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Innovative Project Competition to be held at Healthy Life Forum: Towards 80+

30 November 2018

The Roscongress Foundation in conjunction with the S-Group Corporate Communication Center has launched the Healthy Life  Innovation Competition. Competition partners include the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, the Russian Centre for the Promotion of Youth Entrepreneurship, and the Skolkovo Foundation. A four-way cooperation agreement was signed on 30 November.

The competition is being held for the purpose of selecting, promoting and commercializing the most promising innovations in therapeutic and diagnostic medical devices, digital medicine, and new socially significant pharmaceutical drugs able to improve quality of life.

Applications will be accepted from 30 November to 31 December 2018. After projects have been studied, semi-finalists will be selected to pitch their projects during special pitch-sessions at the Healthy Life Forum: Towards 80+ on 13 February in Sochi. The investment jury will vote to select team finalists, who will then present their projects during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2019 at the newly created Startup Lounge. 

“The innovation competition will be aimed at identifying the most promising ideas and projects in Russian regions and will look to further develop Russian science and support the innovation sector within the Russian economy,” said Alexander Stuglev, CEO of the Roscongress Foundation.

S-Group Corporate Communication Center Deputy General Director Igor Tsvetkov mentioned the competition as a very effective tool for realizing the commercial potential of innovations. “There are many high-tech projects in Russia capable of taking healthcare to a new level and improving the quality and longevity of life,” he said.

Teams representing innovative Russian companies and research and educational organizations with innovations at the prototype stage, involved in clinical research, or possessing completed projects are all welcome to take part. Projects must be innovative, attractive for investment, within the core competence of the project team, and socially significant and amenable to industrial implementation and scaling. Participation in the competition is free.

Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Head Alexander Bugayev mentioned the importance of innovation in solving important economic tasks: “Innovative creativity is one of the best ways for citizens of this country to realize their full potential, and it holds great promise for aiding in economic development. The Healthy Life 2018 Competition helps increase youth involvement in entrepreneurial and innovative activities and complements the integrated system for accelerating innovative and technological youth ideas. The development and implementation of medical technologies by young scientists solves a number of strategic tasks: from improving the health care system and increasing life expectancy to strengthening Russia’s scientific potential.”

Senior Vice President for Innovations at the Skolkovo Foundation Kirill Kaem added that the competition search for innovative projects will focus on areas capable not only of prolonging life but also of making it possible for people to lead an active and beneficial lifestyle. “As expected, the topic of life extension has become extremely fashionable in the last 5–7 years. This is primarily due to an increase in basic knowledge in life sciences and, above all, in the field of molecular biology. However, it is an ongoing process associated with improving the quality of medical care, including in the target group of pathologies associated with the patient’s age, and the quality of life of the population,” he noted.

More detailed information about competition rules can be found on the official site.

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