[SatNews] 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. 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. EADS also intends to investigate the possible participation in programs 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 programs 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 programs 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.