6.4 billion rubles.

The largest companies come to Skolkovo – such as Intel, Nokia, Siemens, IBM, etc. And immediately there was talk about "intellectual hap", they say, our industry is outdated, it is not able to sell high-tech products, and therefore all the developments of our talents will leave Skolkovo abroad, and we will then buy them.Alexander Chernov: Let's start with the fact that our best scientists continue to go abroad and realize themselves there in the same Siemens, Intel, etc. And we tell them: work here.

The largest firms provide such an opportunity in Skolkovo, where they invest in promising developments. And they are also building factories in our country. So the ideas will not go away, they will be implemented here.

And the last. Students of our Skoltech University went to study at the Massachusetts Polytechnic Institute for a year. They left alone, and returned completely different. With a portfolio of very interesting projects. They can be put into action right now. This once again shows how important the atmosphere of creativity is, the very spirit of innovation. So he should reign in Skolkovo.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru30.01.2013