October 20, 2016
American-Russian Business Relations Keep Warm in Minnesota
In spite of an unfavorable political climate, American-Russian conversations continued in Minnesota through a business and innovation forum at the 2nd Annual Conference hosted by the American-Russian Chamber of Commerce of Minnesota in coordination with the Minnesota Trade Office last week, October 3 -5.
“The goal of ARCCoM is to create pathways for businesses to form partnerships,” said Chairman Anatoli Korkin. “The three-day event brought in a variety of guests from a variety of backgrounds that I believe will be beneficial for each other down the road.”
Guests heard from Alexander Stadnik, Trade Representative of Russia, who forecasted a positive outlook on American businesses continuing in Russia despite sanctions. “Russia does business with countries all around the world including Latin America and China,” he remarked. “It’s a good idea for American businesses to stay inside Russia if they want to remain competitive once sanctions are repealed in years to come.”
Representatives from Russia’s “Silicon Valley” known as Skolkovo brought with them science and research analysts working with software and biomedical technology. Kirill Bulatov, Vice-President of Grants and Expertise, said Skolkovo is a place to live and work. US industry giants such as Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, General Electric, Boeing and Honeywell are already key partners.
“We are actively looking for innovative entrepreneurs and inventors who would be a good fit for Skolkovo,” Bulatov said.
Galiullin highlighted the region’s goals for 2030 to “form and accumulate human capital, create public institutions which demand human capital, and create a comfortable environment for human capital development.”
ARCCoM hosted an in-depth workshop on Monday, October 3 at the University of St. Thomas where members and guests heard from American and Russian experts in the fields of US patents, life sciences, education, and the venture industry in America.
On Tuesday, October 4, the Minnesota Trade Office conducted an all-day business event “International Business and Innovation Forum: Gateway to Eastern Europe and Central Asia.” The MTO coordinated two panels, discussing Trade and Innovation.