The remote voting system has deflected over 10,000 DDoS attacks during the municipal elections in Moscow held on September 9-11. According to Artem Kostyrko, head of the Territorial Administration Improvement and Development of Smart Projects Agency of the Government of Moscow, “the system has shown stability”. “Although a number of attacks occurred, it did not affect the system or compromise its integrity. So, we believe we have technically coped with the task, and the number of votes processed online and offline shows the system is ready for further development,” he explained.

<hr />
 
 Previously Moscow remote electronic voting system was <a href="https://tass.ru/politika/15712933" target="_blank">announced</a> to have processed 50,000 requests per second at peak load.

 
 Ministry of digital Development <a href="https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5558239" target="_blank">announced</a> that 35,000 cyberattacks had been launched at the e-voting system (which was used in the Kaliningrad, Kursk, Novgorod, Pskov, Tomsk and Yaroslavl regions in 2022) during the entire voting period.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/sistema-onlain-golosovaniia-v-moskve-otrazila-10-tys-ddos-atak/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

TASS

Online Voting System Deflects 10,000 DDoS Attacks in Moscow

In 2022, more than 40% of radiology images in the medical institutions of Moscow have been processed using artificial intelligence. Last year this figure was about 30%. About 300,000 images are processed using algorithms every month. In total, AI-powered services have processed over 7 million images.

 
 In 2022, the algorithms learned to detect five more diseases, and now they help doctors find abnormalities in 13 areas of imaging studies. In Moscow, innovative methods for medical images analysis have been applied since 2020. The AI-powered services are integrated in the radiology information service of the Unified Medical Information and Analysis System (EMIAS).

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/bolee-semi-mln-luchevykh-issledovanii-v-moskve-proanalizirovano-s-pomoshchiu-neirosetei/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

mos.ru

More Than 7 Million Radiology Images Processed Using Neural Networks in Moscow

Intertech Services AG, a subsidiary of Yandex, has registered a declaration mentioning the Yandex Hub smart home center. The company is assumed to plan the launch of a hub for controlling smart home devices supporting Zigbee protocol. However, the company does not comment on the information.

 
 The company’s only current device supporting Zigbee protocol is the Yandex.Station smart speaker (second generation). Yandex smart bulbs and plugs connect to the Internet over Wi-Fi. The smart speaker is sold in a package with the devices of Aqara (a Chinese company).

 
 Zigbee is a wireless communication protocol designed for low-power devices. It is used in smart home devices (lighting, sensors, etc.) certified by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (uniting more than 500 members, including Yandex and SberDevices).

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/iandeks-vypustit-novyi-shliuz-dlia-podkliucheniia-ustroistv-umnogo-doma/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Kommersant

Yandex to Launch New Gateway for Connecting Smart Home Devices

According to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitriy Chernyshenko, the National AI Development Center will become the key platform for selecting AI solutions for business, scientific organizations and the government. The center will carry out the monitoring of AI development indicators and examine the documents in the field of regulation.

 
 The center will also update the industry readiness index for AI, provide expert support for the implementation of technology, and develop ai.gov.ru, the national AI portal.

 
 Sergey Nakvasin will become the director the center. Earlier he held the positions of deputy head of the Analytical Center of the Russian Government and deputy general director of ANO Digital Economy.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-rf-nachal-rabotu-natsionalnyi-tsentr-razvitiia-iskusstvennogo-intellekta/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Interfax

Russian Governmental National AI Development Center Launched

Nine Moscow general hospitals take part in the pilot project to introduce a new medical service - the digital passport. It will help chief physicians and their deputies check information on all branches and patients online.

 
 The service helps health professionals assess and analyze medical data arrays. The tool allows to form lists of patients in a branch or hospital area based on the set parameters - period of time, the branch medical specialty, age and gender, address, educational institution, hospital stay time, and social status.

 
 After the pilot project completion, the service is expected to be deployed in all outpatient clinics of the city.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-moskve-testiruiut-tsifrovoi-pasport-polikliniki/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Moscow Tests Digital Passports for General Hospitals

The Qrator Labs network security company released the annual National Internet Stability Rating. Russia took the 14th place in the top 20, and the maximum percentage of possible network failures was 5.5% compared to last year’s 5.08%.

 
 According to CEO of Qrator Labs Alexander Lyamin, the Russia’s position lowered due to the increased consolidation in the telecom market. “This is a long-term trend: large players on the operators’ market are buying the smaller ones,” he says. As a result, technological consolidation of networks takes place, and there happens an increase in the number of single failure points (a system node which failure leads to network shutdown) and the general decrease in their stability, the expert explains.

 
 This year, the United States, which was ranked 17th a year earlier, did not make it into the ranking, as well as Thailand and Spain. Ireland, Belgium and Hong Kong entered the ranking again.

 
 The rating was prepared based on the results of the study of national web segments of 249 countries and reflects the availability of national Internet segments in case of failures in the work of the most significant telecom operators.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/qrator-labs-rossiia-zaniala-14-mesto-v-reitinge-stran-s-naibolee-ustoichivym-segmentom-natsionalnogo-interneta/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Qrator Labs: Russia Ranked 14th in National Internet Stability Rating

According to deputy prime minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, Russia plans to develop a quantum communication network connecting Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

 
 The quantum network of about 700 km in length was launched in June 2021 and based on Russian solutions. This is the largest network in Europe and the second largest network in the world.

 
 The deputy prime minister added that the network had already been tested, and Russian credit organizations had shown interest in it. The ITMO, as well as the Special Technology Center, Smarts-Quanttelecom and Amikon companies became the partners of Russian Railways in the construction of a pilot section of the backbone quantum network.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-rossii-planiruiut-razvivat-kvantovuiu-set-mezhdu-moskvoi-i-sankt-peterburgom/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Russia to Develop Quantum Network Between Moscow and Saint Petersburg

Yadro group (part of X-Holding) acquired 100% of Raidix LLC, which develops software for data storage system optimization.

 
 Yadro did not announce the deal value, but the acquisition was called “an important step in implementing the strategy to enter new segments of the storage market”. According to experts, 100% of Raidix could cost 500-600 million rubles (≈ 8.1-9.8 million dollars).

