The aim of the public hearings was to attract attention to the problems which interfere with the creation of such a center in Tomsk.

The First Deputy Governor of Tomsk Region Oksana Kozlovskaya indicated in her report that the concept of such a center, developed by the regional government together with hired outsourcing consultants, must be acknowledged and accepted by the Tomsk community and turned into a real project. In the government’s opinion, development of the project is hindered by a lack of infrastructure, poorly developed social environment, low Tomsk transport accessibility, and the unfavorable geographical location and climate. The answer to these problems requires high-quality human resources, comfortable living conditions, as well as commensurate infrastructure and architecture.

The stated issues and problems will be up for debate at the XIIIth Tomsk Innovation Forum during panel discussions and roundtables.

Based on the results of the hearings of the Public Chamber, a range of recommendations has been conceived which will refine Tomsk Region’s strategy for development until 2020, develop and adopt Tomsk Region’s innovation strategy until 2020, and create a federal innovation and investment center for commercializing competitive innovative technologies as a part of the Tomsk Region’s special economic zone.