On November 29, there was held the annual research-to-production conference titled The Development Prospects of Youth Entrepreneurship at the Chess Palace. The organisers are the Ministry of Economic Development of Saratov Region and the My Business Entrepreneur Centre.
The event was attended by deputies, representatives of ministries, public organisations and associations, business, infrastructure organisations which support entrepreneurship, university and scientific community, and young entrepreneurs of the region.
The Territory of Youth Innovations exhibition was held at the conference. SSU students presented their developments made within the Start-Up as a Graduation Project federal project. Due to the participation in the programme, 2023 graduates will be able to present their graduation papers as start-up projects.
Varvara Gembach, a student of the Faculty of Economics, told the guests of the exhibition about her Epoxy project aimed to produce unique interior items and LED-lamps made of epoxy resin. The main products are paintings, lamps, later tables, and tabletops.
‘At the end of the year, I am planning to defend my graduation paper on this project and implement it. Every year, the popularity of epoxy resin products is growing, this is due to the practical character of the material and the special, unusual appearance of the producst. I would like the interior items created by my hands to be comfortable in everyday life and irreplaceable in decorating rooms,’ the author shared her ideas.
The Faculty of Economics presented another development in cosmetology. Anastasia Roslichenko and Ekaterina Smirnova are going to make skin care products based on a natural mineral – glauconite. The mineral is unique because of its high ion exchange, buffering, and sorption properties. Glauconite is able to absorb and neutralise toxins, while simultaneously releasing the necessary trace elements. According to the developers, it is planned to establish the production of cosmetics – face masks, scalp masks, creams, bath bombs, problem skin and burns care.
Students of the Institute of Physics Olesya Ustyanskaya and Julia Yudina presented the development of the Dew Point, which contributes to the preservation of moisture in the soil. The irrigation system consists of a polypropylene platform that covers the root system of the plant, directing water and fertilisers directly to the root, protecting the earth from weeds and extreme temperatures.
‘This platform is dual-use. Firstly, it covers the root system in summer, when there is a big drought and protects the roots of plants from overheating. Secondly, dew accumulates on the back of the platform, which increases the watering of the root system. There are special grooves on top, due to which rainwater in a larger area is collected precisely to the rhizome,’ the project manager, Head of the Department of Innovation, SSU, Elena Revzina commented.
The organisational support for the venues where students presented their projects was provided by the Technopark SSU Innovation Centre.
At the conference, a briefing was held – The Business Environment – the Foundation of the Integrated Development of Territories. Minister of Economic Development of the region Andrei Razborov, Minister of Youth Policy and Sports Oleg Dubovenko, a deputy of the Saratov Regional Duma Julia Litnevskaya addressed the audience. SSU Vice-rector for Youth Policy and Organisational Work Anton Golovchenko also took part in the briefing.
According to Andrei Razborov, about 318 thousand people are working in small business offices in the region. ‘Young people should be helped to take the first step, sometimes to help financially, sometimes with advice or example,’ the minister said. He noted that businessmen can get a loan at preferential rates. ‘There is an opportunity to use the services of the lending fund, the guarantee fund to support Saratov Region. These are one of the few organisations that interact with young people and share funds for start-ups. This year, SMEs and the self-employed have received about 350 million rubles from this fund.’
During the day, trainings and foresight sessions from regional and federal speakers were held at the conference venues for young people.
