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The international telecommunications company Orange Business Services is launching the Orange Fab Startup Accelerator and its own Client Innovation Center in Skolkovo. The partnership agreement will be signed on October 22 within the framework of the VIII "Open Innovations" International Forum.

The Orange Fab global network includes 16 accelerators on four continents, more than 400 startups have already passed through their programs. The priority areas for participation in acceleration programs are artificial intelligence, big data analytics, Internet of things, next-generation network technologies, and promising cloud technologies.

The press conference on signing of the agreement will bring together Richard van Wageningen, Senior Vice President of IMEAR (Russia, Middle East and Africa), Orange Business Services, Paluca Cousson-Postoarca, Head of Innovation, Orange Business Services, Pascal Latouche, Coordinator of Orange Fab Accelerator Network, Vitaly Shtyrkin, Investment and Innovation Director, Russia-CIS, Orange Business Services, Konstantin Parshin, Vice President, Executive Director of IT Cluster, Skolkovo Foundation.

Konstantin Parshin, Vice President, Executive Director of IT Cluster, Skolkovo Foundation: “To us Orange with its wide network of partners and corporate clients all over the world is a serious strategic partner, both like-minded and pursuing similar goals. The launch of the global startup accelerator Orange Fab in Skolkovo offers innovative Russian companies a whole new range of possibilities to enter international markets. Among other things, our startups will be able to participate in the Orange Innovation Center, creating high-tech and competitive solutions for large business.”

Richard van Wageningen, Senior Vice President of IMEAR (Russia, Middle East and Africa), Orange Business Services: “The Skolkovo Innovation Center is the center of gravity for all technological startups in Russia, and we see great potential in our partnership. It will help Russian Orange Fab to become a successful platform, specializing in technological b2b-startups. When launching the process we shall draw on our experience in various regions and our contacts with large corporate clients operating in Russia. Worldwide practices of the Fab network, operating in four different continents, show that over 50% of startups after acceleration continue commercial partnership with Orange”.

The VIII International Open Innovations Forum will be held in Skolkovo Technopark between 21 and 23 October. The Forum's topic in 2019 is “Digital Nation. Leap Forward to Intelligent Economy”.

The co-organizers of the Forum are The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, The Government of Moscow, Skolkovo Foundation, Russian Venture Company (RVC), The Fund for Infrastructure and Educational Programs, The Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (FASIE), State Development Corporation VEB.RF.