The main themes of the conference are translating innovations into economic growth, creating an environment that fosters innovation, removing barriers to developing an innovative economy, the role of government and educational institutions in promoting innovation, and funding innovative projects.

Conference participants: Minister of Education and Science Dmitry Livanov, Skolkovo Foundation President Viktor Vekselberg, Siemens President and Board Chairman Peter Loescher, leading Russian and international experts on innovation, and business representatives.

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The Dialogue on the Future conference was initiated by Siemens Board Chairman Peter Loescher in 2009 as a platform for discussing subjects of importance for scientific, economic and social development. Past conferences were held in Berlin (2009), in Beijing (2010) and in New Delhi (2011).

Moscow was chosen to host this year's conference based on the Russian capital's international significance, the importance of the Russian market in the global Siemens strategy, and the 160th anniversary of Siemens' operations in Russia in 2013.

The conference is traditionally sponsored by Siemens jointly with Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (which is similar to the Russian Academy of Sciences) with support from The Economist and, in Russia, in partnership with the Skolkovo Foundation.

Siemens AG (Germany) specialises in electronics, electrical engineering, machine building and healthcare. The concern also provides infrastructure solutions, mostly for cities and large metropolitan areas.

Russia played an important role in the early stage of Siemens' development. In 1851, Siemens supplied 75 telegraph machines for the Moscow - St Petersburg railway that was under construction at the time.

Siemens is a strategic partner of the Skolkovo Foundation and plans to open a research department with a staff of about 150 people at the Innovation Centre (currently the R&D centre includes 70 people). The approximate investment in the project until 2016 is 2.4 billion roubles. The research department will develop technologies in practically all priority areas of innovative development (excluding space technology).

A subsidiary of Siemens has already become a Skolkovo resident, and is working on three projects involving scientific research, the creation of monitoring systems and the development of medical equipment.