In 2005, the U.S.-Russia Innovation Council on High Technologies (ICHT) met for the first time at the Ministry of Education and Science in Moscow, Russia. The 20 member ICHT, led by United States and Russian co-chairs Dr. George Atkinson, Science and Technology Adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State and Professor Sergey Mazurenko, Head, Federal Agency on Science and Innovation, is composed of nine members from each country representing both the public and private sectors. While numerous presentations were made by U.S. and Russian participants describing the current Russian environment for innovation, this first meeting of the ICHT dealt primarily with organizational issues with an emphasis on structuring several Focused Working Groups to address specific topics critical to future U.S.-Russian cooperation on high technology innovation.
Background
In October 2003 President Bush and President Putin met at Camp David and agreed that the United States and Russia should cooperate on high technology issues, innovation and entrepreneurship. Consequently the Office of Technology Policy of the Technology Administration (TA) negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in Technology and Innovation with the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) of the Russian Federation. The primary objective of the MOU is to promote bilateral public and private sector cooperation in stimulating commercial science and technology (S&T) innovation and entrepreneurship. The creation of partnerships between United States and Russian S&T companies, large and small, is considered to be an important mechanism for achieving this objective. On April 19, 2004 the MOU was signed by Minister of Education and Science Andrey Fursenko and Secretary of Commerce Don Evans.
Negotiations then commenced with the MES on developing Terms of Reference (TOR) for a United States-Russia Innovation Council on High Technologies (ICHT). The ICHT was charged with developing programs and recommendations design to achieve objectives specified in the MOU. TA advocated the necessity for both United States and Russian commercial representation on the ICHT. Russian counterparts fully agreed, and the final TOR was signed on November 16, 2004, at the Department of Commerce by Under Secretary for Technology Phillip Bond and Professor Sergey Mazurenko, Head of the Federal Agency for Technology and Innovation which is part of the MES. The ICHT is composed of nine members from the United States, five of which represent the business community and nine members from the Russian Federation, four of which represent the business community.
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The ICHT identified four focus areas considered essential for expanding the commercialization of science and technology in Russia through partnership with United States business, universities and research institutions. Ultimately, partners from both countries are expected to have greater access to markets as a consequence of their collaboration. The Focused Working Groups, each co-chaired by United States and Russian ICHT members and with membership of up to six additional ICHT and non-ICHT participants, submitted their initial recommendations to the ICHT by September 2005. These recommendations serve as the basis for the agenda of the next ICHT meeting which is scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C. in February, 2006. The ICHT also appointed a Secretariat composed of representatives from the United States and Russia to address communication and administrative issues.
Dr. Atkinson agreed to serve as interim co-chair for the United States until a new Under Secretary for Technology is appointed who will then serve as permanent United States co-chair.
The first meeting was envisioned by both the U.S. and Russian participants as an exploratory session. The agenda focused on providing background on existing S&T policy and programs that promote innovation and entrepreneurship. United States business representatives provided overviews of their programs that are aimed at stimulating greater commercialization of Russian S&T capabilities that could lead to new United States and Russian business partnership opportunities. United States participants were clearly as interested in learning from Russian counterparts as they were in providing advice. The tone of the meeting was friendly and comments by members were candid and optimistic.
Goals identified
The main objective of the initial ICHT meeting was to develop recommendations for the agenda of the next meeting of the ICHT in the United States. Topics for four Focused Working Groups were agreed upon and their descriptions were negotiated by the ICHT. Several important tasks were divided between the groups:
1. The role of universities and research organizations in the processes of innovation and commercialization
2. Facilitating the creation and development of small, innovative, high-technology businesses
3. Issues of intellectual property, its ownership and uses
4. Encouraging the expansion of investment opportunities.
With extensive preparation and careful efforts on part of ICHT members, the February 2006 meeting of the Council promises more progress in the U.S.-Russia technology dialog.