The Country Development Marketplace under the motto "Innovations for Sustainable Development of the Republic of Tatarstan" was held in Kazan, April 20-21. The competition was launched last December. Small and medium-size enterprises, research and educational institutions, civic organizations and foundations, submitted 423 proposals. A jury selected 50 project finalists who exhibited their work at the fair to the broader public.  "The very fact that the city of Kazan has been chosen as the first venue to conduct such an event in the Russian Federation, underlines the strong, trust based relationship between Tatarstan and the World Bank," said President of the Republic of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaymiyev at the opening ceremony. "While it may be a regular event for the World Bank," continued President Shaymiyev referring to the practice of conducting similar events in other countries, "today’s fair promises further strengthening of the cooperation between the World Bank, civil society, business community and the Government of Tatarstan."
"During my tenure at the World Bank I organized five innovative marketplaces in different countries, but today’s event is a special one. What makes it special is a keen commitment of the regional government to implement innovations and unleash the creative and intellectual potential of the people," commented Klaus Rohland, World Bank Country Director for Russia. The fair was sponsored by the World Bank, the Investment and Venture Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan, and the Center for Prospective Economic Research of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan. According to the Director of the Investment and Venture Fund, Marat Fayzrakhmanov, fifteen teams were selected as winners and awarded with grants ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 dollars. Overall funding amounted to 400,000 dollars, equally contributed by the sponsors. Winning Projects
Winning projects support innovation in energy saving, healthcare, social development, environmental conservation, waste collection and recycling, biotechnology, agriculture, and education. The winning project, Molecular and Cellular Medicine, attracted the largest number of visitors. The project aims to set up a training facility designed by the Kazan Medical University for medical professionals who apply cellular technology in their regular practice. Another winning project, designed by JSC Kamaz-Metallurgy, and named Production and Recycling of Ferrous Waste, seeks to utilize industrial waste in the manufacturing of pig-iron and steel. Projects of the finalists included a mobile phone battery with a three-year lifetime guarantee without the need for recharging, which sustains temperatures below minus 30C°. Rusenergo Chemical Power Sources also presented another innovative product, the environmentally safe miniature alkaline automobile battery as an alternative to the lead-acid battery. The proposal already attracted the attention of Russian truck manufacture Kamaz, and of visitors from England, Austria, Sweden, and Japan. Perseverance and tenacity of the inventors impressed the audience: the project leader and head of the company, Vadim Petrov, and his assistant Irshat Makhmutov, had sold their apartments in order to obtain initial funds to pursue their vision. During his address to the participants, President Shaymiyev expressed his appreciation for the support of the World Bank. "The World Bank is, first and foremost, a bank of ideas, more than just a source of money,” he said, and added that “the Bank promotes development in countries and regions in accordance with global standards. For the Republic of Tatarstan, this aspect of the World Bank operations is ever more important." He compared explaining innovations and business plans at the Country Development Marketplace to defending a diploma and receiving the highest recognition of accomplishment. Klaus Rohland welcomed the participants. He alluded to the national emblem of Tatarstan, a winged and soaring snow leopard that symbolized the power and the possibilities that arise by harnessing the creative potential of the people and added, that he would like to see the proposals replicated on a much larger scale. After talking to the project designers, President Shaymiyev expressed his admiration for the quality of the presentations and the creativity of the participants. This boded well for Tatarstan’s readiness to tackle the 21st century. The challenge now was to implement. Answering questions related to the future cooperation between the World Bank and Tatarstan, Klaus Rohland mentioned the areas of road safety, special economic zones, and streamlining public expenditure management. He also referred to the planned discussions with the Mayor’s Office on future cooperation in the area of education, and the Bank’s possible involvement in housing construction projects. "There could not have been a better place and occasion for my first journey outside Moscow," he concluded. 
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