Skolkovo high-tech hub to test new urban construction concepts.

MOSCOW, October 16 (Itar-Tass) - The Skolkovo high-tech research hub
will test new urban construction concepts, chairman of the Skolkovo Fund
Viktor Vekselberg said.
"We review the entirely new approach to urban construction as a
separate guideline," Vekselberg said at the first session of the Fund's
consultative science council on Friday.
"This approach will include principles of energy effectiveness and
environmental protection. We wish to test new urban construction concepts,
in order to spread this experience across the whole country.
"The government allocated some 400 hectares to build housing for the
Skolkovo research personnel. The handover procedure is due to be completed
by the end of the year.
"We've begun to work out an urban construction concept," Vekselberg
said.
A tender has already been held, and five construction companies have
been selected. They will present their projects.
"We'd like to see Skolkovo as a modern town of the future,"
Vekselberg underlined.
According to him, the Skolkovo Fund plans to conclude agreements with
ministries and departments that "will play an important role in
implementation of the project."
"There are several things that have not been settled yet, for example,
intellectual property issues. Foreign colleagues often ask questions
regarding the degree of its protection and the timeframe for the issue of
patents," he went on to say.
An agreement with Rospatent federal service for intellectual property,
patents and trademarks has already been signed. "Hopefully, the quality of
interaction with this agency will conform to international standards,"
Vekselberg said.
An agreement with the Federal Migration Service over settling the
specialist exchange procedure is due to be signed shortly. The Skolkovo
Fund also intends to reach accords with the Tax and Customs Services, and
the Rostekhnadzor federal service for supervision of environmental,
technology and nuclear management.
Nobel Prize laureate Zhores Alfyorov, who co-chairs the Skolkovo
Fund's scientific council, said it would set up expert groups to evaluate
and select innovation projects within the next few weeks.
"I believe we'll do it in the regular course of business. There will
be five groups one per each guideline set by the president," Alfyorov
said. He did not indicate how many people an expert group might have.
No special regulations or law are necessary for carrying out an expert
examination of projects, he said.
The next session of the scientific council is due in February.
"We must secure scientific support of the projects, and we'll do it as
fast as we can," Alfyorov stated.
-0-myz