 
 According to Leonid Goldenberg, the co-owner of Sistematika, Yadro acquires Raidix to get a team of specialists and ready-made technologies; the development and implementation of these technologies from scratch would take up to three years. “Raidix has developed software that distributes the load on the storage system and increases the speed of data loading/uploading, and there is a niche for the solutions” the expert explains.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/gruppa-yadro-priobrela-razrabotchika-softa-sistem-khraneniia-dannykh-reidiks/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Yadro Group Acquires Data Storage Software Developer Raidix

Kaspersky Lab bought 49% of the Russian Forpeople company (under the ForPeople brand).

 
 The main company product is GP OrgManager, which provides digitalization of management and basic HR processes of enterprises. Previously, one of the company’s main rivals in Russia was the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central platform.

 
 Kaspersky Lab notes, the company had no similar projects in the field of HR technologies before the deal, so now the anti-virus company is entering a new market.

 
 Kaspersky Lab plans to sell ForPeople solutions in Russia, and it will gradually extend abroad. In particular, the company plans expand into the markets of Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, China, India and Brazil.

 
 In the near future, ForPeople will broaden the platform functionality related to performance assessment, compensation management and personnel cost budgeting.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/laboratoriia-kasperskogo-stala-sovladeltsem-startapa-forpeople/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Vedomosti

Kaspersky Lab Becomes Co-Owner of ForPeople Startup

Semiconductor manufacturer Mikron may receive 7 billion rubles (114 million dollars) from the Industrial Development Fund against security of production equipment. The funds will be used to “scale up production at the enterprise”. The company’s representatives do not comment on the information.

 
 According to Yaroslav Petrichkovich, the founder of Elvees R&D Center, Mikron’s products can now cover “a certain segment of the Russian electronics market, primarily components for equipment for critical infrastructure and the defense sector”. Nikolai Komlev, executive director of the APKIT association, agrees that there are many tasks that can be accomplished using technologies that have already been mastered by Mikron. However, the expert says that state support is needed not only to scale up production, but also to master new technologies.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/mikron-napravit-7-mlrd-rub-na-masshtabirovanie-proizvodstva/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Mikron to Provide 7 Billion Rubles to Scale Up Production

Cyber security market participants and the Ministry of Digital Development are discussing the idea of single platform for collecting information on incidents and exchanging expertise in countering cyber attacks. This information includes data on compromised bank cards, accounts and malware.

 
 The system will be launched by the government, and specialized companies will be engaged in the development.

 
 Pavel Korostelev, head of the Security Code company product marketing department, notes the platform can increase responsiveness to current threats. “Users will be able to share the necessary information, for example, what software the attackers use or what IP addresses they come from - this information is necessary and useful, especially if it is provided in time” the expert explains.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-rossii-mogut-sozdat-edinuiu-platformu-dlia-sbora-informatsii-o-kiberintsidentakh/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Single Platform for Collecting Information on Cyber Incidents Discussed in Russia

Moscow received the Most Ambitious Project award at the Russian national competition of the best digital transformation projects for the shift to proactive service delivery and creation of super services.

 
 The competition is organized by the Ministry of Digital Development and Kaluga Oblast government. In total, the event received 67 applications from the country regions.

 
 By now more than 15 million people use Moscow digital ecosystem. Users have access to more than 380 electronic services on the mos.ru portal.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/moskva-poluchila-priz-na-vserossiiskom-konkurse-luchshikh-proektov-tsifrovoi-transformatsii/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Moscow Gets Award at National Competition of Digital Transformation Projects

Mobile operators and EdTech representatives observe the growth of online education market from January to August 2022. According to MTS, the number of mobile users of sites and applications for online education increased by quarter during this period, the number of purchases in this category increased fivefold, and the average purchase amount doubled.

 
 MegaFon says, from January to mid-August, mobile Internet traffic in online services for training IT specialists grew by 87% compared to the same period in 2021.

 
 According to Tele2, the mobile audience on the platforms during this period was distributed as follows - Geekbrains ― 27%, Skillbox ― 26%, Netology ― 20%, Stepik ― 13%, Yandex.Practicum ― 12%.

 
 Skillbox reported a 10% increase in the average purchase amount in 2022 compared to 2021. Traffic fluctuations of 10% yoy were observed on desktops in January-August, mobile traffic remained unchanged.

 
 Yandex.Practicum reported an increase in the number of purchases of its courses by 50% since the beginning of the year compared to last year. The average purchase size on the platform from February to August grew by 30% yoy.

 
 The Skolkovo Foundation EdTech cluster representatives say that in January-August the online education market grew by 3-15%, but the growth rate slowed down - earlier it was about 25-40%.

 
 In the first quarter of the year, the revenue of the top 100 EdTech companies in Russia amounted to 21.7 billion rubles (354.8 million dollars), according to EDtechs.ru. At the end of last year, the overall revenue of the top 100 EdTech companies amounted to 73 billion rubles (1.2 billion dollars), according to Smart Ranking.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/kompanii-fiksiruiut-rost-rynka-onlain-obrazovaniia-v-mobilnom-segmente/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Companies Observe Growth of Online Education Market in Mobile Segment

MTS AI is considering holding an IPO on the Moscow Exchange. The procedure could take place in the first half of 2025. Until then, the company plans to look for teams for acquisitions and investing in Russia and the CIS. Also, MTS AI may search for and attract strategic investors. At the same time, the company plans to conclude three deals by the end of the year, the details of which are not disclosed.

 
 The company mentioned the areas of its technological interests: biometrics, speech recognition and synthesis, industrial analytics, the use of artificial intelligence in medicine, content synthesis and analysis, AR/VR, edge computing.

 
 At the moment, MTS AI is owned by MTS, but by the end of September Alexander Khanin and Ivan Laptev will receive a share of “10% or more” in the company after the completion of the acquisition of VisionLabs (face recognition systems developer).

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/mts-ai-mozhet-vyiti-na-mosbirzhu-v-pervoi-polovine-2025-goda/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

MTS AI May Hold IPO on Moscow Exchange in First Half of 2025

Russian Railways has proposed developing national standards for quantum communication technologies and the quantum Internet of Things.

