TechnoVostok 2030: The implementation of Russia's technological leadership projects was discussed at FEFU

The Far Eastern Federal University was the venue for the in-person selection for the pilot accelerator and investment programme “TechnoVostok 2030,” targeted at finding, supporting, and developing innovative projects within the Far Eastern Federal District. The participants of the business programme presented their startups to experts of the state development corporation VEB.RF and the Skolkovo Foundation and learned about opportunities for technology business in Primorsky Krai.

The TechnoVostok programme is the largest initiative in the country for the development of technopreneurship in the Far East regions. It brings together startups, investors, corporations and state development institutions with a special focus on supporting veterans and participants of special military operation who develop innovative solutions. The main task of the accelerator is to become a driving force of the region's innovative potential and an assistant in introducing advanced technologies to the economy. These measures will create conditions for sustainable technological company growth and development of the macroregion's human resources potential, as well as form a sustainable ecosystem.

The pilot programme includes educational and business events involving leading experts. Participants will be able to attend mentoring sessions with successful entrepreneurs and investors, visit an innovative projects exhibition, and participate in networking with industrial corporations. During the programme, 50 best projects will be selected to qualify for up to 10 million rubles in grant support.

The programme launch at FEFU was attended by 90 entrepreneurs and 35 university teams, including 28 representing FEFU. In three sections — university, entrepreneurial, and implementation — they presented projects in various fields, ranging from applications, computer programs, and AI solutions to simplify business processes to bioreactors and membrane distillation systems. The results of the pilot program “TechnoVostok 2030” are planned to be summed up at the X Eastern Economic Forum in 2025.

As of today, the region's level of innovation activity is still 1.5% behind the national average. Nevertheless, a new technological development ecosystem is emerging, in which infrastructure development and creation of favorable conditions for business play a key role.

“The higher education system is not only keeping up with the industry's needs, but also entering a new logic — co-designing the contours of new industries, along with business partners. FEFU is already implementing more than 200 educational programs in the fields of Russia's technological sovereignty, such as: “Artificial Intelligence and Big Data” in cooperation with Sberbank, ‘Materials Science and Materials Properties Management’ with MEPhI University, ‘Digital Laser Technologies, Fiber Optic Networks’ with the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. A total of 5,160 students are studying in these programmes, and more than 1,600 people are undergoing similar vocational training programmes. Over the last five years, enrollment in these programmes has increased by 30% and we are confident that this number will only grow based on the market and government demands,” said Boris Korobets, President of FEFU.

Priority development areas are defined by the region and the city together with FEFU and include promising areas: bioeconomy, biomedicine, shipbuilding, underwater robotics, new materials, chemistry, and artificial intelligence. Currently, the university participates in seven out of nine National Technological Leadership Projects (NTLP), and two of them are listed as co-executors: NTLP “New Materials and Chemistry” and NTLP “Bioeconomy”.

“Our region's economy historically was not focused on scientific and technological development; we were more about quality service and the service sector. However, in recent years, young people have been changing the rules of the game by developing entrepreneurship and participating in development programmes. The success of Primorye's technological development relies on the effective interaction of all process participants: government, business, and scientific community. With the right approach, the region has every chance to become one of the leading technological development centers in Russia,” said Nikolay Stetsko, Deputy Chairman of the Primorsky Krai Government.

Programmes to support scientific developers are being actively developed in Primorye. Thus, this year alone, more than 700 million rubles have been allocated for the development of innovative projects. Entrepreneurs can receive financial assistance for R&D, pilot launches, production modernization, and the introduction of energy-saving technologies. The region's investment climate is significantly improving thanks to special economic regimes. The Free Port of Vladivostok offers tax rates from 1 to 5%, and the Primorsky Start program provides support for initiatives up to 3 million rubles. Moreover, there are programs to support scientific personnel via scholarships, co-financing of projects, and offset contracts — when the state commits to providing a young enterprise with orders for the next several years.

Successful examples already demonstrate the region's potential. Of particular importance are the creation of the "Russky" Innovation Science and Technology Centre (INTC) and the implementation of the Kurchatov Institute project with a megascience-class facility on the FEFU campus.

“Recently, we have seen a significant increase in the activity of the entrepreneurial community. The Vladivostok administration is receiving a lot of requests from companies proposing projects to phase out imports, which is especially important for our country in the current conditions. As part of preparations for the Eastern Economic Forum, we have planned a large-scale environmental campaign — planting a large number of trees. The special feature of this project is the use of innovative fertilizers developed by our technological entrepreneurs. The construction of the most promising project of our Vladivostok Master Plan — the light metro — can't be done without the participation of the startup community,” said Konstantin Shestakov, the Mayor of Vladivostok.

The Far Eastern Federal University at the end of 2024 has been included in the list of 38 universities that will play a key role in providing human resources and scientific and technological support for national technological leadership projects. In 2025, a special expert council created by the Russian government approved the FEFU Development Strategy up to 2036 as an engineering university.