Press release 27 May 2010
The Innovation Forum presented nine initiatives to the prime ministers
Nine key initiatives for innovation and modernisation collaboration between the EU and Russia were introduced on the final day of the First EU-Russia Innovation Forum arranged in Lappeenranta. The initiatives were presented to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen in an event organised by the City of Lappeenranta, Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) and the European-Russian InnoPartnership.
CEO Tuomo Rönkkö, who was a co-chairman of the Forum, says that a modernisation partnership was brought up by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and EU President José Manuel Barroso as one of the key issues in future collaboration between the EU and Russia.
”In the Forum, we drew up concrete initiatives which can be used as a starting point,” relates Rönkkö. Preparation work for the initiatives has been carried out by European and Russian experts throughout the spring.
Key initiatives for EU-Russia innovation collaboration:
Initiative 1: Make Innovation Policy Cooperation a top priority in the EU-Russia Partnership
Initiative 2: Create a common research and innovation environment to support the innovation based modernisation of our economies
Initiative 3: Enhance existing innovation support mechanisms and improve access to business-related innovation information
Initiative 4: Develop a dedicated programme for joint innovative actions funded and managed by the EU and Russia
Key Initiatives for the Modernisation Partnership:
Initiative 1: Modernise Russian companies in partnership with EU companies, utilising their know-how, for example the pharmaceutical industry
Initiative 2: Visa-free travelling starting with business and university representatives in Russia and the EU
Initiative 3: Set up and implement pilot projects in the field of energy efficiency
Initiative 4: Rule of law: promotion of Compliance Agreement procedures
Initiative 5: Engage Russia in the EU Digital Agenda
Further information:
Tom Hultin, CEO of the Lappeenranta City Holding Company and chairman of the organising committee for the EU-Russia Innovation Forum, tel. 040 556 0961. Tuomo Rönkkö, CEO of the Maintpartner Group and Chairman of the Senate of Lappeenranta University of Technology, tel. 050 387 6120