 
 Among the initiative participants are Russian Railways, Skoltech-based Competence Centers of the National Technology Initiative (NTI), the Technical Committee 194 for Cyber-Physical Systems (TK 194) and the Technical Committee 26 for Cryptographic Information Protection.

 
 The first versions have already been developed for two standards in the field of quantum communications and four standards for quantum Internet of Things. In particular, the first draft of the quantum communications standard contains terms and definitions (for example, the concepts of “quantum information”, “quantum bit” (qubit), “quantum key distribution”, etc.). The second draft establishes “general provisions in the field of quantum communications, principles of information transmission through quantum channels, basic approaches to the construction of quantum communication networks and their use for quantum key distribution in secure communication networks”.

 
 The creation of standards was prescribed by the roadmap for the development of quantum communications dated August 27, 2020, which is supervised by Russian Railways as part of the Digital Economy national program.

 
 Public discussion of the draft documents will continue until September 30, 2022.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/rzhd-predlozhila-sozdat-nacstandarty-kvantovyh-tekhnologij/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

<hr />
 
 Documents on the topic:

 
 <a href="https://tc194.ru/quantum_public" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Draft Quantum Communication Technology Standard</a>

Russian Railways Proposed Creating National Standards for Quantum Technologies

The production of semiconductors for electronic equipment and household appliances is planned on premises of the Technopolis Moscow special economic zone. Investments in the construction of production lines will amount to more than 70 million rubles.

 
 Currently, the enterprise, which has become a resident of Technopolis Moscow, produces semiconductor products, including crystals for super high frequency and high-frequency diodes, fast transistors and diode arrays. They are effectively used in radiolocation and meteorological location, and are also used at ultrahigh frequencies, at which the GLONASS, GPS and GSM systems operate. In the future, it is planned to start assembling functional devices based on the enterprise’s own crystals.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/na-territorii-oez-tekhnopolis-moskva-rasshiriat-proizvodstvo-poluprovodnikov/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Production of Semiconductors to Be Scaled Up at Technopolis Moscow

The Mikron company has launched the production of an NFC tag that can be used in the Fast Payments System. It “meets all modern security standards, is resistant to mechanical damage and does not require a special reader”.

 
 The tag is based on a Russian physical microcontroller - the only Russian microchip that meets international standards. The chip transmits data at the 13.56 MHz frequency, providing contactless transmission of information at a distance of up to 10 cm.

 
 The chip is used in RFID tags for marking a wide range of objects, including wood, metal, glass, plastic, paper. According to Anton Starkov, director of RFID and IT projects at Mikron, the tag is an RFID sticker that can be attached to any surface.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/mikron-zapustil-seriinoe-proizvodstvo-nfc-chipov-dlia-sbp/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Mikron Launches Mass Production of NFC chips for Faster Payments System

Lomonosov Moscow State University was ranked 150th in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) published by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, which is the best result among Russian universities. The top 1000 ranking includes 10 Russian universities, including Saint Petersburg State University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Higher School of Economics, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Skoltech, MEPhI and others.

 
 In total, 2,500 higher educational institutions were included in the ranking. Harvard and Stanford universities topped the ranking. The authors weighted the international cooperation of universities, the number of publications in scientific journals and other aspects.

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 <a class="image_link" target="_blank" href="https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2022">
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
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<hr />
 
 Earlier <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/shanghairanking-consultancy-mgu-i-niu-vshe-stali-luchshimi-vuzami-rossii-po-fizike-i-matematike-v-shankhaiskom-globalnom-reitinge/" target="_blank">it was reported</a> that Moscow State University, Novosibirsk State University and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology were ranked the highest among Russian universities in physics by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. Higher School of Economics, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia and Saint Petersburg State University were the best in mathematics among Russian universities. ITMO was the only Russian university included in the global ranking in the field of computer science.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/shanghairanking-consultancy-mgu-stal-luchshim-vuzom-rossii-v-akademicheskom-reitinge-universitetov-mira/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

ria.ru

ShanghaiRanking Consultancy: Moscow State University Tops Russian Institutions in the Academic Ranking of World Universities

The Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine of the Moscow Healthcare Department has developed a state standard (GOST) that regulates the conduct of clinical trials of AI systems. The standard defines the methodology and procedure, contains definitions and terms, includes indicators of effectiveness of such systems as part of their clinical validation, and contains the reporting form for the clinical part of the trials. The standard also describes the quality control of clinical trials. The results evaluation consists of three stages:

<ul>
 <li>analytical validation - confirming the ability of a neural network to process data accurately, reliably and in a retraceable way;</li>
 <li>assessment of conformity of the output data to the declared functionality;</li>
 <li>validation of the system’s effectiveness - the ability to produce clinically significant results.</li>
</ul>

 
 The Artificial Intelligence Systems in Clinical Medicine. Part 1. Clinical Evaluation GOST was developed by the specialists of the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine of the Moscow Healthcare Department. The standard has been approved and will come into force on September 1, 2022.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/moskovskie-vrachi-razrabotali-pervyi-v-rossii-gost-dlia-klinicheskikh-ispytanii-ii/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Moscow Specialists Developed Russia’s First Clinical Testing Standard for AI Systems

11 sectoral testing centers for Russian software will be created in Russia by the end of the year. The centers will be involved in testing the software for compatibility with other solutions and compliance with the specified functions. Ten centers will deal with specialized solutions, and the center based at the Voskhod Research Institute will test system-wide solutions, hardware and software systems.

 
 The centers will select priority types and classes of foreign software products that require replacement in different sectors of the economy. The specialists in the centers will also formulate the terms of reference for Russian vendors for the development of products for these purposes. It is assumed that the mark indicating the successful product test will be displayed both on the marketplace and in the register of Russian software managed by the Ministry of Digital Development.

