The AIRR delegation presented the experience of innovative development of the regions of the Russian Federation in Uzbekistan

The central event of the business part of the visit was the meeting of the AIRR delegation and the Ministry of Innovative Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which took place at INNO Texnopark in Tashkent. The parties discussed issues on bilateral high-tech projects.

From the Uzbek side, the meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Innovative Development Shahlo Turdikulova, Director of the INNO Technopark under the Ministry of Innovations, Head of the Department for the Development of Innovative Infrastructure and Technoparks Khozhyakbar Karimov, Head of the Department of Innovative Development of the Regions of the Ministry of Innovative Development Fazliddin Muminov, Chief Specialist of the Department for the Development of the Innovation Ecosystem in Industry Enterprises Shukhrat Isaev, chief specialist of the Human Capital Development Department Nargiza Mirrakhimova.

Shahlo Turdikulova, Deputy Minister of Innovative Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, delivered a welcoming speech to the participants of the meeting. She thanked the delegation of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia for the visit and the opportunity to get acquainted with international innovative experience.

“We would like to hear from Russian colleagues about their experience in developing innovations in the regions, based on what we are doing now and those pilots that we want to introduce in our country,” said Shakhlo Turdikulova.

During the meeting, the head of projects for interaction with the regions of AIRR Dmitry Mitroshin presented the Association, spoke about the main directions of the organization's activities and the results of interaction.

“The main goal of our work is to assist the economic interaction of AIRR member regions, based on the comprehensive representation of their interests at the interregional, federal and international levels. Now there are 18 regions in the Association, which account for more than 25% of GDP and more than 37% of all innovative products in Russia,” said Dmitry Mitroshin.

Representatives of the AIRR delegation shared their experience in the development of innovative regions. Timur Khalitov, Advisor to the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region for Investments and Innovations, General Director of the INTC "Quantum Valley", Director of the ANO "Nizhny Novgorod REC" Timur Khalitov spoke about measures to support innovation in the region.

“In investments, as in innovations, the regulatory framework is important, that is, clear rules of the game for everyone, including scientific organizations. Developed infrastructure and market are also important. In the Nizhny Novgorod region, the real sector of the economy is represented by automobile and shipbuilding, the chemical industry and other innovative industries,” said Timur Khalitov.

Pavel Grankov, General Director of the Agency for Innovative Development - Cluster Development Center of the Kaluga Region, spoke about the cluster policy in the Kaluga Region.

“In the Kaluga region, clusters are one of the main development tools. This model was the basis of the strategy for the socio-economic development of the region, first until 2030, then until 2040. The main driver of industry in the Kaluga region is the Pilot Innovative Territorial Cluster of Pharmaceutics, Biotechnology and Biomedicine. It unites 70 enterprises producing more than 200 types of medicines,” said Pavel Grankov.

General Director of the Venture Fund of the Republic of Belarus Ramil Khismatullin, in turn, spoke about the work of the Fund for Assistance in the Development of Venture Investments in Small Enterprises in the Scientific and Technical Sphere of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

Representatives of the Ministry of Innovative Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan were especially interested in the presentation of the Minister of Science and Innovation Policy of the Novosibirsk Region, Vadim Vasiliev, on regional support for innovative companies in a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. He also dwelled on the results of the largest technological event in Russia, the main purpose of which is to promote domestic scientific developments and innovations - the international forum for technological development "Technoprom".

“Thanks to two main bases: a developed industrial sector in the form of SMEs and applied science, our main task is to connect and transfer technologies. For applied scientific developments to be transferred and applied in the real sector. It is not an easy task, but we are coping with it,” said Vadim Vasiliev.

Deputy Minister of Innovative Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shahlo Turdikulova, in turn, noted the need for the participation of the Ministry of Innovative Development in this forum.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to work out the issue of sending deputy khokims of 28 innovative regions of Uzbekistan to the Russian Federation to study the experience of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia. Also, the program of the visit of the AIRR delegation provides for visiting the territories of innovative development, leading scientific institutions, large light industry facilities to exchange experience in the implementation of high-tech projects.

The Association of Innovative Regions of Russia regularly holds events to exchange experience in the field of innovation and develop relations with friendly countries, including Uzbekistan. In 2017, a delegation from the Samarkand region of the Republic of Uzbekistan visited the Alabuga SEZ as part of its working visit to Tatarstan.