ISTC is taking part in the first ever high-level EU-Russia Innovation Forum, held in Lappeenranta, Finland, on May 25th-27th, 2010. ISTC was invited to deliver the keynote address of the conference, underlining the Center’s critical role in developing and making Russian and CIS innovation available to the world for over 15 years now. The presentation’s emphasis was placed on the challenges of turning research results into economic development, a difficult task not only for Russia, but for research organizations all over the world. 

The participants of the event include the prime ministers of Finland and Russia, high-level political leaders and experts from Russia and the EU, and over 500 conference guests from about 15 countries. 

The Innovation Forum has four specific themes: modernization of industry, commercialization of Russian innovations, EU-Russia Innovation Collaboration Roadmaps for the years 2010-2013, and energy efficiency.

The main goal of the Innovation Forum is to prepare and present Top-5 EU-Russian Initiatives for innovation collaboration and a new modernization partnership. These initiatives will be presented to the Finnish and Russian prime ministers, Matti Vanhanen and Vladimir Putin, and delivered at the EU-Russian Summit in Rostov-on-Don on May 31st–June 1st, 2010.

The speakers of the Forum are ministers and business leaders from Finland, Russia and Europe. Researchers and top government officials will also take the floor. Other speakers include Anatoly Chubais, CEO of Rusnano, Rainer Lindner, CEO, Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, Philippe Vanrie, CEO, European Business & Innovation Centre Network, and Vladimir Vasiliev, President of the St. Petersburg Rectors’ Council.

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