 
 A center for technological expertise and certification of industry testing centers has already been created based on the Voskhod Research Institute. The specialists of the Competence Center for Import Substitution in the field of ICT will develop basic software testing methods and provide methodological support, while Voskhod will serve as a technology center for software testing and a developer of testing methods for hardware and software.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/do-kontsa-2022-goda-v-rossii-planiruetsia-sozdat-11-tsentrov-testirovaniia-po/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

ComNews

11 Software Testing Centers to Appear in Russia by End of 2022

The companies of Yandex, VK, Ozon, MTS, Beeline and AmberData (controlled by the National Media Group) plan to become advertising data operators, which are required to send information about all campaigns in Runet to Roskomnadzor starting from the fall of 2022. Previously, it was expected that advertising market players would be able to independently transfer this information (the cost of contracts, the timing of campaigns, etc.) directly or through advertising data operators. However, a new set of amendments was adopted in July, allowing the data to be transmitted through advertising data operators only.

 
 According to the RBC sources, Yandex and VK have confirmed plans to become advertising data operators. MTS expects that the company’s subsidiary will be included in the list of applicants for this status. Ozon also confirmed the plans to create its own operator. AmberData is “working on theoperator creation”.

 
 According to Stanislav Danilov, a partner at the Pen & Paper law firm, working through an advertising data operator allows the advertiser to avoid the risks of incomplete or inaccurate data provision. Roskomnadzor said that it “does not have the authority to set prices for the services of advertising data operators”. At the same time, there are no instructions or recommendations concerning the costs of advertising data operator services in the law and in the already adopted bylaws.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/shest-rossiiskikh-kompanii-planiruiut-stat-operatorami-reklamnykh-dannykh/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Six Russian Companies Plan to Become Advertising Data Operators

The Urban Air Mobility Control Center, created by the Moscow Innovation Cluster and the Skolkovo Foundation, will become the operator of the testing area for autonomous aerial systems. The center will select the participants, control the admission of pilots and aircraft, provide safety and security and also control the technical condition of equipment.

 
 Flights of unmanned aerial vehicles will be tested in Skolkovo at 100 m height within an area of 400 hectares. Cases related to the delivery, monitoring of infrastructure facilities, urban mobility systems will be worked out during the project.

 
 The project will be implemented within the regulatory sandbox, which launch is currently under discussion. 27 companies have submitted applications for the testing of unmanned aerial vehicles.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-moskve-poiavilsia-tsentr-upravleniia-gorodskoi-aeromobilnostiu/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Skolkovo

Urban Air Mobility Control Center Created in Moscow

The government has approved the standard regulation of the position of deputy head of information security. Government bodies, state corporations, strategic enterprises and organizations and subjects of critical information infrastructure (banks, telecom operators, etc.) will be <a href="https://d-russia.ru/pravitelstvo-utverdilo-spisok-organizacij-kotorym-neobhodimo-provesti-audit-zashhishhjonnosti-svoih-is.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">required</a> to create and fill the position.

 
 According to the document, the person responsible for information security is appointed by the head of organization and must be a member of its collegial bodies. The document also specifies the qualification requirements for such employees. These requirements include:

<ul>
 <li>a specialized higher education degree;</li>
 <li>&nbsp;knowledge of the impact of IT on the activities of the organization, including the principles of construction and operation of operating systems, data base management systems, networks and their main protocols;</li>
 <li>knowledge of the specific features of ensuring the organization’s information security, including the procedures for organizing work to ensure information security, the main threats, methods and tools used in cyber attacks, etc.</li>
</ul>

 
 Such an employee will organize the development of information security policies, conduct research and development work to ensure information security, and monitor the security level in the organization. The employee will be liable for violation of the requirement to ensure information security and protect systems and networks that led to negative consequences, for the disclosure of state secrets, etc.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/utverzhdeny-tipovye-polozheniia-o-zamestitele-rukovoditelia-organizatsii-po-ib/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

<hr />
 
 Documents on the topic:

 
 <a href="http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/Document/View/0001202207190035?index=0&rangeSize=1" target="_blank">Governmental regulation No. 1272 of July 15, 2022</a>

D-Russia

Standard Regulations on Deputy Heads of Information Security in Organizations Approved

Softline plans to divide the business into two companies: Softline Global (the name will change in the future) and Softline Russia. The separation will require the shareholders’ approval.

 
 The headquarters of Softline Russia will be located in Moscow. The company CEO in Russia Vladimir Lavrov will become the CEO of Softline Russia. The CFO of Softline Holdings Plc Artem Tarakanov will transfer to the Russian division.

 
 The headquarters of Softline Global will be located in the UK. COO of Softline Sergey Chernovolenko will become the CEO of Softline Holdings Plc, he will lead the separation process. When the separation is completed, Chernovolenko will become the CEO of Softline Global and will join its board of directors. The current CEO of Softline International Herve Tessler will become the president of Softline Global. The CFO of Softline International Burak Özer will also move to the international company.

 
 Softline is represented in more than 60 countries. At the end of 2020 financial year, the company’s turnover grew by 8.9% to 1.8 billion dollars.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/softline-razdelit-biznes-na-dve-kompanii-softline-global-i-softline-rossiia/" target="_blank">Original in Russian</a>

Softline Russian Branch to Split Away from Main Company

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ICT.Moscow  — Market in Brief

Top tech stories from Moscow from September 20 to October 1

<hr />
<h2>
 MARKET IN BRIEF
</h2>

 
 Main news about Moscow's projects, developers, technologies

 
 Moscow Hosts ICPC World Championship 2021 Finals 

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 Source:&nbsp;ICPC
 

 
 

 
 From October 1 to October 6, 2021, for the first time, Moscow holds the finals of the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC).

 
 More than 60,000 student programmers from more than 3,000 universities from up to 115 countries participate in qualifying rounds each year, and only the best of them reach the finals.

 
 The upcoming final will feature 100 teams with 15 from Russian teams, including five from Moscow. These are students of MIPT, Lomonosov Moscow State University, HSE, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, and Moscow Aviation Institute.

