Qatar Pavilion

With recent turmoil impacting the global economy, Qatar and Russia have looked to R&D and innovation investments as pathways to greater productivity and prosperity. The speakers of this session will explore various topics related to fostering innovation. These include a discussion on the main innovation priorities of Qatar and Russia including priority sectors and the efforts underway to create sustainable and supportive innovation ecosystems, such as the establishment of large-scale technology hubs, parks and Free Zones. They will also discuss how large local businesses and MNCs can support local innovation ecosystems by acting as piloting grounds for technology start-ups and SMEs. The panel will also review tools that can create strong links between start-ups, SMEs, and large innovative technology-driven businesses. Additionally, the speakers will describe the role that investment funds, development institutions and government agencies can play in attracting innovative international startups and multinational companies to establish bases in their respective countries – for instance by providing incentives and regulatory enablers that lower the barriers to entry and that create an optimum environment for innovation to flourish.

Moderator
Alexander Kuleshov, President, Skolkovo Insitute of Science and Technology (Skoltech)

Alexander Kuleshov

President, Skolkovo Insitute of Science and Technology (Skoltech)

Professor Alexander Kuleshov is the President of Skolkovo Insitute of Science and Technology since February, 2016. He is an expert in information technologies and mathematical modeling. From 2006 - 2016 he was a director of the Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems (RAS). Kuleshov also has a chair at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (Phystech). He is the author of numerous articles and 4 monographs, and a member of the editorial board at the journal “Problems in theory and practice of management.” Dr. Kuleshov is a member of the coordinating council for innovation and intellectual property of the Russian Academy of Science

Panellists
Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Thani, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Qatar
Mohammed Al-Abdulla, Chief Executive Officer, Doha Venture Capital
Omar Ali Al-Ansari, Secretary General, Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council
Mohamed Badr Al-Sadah, Chief Executive Officer, Hassad Food Company
Leonid Sorkin, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Vice President, Honeywell

Leonid Sorkin

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Vice President, Honeywell

Leonid Rafailovich Sorkin
Vice President (Government Relations)
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Honeywell Russia
Doctor of Engineering Science, Professor
Before his career at Honeywell, in 1991, L. R. Sorkin created and became the head of Petrocom joint venture specializing in the application of high technologies in the oil and gas industry. During the subsequent 14 years the enterprise held leading positions in such areas of oil-refining and petrochemical industries in Russia as long-term planning, production control, computer simulators and investment design. In 2005, Petrocom was acquired by Honeywell and L. R. Sorkin took the position of Director for Strategy and Development in Russia and CIS, and later was appointed the company's General Manager for Russia. Prior to the creation of Petrocom, L. R. Sorkin had worked for 17 years at the Institute of Control Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences, developing theoretical bases, algorithms and models of optimal planning and operational control for continuous production facilities.
His research results were widely implemented in practice. Professor L. R. Sorkin is the author of more than 100 scientific articles and 3 monographs.
Since 2001, L. R. Sorkin has been concurrently the head of the base department "Technical Cybernetics" at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. L. R. Sorkin is also a member of the Skolkovo Foundation Grant Committee.

Front row participants
Anatoly Valetov, Acting General Director, Moscow Innovation Cluster
Arkady Dvorkovich, Chairman, Skolkovo Foundation
Vladislav Shapsha, Governor of Kaluga Region

Arkady Dvorkovich

Chairman, Skolkovo Foundation

Born on May 26, 1972 in Moscow.
In 1994 graduated from Moscow State University with a Master degree in economics.
1994-1997 – worked as an expert in the Expert Group of Russia’s Ministry of Finance.
1997-2000 - Head of the Economic Expert Group of Russia’s Ministry of Finance.
Since August of 2000 – Adviser of the Minister of Economic Development and Trade.
Since 2001 - Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade.
Since April of 2004 - Head of the Presidential Experts’ Directorate of the Presidential Executive Office.
Since May 13, 2008 - Aide to the President.
From May 13, 2008 to May, 21 2012 served as an aide to the President of the Russian Federation.
On December 31, 2009 according to the decree of the President Dmitry Medvedev entered the working group for creation of a detached territorial complex for research and development and further commercialization of the results.
On May 21, 2012 he was appointed the Deputy Prime-Minister of the Russian Federation.
May 2018 – appointed co-chair of the Skolkovo Foundation council.
In September 2018, he was appointed to a government commission on modernising Russia’s economy and innovative development.
The same month, he was appointed Chair of the Skolkovo Foundation.

Vladislav Shapsha

Governor of Kaluga Region