Moscow hosted the second session of the public discussion on the establishment of an innovation cluster. Experts discussed the draft law that defined the cluster’s goals and tasks as well as support measures for participants and characteristics of the IT platform that would integrate various measures used to support high-tech in the city.
“Moscow’s innovative infrastructure includes tens of thousands of facilities. We cannot leave this potential untouched if we want to reach an entirely new level of economic and technological development. The president supported the establishment of the cluster that will define the federal and regional agendas and also step outside Russia. We will be able to compete with foreign clusters in the field of the programme and the development of new products,” Alexei Fursin, Head of the Moscow Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovations, noted.
Moscow has a huge productive, scientific and technical potential. As of today, it has over 20,000 innovative companies including 719 research organisations, 173 educational institutions, over 450 certification centres and test labs, over 15,000 IT companies and more than 7,000 manufacturing enterprises. The lack of a common platform results in all these organisations functioning separately.
The goal of the cluster is to create favourable conditions for high-tech producers that are ready to export their products. Its main feature is the diversity of skills and qualifications as well as the constant exchange of ideas and professional knowledge between specialists in various spheres. The innovative cluster will unite the entire existing infrastructure and Moscow’s human resources and manufacture potential in one single system.
The idea to establish such a platform was first voiced last April. It was supported by President Vladimir Putin, who signed the order to establish an innovative cluster in Moscow on 26 November 2018.