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First meeting of the Experts Session “The Bureau of the Future” was conducted in St. Petersburg on October 2, 2009 as part of the Russian Innovation Week. The project was initiated by the Center for Strategic Research “North-West” and supported by the St. Petersburg Committee for Economic Development of Industrial Policy and Commerce.
The event has attracted experts from Russia and abroad. Among the participants of the session were representatives of federal authorities of Germany, Finland and Russia, of Consulates General of Denmark and the UK in St. Petersburg, experts from Russian companies and research institutions, involved in innovations in the spheres of energy, city planning, healthcare and sport.
“The Bureau of the Future” included three thematic sessions:
“Emergence from the deepest economic crises has always been connected with restructuring of cities, when the cities' economy was reorganized with regard to innovations, — noted Director of the Center for Strategic Research “North-West” Vladimir Knyaginin explaining selection of the topics for discussion.. — There is good reason to expect that the next reorganization would be connected with transformation of cities from consumers of resources to producers of resources. A resource efficient city not only cares about energy resources and produces energy resources to supply its needs — it also retains and attracts new human resources, i.e. its residents. In other words, cities will try to preserve a healthy environment, to create comfortable living and working conditions for their residents.
Such goals set for Russian cities would boost rapid development of markets for innovation technologies, i.e. markets for energy efficient technologies, health industry, technological solutions that help to create flexible and modern organization of a city. One of the main questions: what exactly solutions will be requited — domestic or imported?
Debates conducted within the framework of “The Bureau of the Future” project provided the opportunity for a comprehensive discussion of prospects for development of new markets for innovation technologies in the areas that would help to transform wasteful Russian cities into resource-efficient and competitive ones.
Participants of the «Green City: New Energy, Energy Efficiency» section discussed some of specific solutions to be included in the national energy policy. Klaus Sorensen, Consul of the Royal Consulate General of Denmark in St. Petersburg, and Thomas Janicki, a plenipotentiary representative of the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs for cooperation with the countries of Eastern Europe, believe the possible solutions may include diversification of energy balance, transition to cogeneration (the combined production of electric energy and heat), decentralization of energy supply system and changes in city planning. Complex realization of these solutions guarantees transformation of the city into a city that generates resources to meet its own needs. Eduard Boze, a CSR “North-West” expert noted, that a considerable number of technologies that enable the transformation are already at the commercialization stage (or are close to achieving it): wind and solar energy, smart house, eco-building, hybrid automobiles, lighting and heat insulation technologies, tri-gen.
The key issue for Russia is whether Russian cities would be incorporated into the “new energy” technologies mainstream. What are the prerequisites for the process? Andrei Chistovich, Director of Research and Project institute for prospective energetic systems and Alexey Ponomarev, Director of Interdepartmental Analytical Center, noted that there was a number of barriers to prompt improvement of the energy supply system in Russia, like long time taken to complete energy infrastructure building projects and to make changes in the regulatory framework, lack of comprehensive environmental state policy and municipal initiatives in this sphere, inability of existing corporate structure of the sector to solve problems of this kind.
Experts who have participated in the «Future Cities: Between Architecture and Development» session believe one of the key factors that would influence transformation of cities in the next 10-15 years is the entrance of the new generation of urban residents on labor markets, real estate markets and consumer markets. Living strategy of people born in early 1980s and possessing new system of values is based on the opportunities for free self-realization in creative and intellectual activities. “New generation of urban residents formulates new requirements for the city — amenities of modern live, access to information and opportunities for data transmission, round-the-clock operation of city center, flexible organization of working time and space, says Svetlana Sokhatskaya, Director of the Staffing Solutions Department of Kelly Services SIS.
Victoria Zheltova, Head of Research Projects Department of the CSR“North-West says that another two factors that affect the city's image are the transition to the post-corporate economy and the accompanying growth of the creative class as well as emergence of new technological opportunities for renovation of urban infrastructures. “It means that historically formed centers and specially created spaces become the main resources for development of the city. Change of values and transition to the so called “smart consumption” opens the possibility of application of “smart networks” in the spheres of transport and energy — a remote prospect for Russian cities but quite a realistic one for western cities”.
