The Innovation Working Group of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission successfully completed its first meeting at the headquarters of Cisco Systems, Inc., in San Jose, Calif., on March 27. The two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding their future work, including cooperation on projects with Russia’s new Skolkovo Innovation Center.
In the course of a day-long series of discussions, Working Group members examined policies that encourage successful innovation systems around the world, as well as concrete cooperative projects to promote innovation coordination between the United States and Russia. The group also discussed plans to link innovation centers and regional innovation clusters, assessed the legal framework for innovation, and considered ways of leveraging resources and connections in the private and academic sectors to support the commercialization of innovative technologies in Russia and the United States.
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Robert Hormats addressed the group via video conference. U.S. Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs Lorraine Hariton and Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Oleg Fomichev led their respective delegations, chaired the meeting, and signed the Memorandum of Understanding. Working group members include innovation experts from the Russian and U.S. private sectors, non-governmental sectors, universities, and governments.
President Obama and President Medvedev created the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission (BPC) in July 2009 to improve coordination between our countries, identify areas of cooperation, and pursue joint projects and actions that strengthen strategic stability, international security, economic well-being, and the development of ties between the Russian and American peoples. The BPC now consists of 20 working groups and numerous sub-working groups. Please visit the BPC website: www.state.gov/russiabpc.
For additional information on the Innovation Working Group, contact Laura Hochla, U.S. Department of State, (202) 647-6770, HochlaLL@state.gov, or Baron Lobstein, U.S. Department of State, (202) 736-4441, LobsteinBP@state.gov.
