On January 20, 2012 a Round table on the results of the competition “Best Practice Project for Open Youth Innovation Prototyping Center” was held within the framework of the Gaidar forum.
The Round table was attended by Natalia Larionova, Director of Department of Small and Medium Business of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Ivan Bortnik, Executive Director of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia, Alexander Povalko, Deputy Head of Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, I. Yakovlev, Deputy Head of “Social projects” of Development Department “Strategic Initiative Agency”, as well as the winners and laureates of the Competition, overseas FabLab system internship participants from Rosmolodezh.
The Round table was devoted to several issues: plans on financing innovation prototyping centers in Russian regions and further training of the competition’s winners, and also the issue related to the second competition of prototyping center projects.
Natalia Larionova noted that the programme of innovation prototyping centers is a unique one. The most important thing in it is not equipment, not infrastructure, but the team… Projects of the centers are projects of enthusiasts, companions. The association of these centers should be formed immediately. Funding of prototyping centers will be through the Ministry of Economic Development under the regional co-financing.
“We will create centers for training leaders. If innovators are ready and want to do something, we will render our assistance”, - said I. Yakovlev, representative of ASI.
Experts from Krasnoyarsk and St.-Petersburg who undertook internship in Chicago and Barcelona told about details of opening of youth prototyping center network, its variation from FabLab, and possible FabLab payoff scheme. The participants of internship brought “crafts” created in FabLab. A self-opening box, designed “without preparation”, i.e. without special education was of most interest. This is the hallmark of FabLab.
In Kazan, the Youth Innovation Prototyping Center is being created on the basis of Nanotechnology Center “Idea” with the support of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia. It will be another project uniting the youth in the development of new competences.
The Innovation Prototyping Center will be focused on training of schoolchildren and students, holding of various competitions and contests, as well as development of 3-D prototype models of new items for research and development.
The following multiple access centers are already functioned on the basis of Technopark “Idea”: Laser Center of the Republic of Tatarstan since 2009 and LEGO Construction and Robotics Center since 2010.
There are “Station of young technicians” (Almetyevsk) and “Children’s Creativity Center” in Zelenodolsk, Bugulma and others in the Republic.