WASHINGTON, D.C., October 8, 2013 — A total of 87 applicants from more than 30 cities across Russia sought to land one of just three residency openings in the U.S.-Russia Innovation Corridor (USRIC), a collaborative innovation initiative led by American Councils for International Education. Of the 12 finalists selected for interviews, two startups and one university technology transfer office will take on a renewable three-month residency in USRIC.
Through USRIC, the residents will collaborate with U.S. partners and develop new markets, using the resources of the Maryland International Incubator (MI2) housed at the University of Maryland at College Park (UMD).
The three residents were selected based on their innovative footprints in their respective industries and university entrepreneurial ecosystems:
- Enzymer is a hardware and software system that monitors the enzymatic activity of microorganisms; a project born at the Northern Arctic Federal University in Arkhangelsk. Led by graduate student Elena Khalina, the project aims to increase the cleansing and processing efficiency of wastewater treatment.
- National Mineral Resources University in St. Petersburg will deepen U.S. contacts and cooperate with partners in the mining and energy sectors. To date, the university has established several startups in Russia in the area of mining technology.
- Magru is a Moscow-based e-publishing service that puts authors in control of copyright with direct sales to readers. Founded by entrepreneurs Stanislav Lagun and Dmitry Rudchenko, the startup was a 2012 finalist at MassChallenge— the world’s largest accelerator program and startup competition.
Beyond providing services in business development for the residents, the U.S.-Russia Innovation Corridor aims to advance U.S.-Russia collaborations and build case studies about accelerating research-to-market technologies.
Furthering its commitment to global innovation, the University of Maryland will host five startups from the University of Nizhny Novgorod (October 16-26, 2013) to deepen a region-to-region relationship around innovative technologies. Earlier this year, the two universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen ties in the biomedical industry, and this trip advances their goal of building cooperation within the U.S.-Russia Innovation Corridor.
For more information about USRIC and its new residents, please contact Adrian Erlinger at American Councils, or visit USRIC’s website at www.usric.org.
- About the U.S.-Russia Innovation Corridor
USRIC was formed by American Councils as part of the Enhancing University Research and Entrepreneurial Capacity (EURECA) program. The University of Maryland (UMD) and the University of Nizhny Novgorod (UNN) are founding partners, with cooperation and support from the State of Maryland and the government of the Nizhny Novgorod region. The U.S. Russia Foundation for Economic Advancement and the Rule of Law (USRF) funds the EURECA program, which is administered in the U.S. by American Councils. Visit www.usric.org or follow @usric_en on Twitter for more information on current and future activities.
- About American Councils
American Councils for International Education is a premier, international nonprofit creating educational opportunities that prepare individuals and institutions to succeed in an interconnected and increasingly interdependent world. Through academic exchanges, overseas language immersion, and educational development initiatives, American Councils designs and administers innovative programs that broaden individual perspectives, increase knowledge, deepen mutual understanding, and contribute to successful international collaboration.