 
 The current champion is the Moscow team, which won two consecutive years. Last year, due to the pandemic, the final was not held, and in 2019 it was held in Porto (Portugal), 10 Russian teams took part in it, including three from Moscow.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/online-conference-for-the-opening-of-the-icpc-international-programming-championship-held-in-moscow/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Read more →</a>

<hr />
 
 Other stories:

<ul>
 <li>Face Pay <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/face-pay-launched-on-all-moscow-metro-stations/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Implemented</a> on All Moscow Metro Stations</li>
 <li>Skoltech <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/skoltech-joins-the-international-consortium-3gpp/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Joins</a> the International Consortium 3GPP</li>
 <li>Research Institute of Radio to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/research-institute-of-radio-to-conduct-a-study-of-5g-and-6g-implementaion-in-russia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Conduct</a> a Study of 5G and 6G Implementation in Russia</li>
 <li>Yandex to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/yandex-to-invest-30-million-in-its-cloud-service-in-germany/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Enter</a> German Market with Cloud Service</li>
 <li>BelkaCar <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/belkacar-heads-for-business-expansion/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Heads</a> for Business Expansion</li>
 <li>NTI to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/nti-to-test-computer-vision-system-for-autonomous-vehicles-by-the-end-of-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Test</a> Computer Vision System for Autonomous Vehicles by the End of 2021</li>
 <li>Tinkoff Bank <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/tinkoff-bank-tests-neural-network-on-customer-behavior-using-smartphone/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Tests</a> Neural Network on Customer Behavior Using  Smartphones</li>
 <li>Russian Post to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-post-to-use-blockchain-for-logistics/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Use</a> Blockchain for Logistics</li>
 <li>Moscow-Based Fintech TalkBank <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/moscow-based-fintech-talkbank-included-in-top-100-companies-using-ai/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Included</a> in World’s Top 100 Companies Using AI</li>
</ul>

 
 

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 GOV AGENDA
 Ministry of Transport <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/the-ministry-of-transport-presents-a-bill-defining-the-legal-obligations-of-taxi-aggregators/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Presents</a> a Bill Defining the Legal Obligations of Taxi Aggregators
 Telecoms and the Ministry of Digital Development <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/telecoms-and-the-ministry-of-digital-development-developing-a-standard-for-smart-homes/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Developing</a> a Standard for Smart Homes
 The Central Bank Binds Banks to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/central-bank-binds-banks-to-implement-fps-for-individual-payments-with-qr-codes/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Implement</a> FPS for Individual Payments with QR Codes
 Ministry of Economic Development <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/ministry-of-economic-development-names-the-key-criteria-for-the-development-of-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Names</a> the Key Criteria for the Development of Ecosystems
 </div>
 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/" style="" target="_blank">More news →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 VC, IPO AND OTHER DEALS&nbsp;
</h2>

<ul>
 <li>Mail.ru Group <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mail-ru-group-sees-aliexpress-russia-going-public-in-2022/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sees</a> AliExpress Russia Going Public in 2022</li>
 <li>Sberbank <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/sberbank-announces-a-possible-ipo-of-samokat-and-delivery-club-in-2022-2023/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Announces</a> a Possible IPO of Samokat and Delivery Club in 2022–2023</li>
 <li>Softline to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/softline-to-conduct-a-double-listing-to-raise-500-million/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Conduct</a> a Double Listing to Raise $500 Million</li>
 <li>Startup Brandquad <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/startup-brandquad-raises-2-5-million-euros-for-r-d-center/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Raises</a> 2.5 Million Euros for R&amp;D Center</li>
 <li>Mail.ru Group <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mail-ru-group-invests-over-82-million-in-game-development-in-four-years/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Invests</a> Over $82 Million in Game Development in Four Years and <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mail-ru-group-buys-controlling-stake-at-belarusian-gaming-company-mamboo-games/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Buys</a> Mamboo Games</li>
</ul>

 
 

<hr />
<h2>
 ANALYTICS AND INSIGHTS
</h2>

 
 researches, monitorings, reports and other analytics of Moscow and Russian IT market

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/conversational-ai-market-in-russia-2020-2025/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">JUST AI</a>: Conversational AI market in Russia 2020-2025 →</li>
</ul>

 
 Comprehensive research and a forecast of Russian conversational AI market through 2025. 

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/attitude-of-russians-to-biometric-authentication-methods/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">NAFI</a>: Attitude of Russians to biometric authentication methods →</li>
</ul>

 
 The awareness and perception of authentication using biometric data. 

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/the-russian-market-for-legal-online-video-services-first-half-of-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">TELECOMDAILY</a>: Russian market for legal online video services. The first half of 2021 →</li>
</ul>

 
 Financial results of Russian video streaming services. 

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/russian-e-commerce-ecosystem-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">DATA INSIGHT</a>: Russian e-commerce ecosystem 2021 →</li>
</ul>

 
 The study presents an ecosystem of more than 1300 services. 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/" target="_blank">More analytics →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 KEY ACTORS
</h2>

 
 discover people who stand behind the innovative companies and projects in Moscow

 
 Vladimir Urbansky, Director for Digital Products of the Russian Post | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/vurbanskiy" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook </a>

 
 Dmitry Lakontsev, Head of NTI Center of Excellence in Wireless and IoT в Skoltech | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dmitry.lakontsev" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook </a>

 
 Elena Muradova, Managing Partner at BelkaCar| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/elena.muradova.9" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a>

 
 Philipp Denisov, Co-Founder and CEO of Brandquad | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/philipp.denisov" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a>

 
 Mikhail Popov, Founder and CEO of TalkBank | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/popovmb/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 MORE
</h2>

 
 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moNDlIoGXrU" style="" target="_blank">Video</a> from the Opening Ceremony of the International Collegiate Programming Contest In Moscow held on October 1-6, 2021. 

 <div>
 <a class="image_link" target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moNDlIoGXrU">
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/78e86b62-ae6b-5454-b9bd-c0ce2bec0514.png">
 </a>
 </div>

 
 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moNDlIoGXrU" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Watch video →</a>

 
 

<hr />
 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/?filterCategory=Tech-in-Moscow">Previous Tech in Moscow newsletters</a>

Top tech stories from Moscow from September 20 to October 1

ICT.Moscow

Tech in Moscow #30

Top tech stories from Moscow from September 6 – 17

<hr />
<h2>
 MARKET IN BRIEF
</h2>

 
 Main news about Moscow's projects, developers, technologies

 
 The first 5G Polygon in Russia to Appear on the Basis of Botkin Hospital in Moscow 

 <div>
 <a class="image_link" target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/the-first-5g-polygon-in-russia-to-appear-on-the-basis-of-botkin-hospital-in-moscow/">
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/5f6e991f-310c-5514-917d-5e92b90730c0.png">
 </a>
 </div>
 
 Source:&nbsp;Press Service of the Moscow Government
 

 
 

 
 Starting from September 15, Moscow city authorities plan to double the number of Moscow Metro stations with Face Pay system and by October 15 the system should work on all stations.

