Virtual Skolkovo is an online community that aims to boost entrepreneurship and innovation in Russia. It was initially a small project in 2012 but has since grown, with over 22,000 members as of August 2012. The community consists mainly of entrepreneurs, scientists, and students. Virtual Skolkovo provides services like networking, expertise sharing, and assistance applying for grants/jobs. It tracks key performance indicators like daily user contributions to measure engagement over time. The presentation recommends focusing on champion users and developing Virtual Skolkovo as a nationwide platform to better connect Russia's dispersed innovation communities.

1. VIRTUAL
SKOLKOVO

2. Introduction
This presentation follows the ideology developed by Cisco IBSG for Virtual
Skolkovo during March-December 2011.
Although everyday life introduces tactical refinements and shifts, the key
perceptions suggested by Cisco IBSG remain unchanged.
Namely:
• Entrepreneur life cycle boost
• Education for excellence differentiation
• Russia promotion as an investment & growth territory
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3. History and the Team of Virtual Skolkovo (VSk)
Initially Virtual Skolkovo was a project to develop online
services (only 1 coordinator)
In May 2012 the Virtual Skolkovo unit was created
(4 people, IM-skilled) to develop and animate strong
community of users of online services
3

4. What is Virtual Skolkovo
Virtual Skolkovo is an online community of people who
share values of innovation
Entrepreneurial engineers are the audience of Virtual
Skolkovo
The key value for the Virtual Skolkovo
audience is personal growth. They
consider development of their business
as a component of personal growth
Source: Research by Witology, August 2012

5. Virtual Skolkovo community analytics
48
1.Entrepreneur % 18% 11%
2.Professor or Female English
Scientist
3.Corporate partner Rol
4.Student or es
Postgraduate
5.Supplier/Vendor
13 12
6.Company/Organis % % 9
ation % 5 5 4
7.Other % % %
3 1 82% 89%
9. %
Journalist
% Male Russian
8.Investor 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9.
Startup Genome: entrepreneur's
Согласно
age 26-28 y.o.
Startup
предприним
а
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63
64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75
Total: 22 000 members 5

6. Functions of Virtual Skolkovo
Funnel of startups. Brings talents to Skolkovo
Network. Facilitates exchange and development of
competencies and ideas
Services. Allows efficient and effective problem solving for
community members (evaluating projects, forming
teams, developing collaboration with industry, etc.)
To achieve their goals community members are looking
for:
- contacts
- competencies
- expertise
- funding

7. VSk’s competitive advantage is in the unique blend of
services, that potentially could be even larger
• Application for membership in the Skolkovo Innovation • «Skolkovopedia»
Center • Social elements (likes, sharings, etc.)
• Application for a grant from the Skolkovo Foundation • Calendar of events
• Application for a job in a startup • OpUS – archive (lectures, courses etc.), video,
• Advisor blog for startups handouts, live broadcasting
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8. Growth of VSk community user base is closely
correlated with the growth of returning users

9. For monitoring and analysis of activity within VSk community the list
of KPIs was developed
The contributions per day report displays the total number of contributions submitted by users each day during the
selected date range. Examples of contributions are: blog post, blog comment, forum post, forum reply, media
upload, media comment, new wiki page, wiki revision, wiki comment, new status message, or a reply to an existing
status message.
Contributions Per Day: 01.09.2012 - 29.11.2012
Blog items Forum items Media items Wiki Tot
items al
30
0
27
0
24
0
21
0
18
0
15
0
12
0
90
60
30
0 Sep 01, 2012 Sep 23, 2012 Oct 16, 2012 Nov 7, 2012 Nov 29,
2012
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10. Through the analysis it’s possible to learn more about user-
base taxonomy and target audience
Few champions
Low connectivity

11. Virtual Skolkovo could become a nation-wide platform
that unites dispersed communities of students,
entrepreneurs and scientists from around Russia
We made the empirical research, which showed the following results:
1. Geographically the professionals in Russia are clustered by cities (not by Russian regions).
Inside a city the mobility is high and strong, connections between the business and the
universities are well-established.
2. Professionals groups (SIGs) RUSSIA
in the city are clustered
St.
by foresights.
Petersburg
3. Connections between different
Moscow
cities are very weak
(far distance, links to Moscow
are stronger than to neighbors).

12. Virtual Skolkovo needs own digital brand strategy
1. Unlike physical Virtual 2. Community of Virtual 3. Virtual community starts
Skolkovo community is scalable Skolkovo is more relevant to functioning earlier and lives
the Skolkovo goals than the longer than the physical city
offline community does
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13. Resolution of the Meeting
1. Approve the KPIs for Virtual Skolkovo 2013-
14 as the contributions submitted by users
each day during the selected date range
2. Recommend the Foundation to follow the
current vision of the Virtual Skolkovo
3. Recommend the Foundation to focus on the
community champions growth and
development
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