Jean Botti, Chief Technical Officer of EADS, and Viktor Vekselberg, Executive President of the Skolkovo Foundation, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on research collaboration. The agreement underlines the intention of EADS to participate in the Russia-based Skolkovo Innovation Centre, a high technology business hub to be built in the Moscow region. The MoU was signed on Wednesday in Paris. According to the MoU, EADS will establish a centre that will conduct research in the areas of: aerospace technology, including telecommunications and navigation; efficient energy technologies; information technology. The Centre will also collaborate with the Skolkovo Institute of Technology and other Russian scientific institutions in order to identify technologies and competences of mutual interest.

Jean Botti, EADS Chief Technical Officer, said “I am very pleased to sign this cooperation agreement with Skolkovo. Establishing relationships with esteemed groups like Skolkovo is part of EADS’ long-term strategy to build a global integrated research capability to meet the demanding needs of our customers” Viktor Vekselberg, Executive President of the Skolkovo Foundation stated: “The partnership with EADS allows us to do a strategic outlook on the space technology cluster which is to be set up at Skolkovo. The Russian United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) will play a leading role in this project from the Russian side. In UAC’s innovation programme projects for a joint research centre in Skolkovo are foreseen.

EADS also intends to investigate the possible participation in programmes to support the development of Russian start-up companies in relevant areas. Based on its long-standing experience, EADS intends to support development of educational programmes in technology of the “Skolkovo Institute of Technology” and also to provide advisory services to the Skolkovo Foundation in respect to establishing internal regulations, corporate solutions and governance, technical support, security and IP rights.

The EADS research centre will be a branch of the Russian Technology Office (RTO) which has been established in 2003 as a part of EADS Innovation Works to facilitate cooperation with the Russian research and development community. Since its opening, the RTO has already managed more than 100 cooperative research and technology programmes between EADS and Russian institutions with a focus on advanced engineering tools.

EADS Innovation Works is the corporate research network of EADS. It operates the corporate Research and Technology (R&T) laboratories that promote the Group’s technical innovation potential with a focus on long-term research. EADS Innovation Works have two main sites in Munich and Paris and employ over 700 people including doctorates and university interns. Proximity centres are maintained in Getafe, Spain and Newport, U.K, Toulouse, Nantes and Hamburg to support the knowledge transfer to business units in these locations. EADS Innovation Works also operates R&T centres in Moscow, Singapore and Bengaluru, India.

Source: EADS press release