 
 As for the beginning of September, 15 thousand people have already submitted their biometric data. The system allows writing off funds from a bank card account, as well as from the Troika electronic card. The turnstiles that support the new technology are marked with a round black sticker on the floor.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/the-first-5g-polygon-in-russia-to-appear-on-the-basis-of-botkin-hospital-in-moscow/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Read more →</a>

<hr />
 
 Other stories:

<ul>
 <li>Yandex <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/yandex-repels-the-largest-ddos-attack-in-history/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Repels</a> the Largest DDoS Attack in History</li>
 <li>Sberbank <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/sberbank-starts-building-a-55-thousand-sq-m-data-processing-center/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Starts</a> Building a 55 Thousand sq.m. Data Processing Center</li>
 <li>Sensors for Solid Waste Control <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/sensors-for-solid-waste-control-installed-on-trash-bins-in-moscow/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Installed </a>on Trash Bins in Moscow</li>
 <li>Yandex <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/yandex-launches-the-first-driverless-taxis-in-south-moscow/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">to Launch</a> the First Driverless Taxis in South Moscow as part of the Pilot Project by the Ministry of Economic Development</li>
 <li>A Technology Park for Healthcare Startups <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/a-technology-park-for-healthcare-startups-created-in-moscow/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Created</a> in Moscow</li>
 <li>Moscow <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/moscow-names-top-ai-services-used-in-the-citys-healthcare-system/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Names</a> Top AI Services Used in the City's Healthcare System</li>
 <li>Startup BaseTrack <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/startup-basetrack-plans-to-launch-commercial-driverless-cargo-transportation-in-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Plans </a>to Launch Commercial Driverless Cargo Transportation in 2021</li>
</ul>

 
 

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 GOV AGENDA
 Russian Citizens<a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-citizens-to-get-mortgages-through-blockchain-based-platform/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> to Get</a> Mortgages through Blockchain-based Platform 
 Bank of Russia <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/bank-of-russia-to-test-digital-ruble-from-january-2022/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">to Test </a>Digital Ruble from January 2022
 Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/the-ministry-of-finance-and-the-central-bank-present-strategy-for-financial-market-development-through-2030/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Present </a>Strategy for Financial Market Development through 2030
 Russia <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russia-approves-a-standard-in-the-field-of-digital-twins/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Approves </a>a Standard in the Field of Digital Twins
 IT Companies<a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-it-companies-to-develop-an-open-source-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> to Develop</a> An Open Source Strategy
 </div>
 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/" style="" target="_blank">More news →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 INVESTMENT DEALS&nbsp;
</h2>

<ul>
 <li>CIAN <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/cian-heads-for-an-ipo-this-fall/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Heads </a>for an IPO this Fall</li>
 <li>MTS <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mts-buys-out-sistema-capital-management-company/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Buys</a> Out Sistema Capital Management Company</li>
 <li>Delivery Service Chefmarket <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/delivery-service-chefmarket-attracted-investments-from-hellofresh/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Raises </a>Investments from HelloFresh</li>
 <li>Softline <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/softline-buys-squalios-licensing-business" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Buys </a>Squalio's Licensing Business</li>
 <li>Veon <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/veon-sells-tower-assets-in-russia-to-service-telecom-for-1-billion/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sells </a>Tower Assets in Russia to Service-Telecom for $1 Billion</li>
</ul>

 
 

<hr />
<h2>
 LONGREAD
</h2>

 
 ML with a Human Face: Can Interfaces Make Machine Learning Accessible? 

 <div>
 <a class="image_link" target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mlgui/">
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/4e71c327-fde7-566f-91be-5fdae8abefcd.png">
 </a>
 </div>
 
 Source: Unsplash
 

 
 

 
 Recently, the popularity and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into various business processes has been actively growing. However, the use of AI in business processes is accompanied by a rather significant stop factor: in order to effectively use ML algorithms to solve problems, you need to be a specialist in ML and AI.

 
 Is the field of AI on the verge of a tipping point, when, thanks to such specialized interfaces, ML will in fact become a publicly available tool that does not require deep specialized knowledge? ICT.Moscow discussed this issue with the lead author of a scientific article on transfer learning from Cornell University Swati Mishra, with Russian ML-developers from Yandex, Sberbank, consulting company GlowByte, among others.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mlgui/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Read the full article →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 ANALYTICS AND INSIGHTS
</h2>

 
 researches, monitorings, reports and other analytics of Moscow and Russian IT market

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/overview-of-virus-activity-in-july-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">DR.WEB</a>: Overview of virus activity in July 2021 →</li>
</ul>

 
 In Q2 of 2021, after a prolonged decline, the share of spam in global mail traffic started to grow again and averaged 46.56%. 

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/russian-online-cinema-market-results-of-the-first-half-of-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">TMT CONSULTING</a>: Russian online cinema market. The first half of 2021 →</li>
</ul>

 
 A study of the Russian VoD market 

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/top-15-digital-industrial-technologies/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">HSE</a>: Top 15 digital industrial technologies  →</li>
</ul>

 
 Based on big data analyses, researchers identified the most significant digital technologies that are already used in Russian and global manufacturing industry. 