The combination of the abovementioned factors poses a number of challenges for Russian cities that require immediate response, noted Victoria Zheltova. Among the risks is the outflow of population from cities that are regarded as “uncontemporary” by active generation, have slow economic development rates and extraordinary energy intensity.
Western experts spoke about solutions used by European countries to improve the comfort of their cities. The report presented by William Elliot, Consul General of the British Consulate General in St. Petersburg, was dedicated to the experience of revitalization of urban areas in the UK. The main criteria used to select projects for revitalization of urban areas include provision of flexible planning, diversity of functions and high efficiency of projects for city economy — capitalization of the city's territory and labor market, creation of “green” infrastructures and buildings. Soren Svare, Head of the ARUP Representative Office in St. Petersburg, noted that approaches to realization of such projects used in Russia differ greatly from those used in Europe. The main concern in Russia is commercial profitability of the project rather than its “sustainability” for the investor and the city. Another problem is the necessity of finding new instruments for cooperation between authorities and developers.
The entrance of the new generation of consumers impacts not only the city's image but also the situation on the healthcare industry market. In his report presented at the section «Healthcare Industry: Medical Services and Healthy Lifestyle — or Something Bigger?» Regional Director for Siemens Health Service Department (North-West) Eugene Gorodny noted that for the predominant number of consumers the value of health had increased and that healthcare priorities were being replaced by health preservation priorities and companies operating in the health care market take this into account.
Medical equipment designers, pharmaceutics, biotechnologists, traditional medical institutions, wellness and fitness companies have developed a considerable number of technologic solutions for health preservation. Some of these solutions were described in the reports made by Eugene Shlyakhto, Director Federal State Enterprise Almazov Centre of Blood, Heart and Endocrinology, and Georgy Afanasiev, Head of the Expert Club of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Experts from Denmark and Finland spoke about issues that have a major impact on healthcare and medical services markets. Ilpo Curonen, Program Director of Health & Wellbeing National Cluster Program, Kuopio Innovation Ltd., and Jens W. Sorensen, Consul General of the Royal Consulate General of Denmark in St. Petersburg stressed such factors as ageing of population, sedentary lifestyle, intensification of globalization and increase in population mobility.
At the same time, Russia has its own specific set of problems, and identification of these problems and determination of the degree of their influence on Russia's health industry is also an important topic for discussion, noted Timur Bestavishvili, General Director of Evolution Sport & SPA Consulting Center.
“The Bureau of the Future” session was met with a great deal interest from experts and has become a new platform for discussions. It presented a wide range of views on the future of cities, summed up issues and challenges facing Russian cities and identified new directions for future discussions.
Thematic session papers
Session 1. «Green City: New Energy, Energy Efficiency»
Moderator: Vladimir Knyaginin, Director, Center for Strategic Research “North-West”
Questions discussed within the session framework:
- What trends are decisive for energetic systems development in Russian cities?
- What technologic solutions would be demanded in the sphere of energy supply?
- What tools are available for government authorities to open new technologic markets in power generation sphere (administrative, market, financial etc.)?
Reports presented at the session:
- Klaus Sorensen, Consul of the Royal Consulate General of Denmark in St. Petersburg. “Energy policy in Denmark (brief resume)”. Russian only
- Thomas Janicki, a plenipotentiary representative of the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs for cooperation with the countries of Eastern Europe — “Assistance to Energy Saving in Residential Sector in Germany”. Russian only
- Eduard Boze, Head of Research Projects Department, Center for Strategic Research “North-West”, “Challenges of New Energy”. Russian only. English is waited.
- Andrei Chistovich, Director, Research and Project institute for prospective enrgetic systems, “Technical Policy for Reconstruction of Acting Boiler Houses in St. Petersburg”.
- Michael Brunman, Engineer, St.Petersburg Research Institute for Energetics, “Integration of Intellectual Management into Electric Environment”.
