Writing on the blog Modern Russia, Oleg Luksha, senior consultant and chair of the Russian Technology Transfer Network (RTTN), observes that one challenge to Russia’s ability to translate intellectual capital into economic opportunity is the lack of networking skills among Russian technology and R&D organizations. A culture of innovation based on open networking and information sharing — attributes that characterize innovation hubs like Silicon Valley — has yet to fully develop in Russia. Understanding these challenges and taking steps to proactively address them were the driving forces behind the creation of the RTTN, an association of more than 70 Russian innovation centers from more than 30 regions of Russia that aggregates information about Russian R&D and serves as an entry point for potential industry partners and investors.

To improve networking savvy, RTTN developed a guide entitled How to Effectively Network/Communicate in International R&D projects. The guide, available in both English and Russian, was created under the framework of FP7 ISTOK-SOYUZ project, an EU project designed to promote R&D cooperation and knowledge transfer between the EU and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Inno Group, a Europe-based consulting company that designs and implements innovation strategies, also was instrumental in helping RTTN establish itself and launch such initiatives as the guide, which addresses networking communication gaps, describes the networking skills needed in international R&D projects, and provides examples of best practices on networking to improve tech transfer and commercialization of international R&D projects.

Posted April 27th, 2011 under eNews Platinum

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