It seems that each developer of a breakthrough technology has decades of study and work under his belt. But many modern innovators are not yet 35 years old, and their inventions are already used in urban clinics, at nuclear power plants and large industries. To invent a robot that will replace a man at dangerous jobs or create an innovative material for bone tissue regeneration - nothing is impossible for young Moscow innovators today. They not only participate in various contests and championships, launch startups, work in technology parks, but also create the high-tech future of the capital. "Moscow has a huge number of talented young people, real innovators. Their inventions are used at large production facilities, in city clinics and even at nuclear power plants. The city always tries to help young inventors. A whole ecosystem for innovators has been created in the capital: the i.moscow platform offers financial support and acceleration programmes. In addition, there are regular championships, competitions and festivals for inventors in the capital. At the same time, we have been supporting young talents since they were at school. There are technical circles and children's technology parks for children, where they acquire their first skills in areas such as IT, VR, aircraft modeling, and cosmonautics. It is possible to continue the way of an inventor and scientist in high-tech companies, for example in SEZ "Technopolis Moscow" and technoparks," said Sergei Sobyanin. Forges for inventors Their first inventions young Muscovites can create, still sitting at the school desk. They can discover their talent in the technical circles of additional education institutions and children's technology parks. Young inventors are offered such in-demand areas as robotics, information technology, virtual and augmented reality technology, Internet of Things, astronautics, auto- and aircraft modeling, geoinformatics, radio electronics. It is possible to pursue a scientific and inventive career in high-tech companies operating in the special economic zone (SEZ) "Technopolis Moscow" and technoparks. There are 52 technoparks in Moscow, including seven priority investment projects for their creation. All conditions for innovative activity have been created for companies at these sites. The residents actively use them, constantly developing and introducing new technologies and products. Ilya Petrov, a 35-year-old mechanical engineer, works in one of these companies, a resident of Elma Technopark. He has created equipment that literally stops time and preserves the freshness of products during their storage, packaging and transportation. Specially selected mixtures of pure gases, such as nitrogen or carbon monoxide, make it possible. In the artificially created atmosphere, milk is packed in tetrapacks and can be stored for months. Other gas mixtures are used for meat and cheese. Products do not spoil for a long time and do not lose their original color. At the same time, these gases are safe for human health and do not affect the taste. "We select the equipment and gas composition, taking into account the physical and chemical characteristics of each product. The slightest inaccuracy can, on the contrary, shorten the shelf life. The technology is suitable for any food production," said Ilya Petrov. The complex assembled at Elma is already in operation at one of the largest dairy plants. It includes several types of units that check the purity of the initial gases, mix them in the right proportions and then feed them into the product packaging line. The company, which operates in the Technopolis Moscow SEZ, produces robots. One of the leading designers of the bureau is 27-year-old Timofey Chibrikin. During his five years at the SEZ, he has participated in the development of 10 inventions, such as a robot to repair the lining of the holding pool at nuclear power plants. "The curing pool is a large stainless steel tank with spent nuclear fuel. Its metal lining sometimes cracks and the radioactive fuel can leak. This is very dangerous. A person can't go down into such a pool even in a protective suit. We invented a robot that searches for defects with ultrasound and repairs cracks with welding equipment. It is already working at operating NPPs," specified the specialist. Scientist and businessman in one person Today to become a successful innovator it is not enough just to create in the laboratory. Every inventor dreams of putting the assembled prototype into production. Therefore, a modern scientist is also a businessman who knows the legal details and can present projects. Young people will learn how to create a working technological business at the "Academy of Innovators". This is a program for beginners in business of Moscow innovation cluster (MIC), people older than 18, who create a startup from scratch, can take part in it. How to register rights to the results of intellectual activity, competently manage finances, launch marketing campaigns and attract investments - all this is explained at the academy. Innovators open and scale businesses, make business connections. Since the academy opened in 2021, they have created and refined hundreds of projects, including a medical education platform for students and young doctors, a hydropanel for water, and nanorobots to treat atherosclerosis and thrombosis. Daudi Dauddin, 24, founder of the startup, was able to find potential partners at the Academy of Innovators. Together with a team of young scientists, he developed unique components for cosmetic products. He used natural silk silkworms