Global Technology Symposium: how universities form a model of innovative development

Where the innovations on both sides of the ocean are moving and what role the Russian and American universities are playing in this topic, were explained by Nina Yanykina, the head of the ITMO University Design and Innovation Activity Department.

 

- What activities are taking place today at the Global Technology Symposium?

- For 12 years now entrepreneurs, researchers, scientists and investors have been meeting at the GTS; once a year on a relatively small area, there is a high concentration of intellectual, venture and entrepreneurial capacity. As a result, there are many promising partnerships, ideas and solutions.

 

The main format of the Forum's events is networking: during the GTS it is possible to meet the right people and conduct the negotiations promptly. The second type of activities is the panel discussions on topics relevant to the industry. And, of course, the event can't do without performances of famous experts in the field of entrepreneurship and innovations: on the third of April there was an hour long talk by Guy Kawasaki, the well-known venture investor, the developer of the Apple evangelism concept.

 

- What projects do the participants bring to the Global Technology Symposium?

- Nowadays, there is a visible rapid growing of the biotechnologies, solutions to reduce the negative impact on the environment, medical applications are developing, as well as wireless vehicle management, information security and everything connected with it. The issue of creating an Art and Science cluster is actively discussed in ITMO University these days, so it was nice to meet colleagues from Berkeley, who are already developing a business incubator for projects in the creative industries

 

In addition, each year at the symposium there is a contest of innovative start-up projects: the representatives of the IT-industry hold pitch sessions of their projects, and at the end of a three-day series of presentations, the jury determines the winners.

 

In general, the creators of startups focus on high-tech solutions for specific problems. As an example, a joint project of the ITMO University Center for Design & Multimedia and the Engineering and Computer Graphics Department can be mentioned; it is connected with implementation of Internet solutions to Alexandrinsky Theatre.

 

- What projects were presented by ITMO University?

- Together with the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), with which we implement the EURECA program, we presented a successful case of cooperation between Russian and American universities at the Next Level of Innovation panel discussion. On behalf of our joint project Сatherine Atchinson performed, the vice-rector for UCLA new cooperation initiatives, member of the International Council of ITMO University, Alexey Sitnikov from the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology moderated the discussion, which was attended by Valentin Makarov, the president of the RUSSOFT nonprofit partnership, RUSNANO Company in the US and other innovative companies’ representatives.

 

We discussed where the innovations are moving in the USA and Russia, what role does the international cooperation play in this movement, and what opportunities it opens. Catherine shared experience of cooperation with ITMO University: in 2010 with the University of California, we started with a small project in the field of innovative entrepreneurship, where UCLA played the role of mentor. Cooperation gradually expanded, and after 5 years, experts from the Faculty of Information Technologies and programming came to California and trained American students. After the ITMO University programming school, the UCLA team for the first time in its history reached the final of the world cup. At a panel discussion this case aroused a great interest of the audience. The participants concluded that our universities have one of the leading roles in the formation of scientific, educational and technological cooperation between the two countries.

 

- In addition to the discussions, what interesting and important meetings were held during the GTS?

- Following the visit, there were a lot of contacts with potential investors and mentors for our companies with colleagues from the Global Innovation Labs, StartupAccess, ABRT Venture Fund. We met the representatives of Silicon Valley Bank - a consortium of leading companies in Silicon Valley, which provides diversified financial support to start-ups. It was especially nice to hear positive feedback about ITMO University from Sergey Petrov, the general consul of the Russian Federation in San Francisco.

 

According to the results of the symposium we are negotiating on the joint project to develop a system of evaluating the effectiveness of the entrepreneurial university with Henry Etzkowitz, the author of the Triple Helix model. Its essence lies in the fact that the most effective development of innovations and the economy in a given ecosystem occurs, if you build effective communication between government, business and universities. Maybe in the future on its basis a separate rating for entrepreneurial universities will be created. And in June in the Netherlands a seminar on the coordination of actions and roles in the project will be held.

 

Valentin Makarov, the RUSSOFT president, adds that the main contribution of the Russian participants of the Global Technology Symposium lies in the support the dialogue with the domestic IT-diaspora and American investment community.

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