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Moscow’s anti-coronavirus projects win Runet prize

A set of digital solutions designed to counter the pandemic has won Moscow a Runet prize in the Technologies vs Coronavirus category. A Moscow project, Moscow Innovative Cluster (MIC), was also crowned in the Economy and Businesses category. The front office, where visitors can see the terms and required documents for receiving subsidies from Moscow’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development and where applications can be filed, was among the winners in the State and Society category, Moscow Mayor’s website reports.

Credit: mos.ru
Credit: mos.ru

Over the last years, Moscow has built a reliable and effective digital infrastructure. In the spring of 2020, it was used as base to quickly deploy technical solutions in Moscow’s battle to counter the spread of coronavirus, which are in use to this day. Digital services made it possible for Moscow residents to stay in touch with city services online, for entrepreneurs to continue working, and for schoolchildren and teachers to ensure the continuity of the educational process.

During the pandemic, the Moscow Mayor’s official website became the primary tool for continuing cooperation between individuals, businesses and municipal authorities. Over 370 services are now available on the website. For example, it allows people to transfer meter readings, pay utility bills and car fines, as well as pay for home internet and mobile communications. Users can also receive information about whether their car has been evacuated, monitor their children’s progress in school, make a doctor’s appointment and take care of their pets.

A new project, electronic medical chart, was launched in 2020. People in Moscow are now able to access results of their medical tests, including coronavirus and COVID-19 immunity, as well as information about doctor appointments and calling ambulances. Over 1.7 mio people have used the service.

The system of digital passes to travel around the city on personal and public transport quickly became an indispensable tool to counter the spread of coronavirus. It was launched last spring and helped increase social distancing among people living in Moscow, flatten the illness’s curve and thus lower the burden on the healthcare system. Several city and federal information systems were quickly integrated to make it function.

The registration (check-in) system with QR codes was introduced in the autumn of 2020 for entertainment establishments, which helped to continue the work of the whole industry and warn their visitors about their possible contact with a confirmed carrier of COVID-19. Now this system is used in all government agencies and is also recommended for use by organizations serving citizens.

The financial support program for businesses has become massive and as of December 2, 2020, 1,766 applications worth almost RUR 1.8 bln ($24.5 mio) were approved for Moscow SMS businesses.

The MIC platform has also won a Runet prize in the Economy and Business category. During the pandemic, the i.moscow website began to operate as a “one-stop shop” service allowing specialized government agencies to more easily cooperate with the business community. During implementation of restrictive measures and self-isolation, businesses were able to apply for over 10 financial support measures designed by Moscow’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development, which simplified the procedure of filling out paperwork. Over the last five months, over 10 K applications of Moscow enterprises have been filed. The cluster, which was focused on fast-tracking business procedures, has also helped entrepreneurs promote products and services.

Established in 2018, the Moscow Innovative Cluster is a digital ecosystem of products and services for legal entities, individual entrepreneurs and individuals who create innovative projects and who are looking for clients and partners. The i.moscow information platform, which exclusively operates online and helps businesses in solving both basic and strategic tasks, is the cluster’s integrated platform. It has already developed 12 online services in various areas of business.

Runet (Russian internet) prize is a national award in high-tech and internet technologies, which strives to recognize outstanding achievements among leading national companies. In 2020, the prize will be awarded for the 17th time. In total, 1,170 applications for participating in 14 categories have been received.

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