National innovation forum ``orward, Russia`` to open in Skolkovo.

MOSCOW, December 13 (Itar-Tass) -- The all-Russian innovation forum
"Forward, Russia!" will open at the Moscow School of Management in
Skolkovo on Monday. The name of the forum sets the mood and justifies
itself fully. For the next two days the participants in the forum will
discuss major projects for modernization and innovative development of the
country and will select the best young inventors, which will receive one
million roubles each for their projects.
"In the spring of 2009 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev launched the
process of modernization and innovative development of our country," a
source in the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, which is one of the forum
organizers, told Itar-Tass. "Today the first results of the progress to a
new economy can be summed up, the development of some projects can be
estimated and new guidelines can be set for joint actions of the state
authorities, business and regions," the source said. Scientists,
engineers, investors are invited to discuss these issues at the
all-Russian innovation forum "Forward, Russia!" They put into practice the
modernization goals and engaged in the innovative activities.
A plenary meeting devoted to a long-term strategy of Russia's
modernization in Skolkovo will open the forum. The Skolkovo innovation
center is associated with a symbol of the modernization process in Russia.
Specifically, the forum will give a symbolic start to the work of the
innovation center, and the major partners of the Skolkovo Foundation will
present their investment programs in the project. The presentation of the
routes to get to Skolkovo will be held on Monday.
The 3rd all-Russian Youth Innovation Convent will be held for young
specialists at the forum. The convent is held as a professional event
aimed at the personnel education, particularly for the Skolkovo innovation
center. An awarding ceremony of the Zvorykin National Prize in Innovations
will highlight the convent, which brings together already more than 23,000
participants. This year the prize will be awarded in three nominations:
the best innovation idea, the best innovation project and the best
innovation product, as well as in five special nominations, including
nuclear technologies, space technologies and telecommunications, energy
efficiency and resource saving, medical technologies and pharmaceuticals,
and computer technologies.
The winners of three projects in the main nominations will receive a
million roubles each and the best projects in special nominations will be
the first residents of the Skolkovo innovation center.
The Federal Agency for Youth Affairs also noted that the Commission
for Modernization and Technological Development of Russian Economy will
hold a meeting at the forum. "The commission meeting will be held behind
closed doors, the most active participants in the forum will be invited
for the meeting to get a unique opportunity of the direct dialogue with
the Russian president and the commission members," the source said.
First deputy chief of the Russian presidential executive office
Vladislav Surkov, Russian presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich, president
of the Skolkovo Foundation Viktor Vekselberg and the members of the
Commission for Modernization and Technological Development of Russian
Economy are expected to participate in the forum.

.SKorea fishing vessel with Russian crewman sinks in Southern Ocean.

TOKYO, December 13 (Itar-Tass) -- A Russian citizen was aboard a South
Korean fishing vessel, which sank in the Southern Ocean 2,500 kilometers
south of New Zealand on Monday. Five people from the ship sank, 17 people
were reported missing, sources in the South Korean Foreign Ministry and
the Coast Guard reported in Seoul on Monday. Two South Korean citizens,
two Indonesian citizens and a Vietnamese citizen sank.
The fishing vessel with a water displacement of 614 tonnes that sank
at about 4.30 a.m. Seoul time was carrying 42 people, including eight
South Korean citizens, eight Chinese citizens, 11 Indonesian citizens, 11
Vietnamese citizens, three Philippine citizens and a Russian citizen.
Another fishing vessel saved 20 crewmen from the sunken fishing ship.
Two New Zealand and three South Korean vessels are searching for missing
people. New Zealand is planning to dispatch an airplane to the search
area. The airplane will need at least eight hours to get to the tragedy
site. The water temperature in the incident area is two degrees above
zero. The man can stay alive in such cold water for not more than ten
minutes, experts said.
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