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/deeptech-outlook-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">PSYTECH VENTURES</a>: DeepTech Outlook 2021 →</li>
</ul>

 
 Top 10 sectors for investment in deeptech 

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/attitudes-of-russians-towards-ai-in-medicine/" style="" target="_blank">SUPERJOB:</a> Attitudes of Russians towards AI in medicine →</li>
</ul>

 
 According to the recent study, 44% of Russians don’t trust AI in medical diagnosis and treatment 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/" target="_blank">More analytics →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 KEY ACTORS
</h2>

 
 discover people who stand behind the innovative companies and projects in Moscow

 
 Evgeny Novikov, Adviser to the Deputy Head of Moscow Department of Information Technologies | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/evgeny.novikov.142" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook </a>

 
 Vyacheslav Shulenin, CEO of ANO "Moscow Center for Innovative Technologies in Health Care" | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/vvshulenin" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook </a>

 
 Andrey Vavilin, CEO of BaseTrack | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrey-vavilin-8228ab7" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn </a>

 
 

<hr />
<h2>
 MORE
</h2>

 
 <a href="https://www.mobileworldlive.com/mobile360eurasia" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Video</a> from the GSMA’s International conference Mobile 360 Eurasia, held on September 14-15, 2021. Eurasia’s brightest thinkers to explore the region’s most pressing challenges across FinTech, Value Creation, 5G, and Digital Resilience. Below is the video recording of the live stream, where lead experts discuss such topics as data-driven society, AI, UrbanTech, and others.

 <div>
 <a class="image_link" target="_blank" href="https://www.mobileworldlive.com/mobile360eurasia">
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/6dee4dc5-0874-5adb-80cf-24a866eb0f2d.png">
 </a>
 </div>

 
 <a href="https://www.mobileworldlive.com/mobile360eurasia" style="" target="_blank">Watch video →</a>

 
 

<hr />
 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/?filterCategory=Tech-in-Moscow">Previous Tech in Moscow newsletters</a>

Tech in Moscow #29

ML developers on the role of machine learning interfaces in technology accessibility to non-specialists

ML with a Human Face: Can Interfaces Make Machine Learning Accessible?

Top tech stories from August 23 – September 3

 
 

<hr />
<h2>
 MARKET IN BRIEF
</h2>

 
 Main news about Moscow's projects, developers, technologies

 
 

 
 Face Pay to be Implemented on all Moscow Metro Stations on October 15 

 <div>
 <a class="image_link" target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-citizens-can-submit-their-biometric-data-directly-via-app-from-october-1/">
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/1c0bac15-894f-5d2b-81c2-9474db9c94b2.png">
 </a>
 </div>
 
 Source: Moscow Transport Department&nbsp;
 

 
 

 
 Starting from September 15, Moscow city authorities plan to double the number of Moscow Metro stations with Face Pay system and by October 15 the system should work on all stations.

 
 As for the beginning of September, 15 thousand people have already submitted their biometric data. The system allows writing off funds from a bank card account, as well as from the Troika electronic card. The turnstiles that support the new technology are marked with a round black sticker on the floor.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-citizens-can-submit-their-biometric-data-directly-via-app-from-october-1/" target="_blank">Read more →</a>

<hr />
 
 Other stories:

<ul>
 <li>NtechLab’s Facial Recognition System <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-facial-recognition-system-launched-on-indian-railways/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Launched </a>on Indian Railways</li>
 <li>Moscow Biometric System Face Pay <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/moscow-face-pay-biometric-system-reaches-techfest-finals/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Reaches </a>TechFest Finals</li>
 <li>Avant Space <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/avant-space-to-launch-a-solution-for-adverising-from-satellites/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">to Launch</a> a Solution for Advertising from Satellites</li>
 <li>MTUCI <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mtuci-to-launch-a-research-project-on-implementing-6g-in-russia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Preparing </a>a Research Project on Implementing 6G in Russia</li>
 <li>Moscow <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/moscow-department-of-transport-introduces-samsung-pay-to-troika/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Integrates </a>Samsung Pay with Troika Virtual Fare Card</li>
</ul>

 
 

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 GOV AGENDA
 Russia <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russia-to-create-a-unified-digital-platform-for-science/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">to Create</a> a Unified Digital Platform for Science
 Market Players <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/market-players-speak-on-the-upcoming-roadmap-for-digital-platforms-and-ecosystems-regulation/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Speak </a>on the Upcoming Regulatory Document for Digital Platforms and Ecosystems
 Government <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/government-approves-a-roadmap-for-electric-transport-development-in-russia-through-2030/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Presents </a>a Roadmap for the Development of Electric Transport and End-to-End Technologies
 </div>
 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/" style="" target="_blank">More news →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 INVESTMENT DEALS&nbsp;
</h2>

<ul>
 <li>Yandex <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/yandex-to-acquire-ubers-interest-in-foodtech-delivery-and-self-driving-businesses/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">to Acquire</a> Uber’s Interest in FoodTech, Delivery and Self-Driving Businesses</li>
 <li>Sberbank <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/sberbank-might-bring-part-of-its-ecosystem-to-ipo-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Might Bring</a> Part of its Ecosystem to IPO in 2023</li>
 <li>Delivery Service Dostavista <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/delivery-service-dostavista-raises-35-million-rebrands-to-borzo/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Raises </a>$35 Million, Rebrands to Borzo</li>
 <li>MegaFon <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/megafon-estimates-its-share-in-aliexpress-at-1-6-billion/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Estimates </a>its Share in AliExpress Russia at $1.6 Billion</li>
</ul>

 
 

<hr />
<h2>
 OPINION
</h2>

 
 What Russian AI industry has to offer the world?

 <div>
 <a class="image_link" target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/what-russian-ai-industry-has-to-offer-the-world/">
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/8a027778-682c-5d0f-92a4-c9ac4a7500cb.png">
 </a>
 </div>
 
 Source: Yandex
 

 
 

 
 Despite the industry’s heavy reliance on government support, Russian AI-based companies manage to come up with some of the leading solutions on a global scale. The problem is, oftentimes those solutions are not visible on the world AI map.

