Healthy Life

With the support of the Skolkovo Foundation

There has been a significant decline in venture capital investment in 2022–2023, both in Russia and globally, for a variety of reasons. Despite the general downturn in investment, corporations and funds are looking with increasing frequency to biotechnology, IT, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things. Biotech companies are going public on their own, attracting investors, and in 2022, there was sustained interest in medical technology start-ups. The importance of development in this area raises the issue of import dependency, especially in genetics and breeding, and the development of high-tech medicines. Are there any successful Russian companies at the cutting edge of biotechnology capable of attracting investment? What strategy are investors currently employing? What challenges await developers and investors, what solutions can be proposed, and how can they optimize existing innovation support instruments? What examples currently exist of successful collaboration between medical science and entrepreneurship? How will the biotech segment change over the next 5 years?

Moderator
Kirill Kaem, Senior Vice-President for Innovations, Skolkovo Foundation

Kirill Kaem

Senior Vice-President for Innovations, Skolkovo Foundation

Kirill Kaem, whose family have been doctors for no fewer than seven generations, graduated from the Kirov State Medical Academy in Nizhny Novgorod in 1992. Five years later he graduated with distinction from the economics department at the Lobachevsky State University, after successfully completing his studies in Russia and the USA on an MBA program run jointly with Taylor University. He has over 20 years' experience in senior management roles, including 15 years as a CEO at the corporation's various international branches. He specializes in launching start-ups in new regions and countries, and new business areas at major firms. From 1992 to 1994 he owned his own business, distributing medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. In 1995 Kirill Kaem set up a network of regional outlets for the Swedish company Oriflame in the Volga Region, which helped it become one of the region's biggest tax-payers. In the year 2000 he began working in Germany, in the central office of the company Varta. After Varta's merger with the American group Spectrum Brands, he spent eight years in overall charge of the company's operations in Russia. In 2008 he relaunched the German and American holding JAFRA International in Russia, improving profit margins by 40%. In 2009 he took control of the Russian holding Hygiene Kinetics, the biggest manufacturer in the market for domestic paper and cellulose products. Within two years the company's sales growth was several times higher than average growth in the sector, thanks to the introduction of new technologies. From 2011 to 2013 he headed up a new area of business at 'Alpha Group' - the biggest federal chain of clinics, 'Alpha Health Centre', where in the space of a year he managed to double revenue, whilst the chain itself saw profits rise by over a third. From 2013 onwards he has been a member of the Board of Directors and a co-founder of the international medical centre 'Medcluster', set up at the initiative of Sberbank in partnership with Strategy Group Partners, with Johns Hopkins Medicine International as a potential partner. From 2013-2017 he was director of the Skolkovo Foundation’s biomed cluster.

Panellists
Timur Andrbaev, Acting Director General of the International Medical Cluster Foundation
Oleg Astafurov, Vice President, Pharmasyntez Group of Companies
Sergey Zhdanov, Managing Director, Director of the Health Industry Center, Sberbank
Vasily Ignatiev, General Director, R-Pharm
Roman Kozyrev, General Director RUSTARK
Alexander Kolsanov, Rector, Samara State Medical University
Valentina Kosenko, General Director, Scientific Center for Expertise of Medicinal Products of the Ministry of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation
Pavel Salugin, Vice President of JSC "Gazprombank"
Vyacheslav Shulenin, General Director, Moscow Center for Healthcare Innovations

Sergey Zhdanov

Managing Director, Director of the Health Industry Center, Sberbank

Vasily Ignatiev

General Director, R-Pharm

Born in Moscow, Russia on 27 November 1968.
Ignatiev holds an MD – diploma with honours from the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University. Expert in clinical pharmacology. Holds a Candidate of Medical Research Degree. Studied at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (New York, USA). Holds MBA degrees from Moscow International Higher Business School MIRBIS and London Guildhall University (now part of the London Metropolitan University).
For 7 years Ignatiev worked in the Russian branch of the international pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb in the positions of Product Manager, Franchise Manager, Marketing Director.
For 5 years Ignatiev served in the Russian branch of the international pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in the leading positions of Marketing Director and Sales Director.
In 2008, Ignatiev was appointed Director for Business Development in CJSC R-Pharm, a Russian pharmaceutical company. And now he is the Chief Executive Officer.
In 2018 Ignatiev was elected to become Vice Chair of the Board of the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers.

Alexander Kolsanov

Rector, Samara State Medical University

Valentina Kosenko

General Director, Scientific Center for Expertise of Medicinal Products of the Ministry of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Vyacheslav Shulenin

General Director, Moscow Center for Healthcare Innovations

Front row participants
Evgeny Kostyushkov, General Director of LLC "Medviar"
Yuri Matvienko, Head of Invasive Research, "Motorika"