Manufacturer of SUKHOI SUPERJET engines takes startups under its wing

In 2015, Saturn started to use new tools of “open innovations” and launched a corporate acceleration pilot program as a part of GenerationS. As the program went on they were looking for and training promising startups. Now Saturn is working on putting the interesting solutions into serial production.

"We are working on the global commercial market dominated by such giants as General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, – says Dmitry Ivanov, Director of Innovation Development at Saturn. – One of the ways to stay competitive in gas-turbine construction is to involve the innovation market resources and cooperate with startups. For us, participating in GenerationS-2015 means creating a network of innovation teams around the company. Now we are negotiating implementation and control purchase with three graduates of GenerationS-2015. First, we can offer a testing platform where the authors could put finishing touches to their solutions considering the experience of our technologists and designers. Second, we may start direct purchases if we certify the startup products. Third, we will maintain these projects to encourage their new prototypes and to create conditions that eliminate technological risks".

For the Moscow Semat company (manufacturer of machine tools for multi-coordinate electrochemical machining), Saturn has prepared technical specifications for the upgrade of the company’s electrochemical equipment. They are getting ready to carry out contest procedures. According to the results of modernization of the pre-production machine model they will make a decision about the renewal of the whole fleet of machinery. The total amount of the possible contract is as much as 200 million roubles.

ABL Novosibirsk Company (stand for fuel injector diagnostics) has passed RVC Seed Fund expertise and is recommended for financing to the Civil Technologies of Military and Industrial Complex Fund (RVC and Rostech Joint Fund). Under the terms of a possible deal, Saturn guarantees the purchase of the startup’s first pre-production model when it reaches the design parameters. In its turn, the Fund ensures financing of the first pre-production model. The amount of the deal is about 10 million roubles.

Samara’s Royal Carbon Company (manufactures polymer composite items) has been given by Saturn a technical specification to produce a pre-production model. The elaboration of technical documentation and the creation of the pre-production model are to be financed by the Fund for Promoting the Development of Small Businesses engaged in Science and Technology. Following the procedure of the control purchase and passing all necessary tests and contest procedures, it is possible for the company to close a deal for a serial delivery of the part for a Saturn product.

Gyulnara Bikkulova, RVC Executive Board Member, Supervising Director of the GenerationS Startup Accelerator, adds that the GenerationS-2015 key objective is to establish cooperation between big business and technology startups: "Saturn has selected a few promising projects out of the accelerator participants for further work and I hope that as early as in a few months we will see the fruits of their labour. We believe that such “windfalls” and potential deals are the most effective results of GenerationS work. Already today Saturn is one of the most advanced corporations in Russia. I hope that in a couple of years due to the GenerationS impulse there will appear in Rybinsk a whole innovation cluster where the new generation of young technology entrepreneurs will be raising global industrial companies".

GenerationS-2015 operates along seven industrial fields: modern power generation technologies (Power&Energy), new oil and gas technologies (Oil&Gas), «smart» city and town planning technologies (SmartCity), production automation and robotics (Robotics), telecommunications technologies (Telecom Idea), aerospace technologies (Aerospace), medicine and biotechnologies (BiotechMed). In 2015, RVC transformed GenerationS into a line of branch corporate accelerators with a view to aiding large companies establishing cooperation with small businesses. GenerationS operates in close cooperation with the following corporations: «RusHydro» Group, KES Holding , «MOESK», OJSC, «Energy without Borders» Fund, «MTS» Public Company, «Sberbank Technologies», CJSC, «Saturn» Science and Production Company , Rocket and Space Corporation «Energia» named after S.Korolev, «MORTON» state company, RОО «Russian Technical Company», «Tatneftekhiminvest Holding» OJSC, Johnson&Johnson, Farmcontract State Company, Consumer Corporation «Sibbiofarm». The corporations work closely in the selection and expertise of the projects and the acceleration of GenerationS startup contestants, bearing in mind from their own needs for innovation projects. With the support of RVC and other members of the market, the corporations implement pilot projects for work with technology startups for accomplishing innovation development programs, working out a flexible innovation policy, business development, creating new products and entering new markets.