Key Events and Trends in Federal and Regional Innovation Policy for the Coming Week
Interregional Cooperation between Russia and Belarus
The XI Forum of the Regions of Belarus and Russia took place in three Belarusian cities: Vitebsk, Polotsk, and Novopolotsk. Its main theme was "The Role of Interregional Cooperation in Building an Innovative Economy of the Union State." Federation Council Chair Valentina Matviyenko stated that agreements worth 30 billion rubles were signed at the event. The agenda highlights the outcomes of the forum for the regions participating in AIRR. For example, production of urban electric transport will be launched in the Ufa region of Bashkortostan, and the Minsk Civil Aviation Plant will be integrated into the production chains of Ulyanovsk enterprises. The XII Forum of the Regions will take place in 2025, hosted by another member of the Association, the Nizhny Novgorod region.
International Industrial Exhibition
The "Innoprom" exhibition will take place at the "Yekaterinburg-EXPO" venue from July 8 to 11, with the main theme being "Technological Partnership: Shaping the Future." This year, the partner country will be the UAE, and companies from Turkey, China, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and other countries will showcase their innovations and share their experiences. A bilateral industrial business forum titled "Russia-UAE" will also be held, where existing joint projects and prospects for industrial and technological cooperation will be discussed.
Support for Technological Startups
The Ministry of Economic Development and MIPT are launching a mentoring program called "Startup Seasons" to support entrepreneurs in developing, launching, and growing innovative technology projects and attracting funding. An expert commission will select 30 startups for free participation in the program, which will start in July and last for three months. Startups that already have a ready solution at the stage of a working prototype or finished product with proven market demand, and that integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies, will be eligible to apply. You can try your luck by following the link.