"Skolkovo" Foundation announced a contest "Catalyst for Innovation 2015" at "Big Chemistry" Forum in Ufa

UFA, 21 May 2015. /Bashinform News Agency, Elvira Latypova/. Oil and Gas Centre of "Skolkovo" Foundation at the forum «Big Chemistry» held in Ufa has announced a competition of innovative projects "Catalyst for Innovation 2015". The winners will qualify for a target grant of "Skolkovo" in the amount of up to 5 million rubles.

Projects to develop advanced technologies for the petrochemical and oil refining will be accepted for the competition. It is carried out in order to combine efforts and expertise of representatives of different areas of science and technology, and industry experts to identify and support promising innovations.

"We are looking primarily for promising technologies that have a chance to solve the problem of import substitution, or have prospects for entry into foreign markets,” Vice President, Executive Director of the Energy Efficient Technologies Cluster of "Skolkovo" Foundation Nikolay Grachev told reporters. “Teams can be very different. We want to see new technologies, new development teams. What do we offer them? Firstly, they will have an opportunity to present their projects to representatives of industry, companies and potential investors. The finalists will qualify for the grant of "Skolkovo" in the amount of up to 5 million rubles and will discuss with our partners an opportunity to pilot, test technology at the sites of partners. In addition, we will offer an acceleration program to the finalists. We will discuss with them how to further develop a project, which elements should be moved from technology to a successful business".

Among the partners of the competition are "Bashneft", Ufa State Petroleum Technological University, Institute of Petrochemical Processing of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

Applications for the contest will be accepted since June 1: on the website of «Skolkovo» Foundation and will last until August 20. The final will take place at the "Skolkovo" innovation centre on September 25.