ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to analyse the initial success of the Skolkovo project a decade after it started. At first glance, this may seem premature; however, on reflection, the analysis of Skolkovo is interesting for a broad policy and academic audience as well for Skolkovo’s managers. Learning by doing and learning from failure are widely recognised in the literature as important dimensions for succeeding in organisational innovation. Skolkovo is described here as a kind of hybrid between a science town and science and technology park.
Skolkovo was created by senior state officials as a new kind of innovation hub to try to support first movers in five industrial sectors of strategic importance to Russia (Stage 1 of the three-stage growth model). At the same time, Skolkovo has aimed from the outset to build international links (Stage 3). These international links encompass creating partnerships with multinational enterprises and educational links (e.g. between MIT in the United States and Skoltech). It encapsulates the latest, most visibly international stage in Russia’s STI policy, yet the extent of international linkages remains, thus far, quite limited.