- Nicolay Pitirimov, Deputy Director, St. Petersburg Industry Support Fund, “A pilot project in energy efficiency: reconstruction of a residential building”.
Partners of the session:
- St. Petersburg Committee for Economic Development of Industrial Policy and Commerce
- Interdepartmental Analytical Center
- St. Petersburg Industry Support Fund
- TETRA ELECTRIC Group of Companies
Session 2: «Future Cities: Between Architecture and Development»
Moderator: Yuri Perelygin, Chairman of the National Guild of City Planners
Questions discussed within the session framework:
- What trends will have an effect on Russian cities transformation during next 10-15 years?
- What technologies will be actual?
- What barriers will impede transformation of cities in Russia?
Reports presented at the session:
- Svetlana Sokhatskaya, Director of the staffing solutions department,
Kelly Services SIS. “New conditions on labor market — new requirements for the city”. Russian only
- Raija-Leena Ahtola-Marks, Program Director, Ecological Housing National Cluster Program, Culminatum, “A competitive city: interaction of society and environment”
- Soren Svare, Head of Representative Office, Ove Arup & Partners International Limited (ARUP),”Urban development technologies: best practice”.
- William Elliott, Consul General of the British Consulate General, St. Petersburg, “Revitalization of urban areas: the British urban experience”.
- Victoria Zheltova, Head of Research Projects Department, Center for Strategic Research “North-West”, “Current challenges facing the development of Russian cities”. Russian only. English is waited
- Daniyar Yusupov, Chief Architect, U-lab. “New approaches and technologies in urban planning”. Russian only
Partners of the session:
- Non-profit Enterprise Guild of Managers and Developers
Session 3. «Healthcare Industry: Medical Services and Healthy Lifestyle — or Something Bigger ?»
Moderator: Sergey Gradirovsky, Head of Laboratory for Social and Demographic policy, The Higher School of Economics (HSE)
Questions discussed within the session framework:
- What social, economic, technological trends and branches would be related to human health within the next 10-15 years?
- What technological solutions would be demanded in the sphere of health preservation?
- What is the perspective for creation of new markets for health technologies in Russia (St. Petersburg)?
Reports presented at the session:
- Ilpo Kuronen, Program Director, Health & Wellbeing National Cluster Program, Kuopio Innovation Ltd. — “The health Industry in Finland: a view into the future”.
- Jens W. Sorensen, Consul General, Royal Consulate General of Denmark in St. Petersburg — “Cluster of health technologies: «Medicon Valley» (Denmark, Sweden). Russian only
- Andrey Ovchinnikov, Head of Scientific and Educational Programs Center, Hospital ¹ 122 n.a. L. G. Sokolov — “Challenges confronting the orthodox medicine: demand for human resources and technologies”. Russian only
- Timur Bestavishvili, General Director, Evolution Sport & SPA Consulting Center — “The future of the health care and beauty markets (opinion of representatives of fitness/wellness)”.
- Eugene Gorodny, Regional director for Health service department (North-West), Siemens — “Health care industry: from mass approach to personification (basis for design of equipment)”. Russian only
- Georgy Afanasiev, Head, Expert Club of the Ministry of Industry and Trade — “Results of the foresight for pharmaceutics”. Russian only
- Eugene Shlyakhto, Director, Federal State Enterprise Almazov Centre of Blood, Heart and Endocrinology. “New medical technologies — the basis of the medicine of the future”.
- Anatoly Prokhorov, Art Director, Animation project «Smeshariki». “What do we say, when we say «Health»?”
- Vladimir Brunman, President, Fund for Health service «Via Lactea». “A pilot project: Informational and Analytical System «healthy generation».
Partners of the session:
- Evolution Sport & SPA Consulting Center
- The Higher School of Economics
- Expert Club of the Ministry of Industry and Trade
Project coordinator: Marina Lipetskaya
Phone and fax: +7 812 380 0320, 380 0321
E-mail: marilip@csr-nw.ru
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