FEZ Vitebsk, Skolkovo Foundation to put together cooperation development roadmap

VITEBSK, 24 February (BelTA) – The administration of the free economic zone (FEZ) Vitebsk and Russia's Skolkovo Foundation intend to work out a roadmap on advancing cooperation in seven areas. Aleksandr Okunev, Deputy Vice President for Regional Development and Interaction with the CIS of the Skolkovo Foundation, mentioned the plans at a session of the FEZ Vitebsk administration on 24 February. Aleksandr Okunev participated in the event online.

The foundation for negotiations was laid after a Skolkovo Foundation delegation visited FEZ Vitebsk in late 2021. Aleksandr Okunev said: “Back then we received as detailed information as possible about every resident company. Virtually all of them specialize in innovations and design technological or engineering solutions. It represents great potential for interaction.” Seven promising areas for joint work were identified as a result of consultations held to discuss opportunities for innovation cooperation with resident companies, participants of the Skolkovo Foundation, and financial institutions.

Aleksandr Okunev noted that the areas include cooperation for introducing innovative solutions, which are worked out for the main branches of economy, digital transformation projects in production sector, including the upscaling of digital products of Belarusian companies in Russia and on third-country markets. Two more areas are related to the promotion of Belarusian products onto foreign markets, including non-CIS countries, as well as participation of Belarusian companies in international exhibition and presentation events. Major state companies of the host country are as a rule present during such events. It will be interesting for companies, which are interested in increasing their export potential. The Skolkovo Foundation is ready to provide the necessary competences and infrastructure to them for this purpose, the official noted.

Resident companies of FEZ Vitebsk can also get the status of Skolkovo Foundation participants. The status is bundled with a number of preferences, primarily marketing ones. Another proposal envisages cooperation in R&D, in enhancing technological competences for accomplishing manufacturing tasks.

Aleksandr Okunev said: “The Skolkovo Foundation is ready to start working on all the suggested areas today. For that to happen, we could pick out several projects focusing on innovations and the same number of projects focusing on product promotion as pilot projects. It is important to properly streamline interaction and make the first step towards a goal, which we identify as higher revenues of the partner companies, creation of new jobs and revenue-generating centers.”