The meeting’s participants closely examined the issues of start-up capital in the innovation business, facilitating access to financial resources for new high-tech companies, and protection of intellectual property rights to innovation products.
Dmitry Medvedev proposed to improve the legislation so as to separate intellectual property rights of individuals from the rights and opportunities of universities.
During the discussion on the development of venture capital funds in Russia the participation of private capital in financing innovation projects was addressed. Dmitry Medvedev said that the innovation base cannot be financed entirely by the state but that the state should invest in the most important research projects. The President noted that the state should not intervene in private venture funds, but by offering favourable taxation and organisational regulations should create conditions for their long-term operation.
When reviewing technical regulation, President Medvedev reminded meeting participants that national legislation permitted to directly use European Union’s technical standards in Russian legal practice, and issued instructions to summarise the practice of applying European technical regulations and standards in Russia.
Talking about the creation of the Skolkovo Innovation Centre, Dmitry Medvedev urged the academic community to take a more active part in the project. The President noted that the Innovation Centre must promote the exchange of experience among the world's leading experts and the integration of Russia in the global economy, and he did not rule out that Skolkovo branches may be established in other regions of the country.
Summing up the meeting’s outcome, Dmitry Medvedev said that one of the main challenges to modernisation of the Russian economy is the lack of skill to combine creativity and inventiveness with profit-making, and stressed it was vital to integrate creativity with a business approach.
Dmitry Medvedev presented diplomas to the winners of the Vladimir Zvorykin National Prize for Innovations. Eight young scientists from across Russia won the honorary awards based on the results of a competition.
Before the meeting, the President marked the coordinates for the reference point from which the construction of the Skolkovo Innovation Centre will be planned, including the location of laboratories, engineering centres, buildings and streets.