and the web of tarantulas spiders as raw materials. The technique makes it possible to obtain stable forms of peptides: today these ingredients are considered to be some of the most effective and are actively used in skin care products. The young specialist told how the idea to work with such an unusual raw material arose and why it is important for the scientist to consider the market demands. "Once I was in a burn unit and since then I want to help people with tissue damage. At first I started working on biodegradable patches that accelerated healing. But there were difficulties with certification, and hence problems with investment. So I took only the component itself, without the patch. No one but our startup produces spider and silkworm proteins. Foreign analogs, on the other hand, are not as effective. We have learned how to stabilize these proteins: we keep them in active form and make a combination that stimulates specific cellular processes in the tissue responsible for accelerated healing," Daudi Dauddin specified. The IIC helped the startup enter the biomedical cluster in the capital, where the developers were given the opportunity to conduct hypoallergenic studies. The inventors have plans to launch their own line of innovative care products. Daudi Dauddin emphasizes that investors are not intimidated by his young age: they are looking at the project itself and its business competences. The startup has already received funding. Competitions, prizes and festivals: where to showcase the capital's scientists Moscow offers young scientists and inventors the opportunity to make themselves known. Championships, competitions and festivals for inventors regularly take place in the capital. For example, at the championship on technological entrepreneurship "Technoleaders of Moscow" the most promising projects are helped to enter the Russian and international markets. The project was created last year to popularize science and engineering among young people (from 13 to 23 years old). At the contests of the Moscow Innovation Agency, high-tech solutions are searched for and developed, and participated in their implementation. This year, three such contests have already taken place - on assistive technologies, drones and food of the future. The Moscow Innovator prize is awarded to the developers whose inventions and solutions are aimed at improving the quality of life of the city inhabitants. In addition, the agency has a program of pilot testing of innovative solutions. Within its framework, companies test developments at city and commercial sites. The most promising young inventors are singled out. Back in 2013, the capital established the Moscow Government Prize for young scientists. The award is given for outstanding results in fundamental and applied research in the field of natural, technical and humanitarian sciences. It is also awarded for the development and implementation of new technologies, techniques, devices, equipment, materials and substances that contribute to improving the efficiency of activities in the real sector of the economy and the social sphere of Moscow. The 33-year-old candidate of medical sciences Ilya Bozo became the winner of the prize for 2022. His company is a resident of the Skolkovo Technopark. In collaboration with the Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Material Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Human Stem Cells the specialist created an innovative material with genotherapeutic effect for bone tissue regeneration. The technology made it possible to combine biocompatible matrices with gene constructs - plasmid DNA molecules carrying therapeutic genes. "In essence, this is a local variant of gene therapy. The product can be used in the treatment of patients with skeletal bone damage, with bone atrophy of the jaws. Analogues of our development are intended for bone grafting, bone tissue augmentation, but do not stimulate regeneration. Our product contains a biologically active substance, which is a medication", - shared the scientist. The material is already being used in private dental clinics and in municipal clinics such as Polyclinic No. 4. The developer added that the development of the project was facilitated, among other things, by state and city support. In addition to the prize of the Government of Moscow, Ilya Bozo and his company received funding under the programs of the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises in Science and Technology ("Start-1", "Business Start") and micro grants from the "Skolkovo" Foundation. "Thanks to such serious support it is easier to attract investors. They see that the project has passed the examination and received the budget money, which means it is recognized as promising," explained Ilya Bozo. Applications for Moscow government award 2023 are accepted till July 17. Participation is open to researchers and developers - graduate students, researchers, professionals, candidates of science - up to 35 years old inclusive, doctors of science - up to 40 years old inclusive. Applications are accepted on the prize page. ___________________________________________________ Press service of the SEZ Technopolis Moscow Phone: +7 916 516-15-46 Mail: pr@technomoscow.ru [ mailto:pr@technomoscow.ru ] Subscribe to the SEZ "Technopolis Moscow" in social networks, follow the main news of the SEZ in telegram-channel [ https://t.me/technopolismoscow ] and receive all the most important news delivered to your mail in our weekly newsletter [ http://events.technomoscow.ru/subscribe/?utm_source=site_technomoscow ] .