 
 ICT.Moscow discussed the specifics of the industry with a lead expert, a chief analyst at the MIPT Center for Artificial Intelligence Igor Pivovarov. He shared some of his insights on how foreign actors view AI in Russia, talked about the problems of the industry, the impact of the pandemic on the demand for technologies, and Russia’s entry into international markets. 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/what-russian-ai-industry-has-to-offer-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Read the full article →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 ANALYTICS AND INSIGHTS
</h2>

 
 researches, monitorings, reports and other analytics of Moscow and Russian IT market

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/spam-and-phishing-in-q2-of-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">KASPERSKY LAB</a>: Spam and phishing in Q2 of 2021 →</li>
</ul>

 
 in Q2 of 2021, after a prolonged decline, the share of spam in global mail traffic started to grow again and averaged 46.56%.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/the-largest-integrators-of-industrial-robots-in-russia-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">TADVISER</a>: The largest integrators of industrial robots in Russia 2021 →</li>
</ul>

 
 Data from 72 Russian integrators were obtained and assessed for the survey of the largest Russian integrators of industrial robots.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/map-of-the-russian-arttech-market/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">RUSBASE</a>: Map of the Russian ArtTech-market →</li>
</ul>

 
 Based on big data analyses, researchers identified the most significant digital technologies that are already used in Russian and global manufacturing industry.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/russian-public-opinion-research-center-vtsiom-popularity-of-online-medicine-purchases-in-russia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">VCIOM</a>: Online medicine purchases in Russia →</li>
</ul>

 
 The study is designed to analyze transport systems in 25 cities of the world and to benchmark critical aspects of their performance that have the most effect on city residents’ transport needs and quality of life.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/ranking-of-edtech-companies-in-russia-at-the-end-of-q2-of-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">SMART RANKING</a>: Top EdTech companies in Russia at the end of Q2 of 2021 →</li>
</ul>

 
 Smart Ranking has compiled a ranking of the largest EdTech companies in Russia.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/" target="_blank">More analytics →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FROM MOSCOW
</h2>

 
 a showcase of some AI-based solutions using biometric data 

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/face-pay/" target="_blank">Face Pay</a></li>
</ul>

 
 Metro fare payment service.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/luna-platform/" target="_blank">LUNA Platform</a></li>
</ul>

 
 System of data management and person verification and indentification.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/findface-multi/" target="_blank">FindFace Multi</a></li>
</ul>

 
 A multi-object video analytics platform that allows recognizing faces and silhouettes of people, cars, and license plates in the video stream.

 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/search/?searchText=blockchain&category=card" target="_blank">More solutions →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 KEY ACTORS
</h2>

 
 discover people who stand behind the innovative companies and projects in Moscow

 
 Igor Pivovarov, chief analyst at the MIPT Center for Artificial Intelligence | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/igorpivovarov/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>

 
 Daniil Shuleyko, head of E-Commerce and Ridetech group of Yandex | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniil-syleiko-b183b254/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>

 
 Mike Alexandrovski, founder and CEO of Borzo (fromer Dostavista) | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-alexandrovski-ab37551/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>

 
 Alexander Malinin, Technical Director of Avant Space | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005029988267" target="_blank">Facebook</a>

<hr />
 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/?filterCategory=Tech-in-Moscow">Previous Tech in Moscow newsletters</a>

Top tech stories from August 23 – September 3

Tech in Moscow #28

In May, the American organization CNA (Center For Naval Analyses) <a href="https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/centers/CNA/sppp/rsp/russia-ai/Russia-Artificial-Intelligence-Autonomy-Putin-Military.pdf" target="_blank">published </a>a report "Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy in Russia", which provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of civilian and military artificial intelligence in Russia.

 
 ICT.Moscow discussed the report and the specifics of the industry with a lead expert <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/igorpivovarov" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Igor Pivovarov</a>, chief analyst at the MIPT Center for Artificial Intelligence, creator of analytical report "<a href="https://aireport.ru/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Almanac Artificial Intelligence</a>", organizer of the OpenTalks.AI conference, researcher and entrepreneur. He shared his insight on how foreign actors view AI in Russia, talked about the problems of this industry and possible ways to overcome them, the impact of the pandemic on the demand for technologies and the entry of Russian AI into foreign markets. Full interview in Russian is <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/interview-pivovarov/" target="_blank">available </a>at ICT.Moscow.

 
 

 
 WHAT THE CNA REPORT OVERLOOKED

 
 The study more or less clearly and accurately describes the state of affairs in Russia. Among the essential factors, the authors point out insufficient funding. They also note that in Russia the state is a major actor in the field of AI. I disagree with this point in particular, but they are right that some state-owned companies play a big role. Globally, the market is a driving force for AI technologies, because it is a matter of competition between companies, as well as their survival and business profitability. In Russia, the market is much less competitive.

 
 On the other hand, they did not write at all about Yandex, which in my opinion is the number one company in AI, a trendsetter and a global leader in certain technological areas. The authors conclude that the main dynamics and vectors of development in AI are set by large state-owned companies, primarily Sberbank. Yes, Sberbank is a key driver in AI regulation, but we also have a lot of private companies that are engaged in and apply these technologies. All that was largely overlooked. AI EDUCATION IN RUSSIA

 
 Another roadblock that the report touches upon is the brain drain. Russia holds high standards for education, but we don't know how to keep specialists from leaving the country. I was involved in the development of the national AI strategy and If I were to decide where to spend all the money, I would spend everything on education. I realized that education is Russia's key strategic advantage, but its potential hasn’t been achieved yet.

 
 In Russia, we have a fundamentally different educational system as compared to those in the West. Ours was built this way because of the state-planned economy we had in the past, which distributed a specific number of physicists, engineers, nuclear scientists, etc., annually. It turns out that we are initially stronger in fundamental education, but we lose in terms of the speed of adjusting today's educational programs to present-day needs

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 According to the new<a href="https://pages.coursera-for-business.org/rs/748-MIV-116/images/coursera-global-skills-report-2021.pdf" target="_blank"> Global Skills Report 2021</a> made by the educational online platform Coursera, Russia ranks 9th in the world in terms of competencies in business, technology and data science. Russian specialists demonstrate exceptionally high results in the field of computer programming, working with databases and web development. Last year, Russia was the country with the highest level of technology skills.  
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</div>
 
 Coursera
 

 
 

 
 RUSSIA ON THE AI WORLD MAP

 
 I'm afraid there are two reasons why Russian AI startups aren't considerably visible abroad. First of all, objectively, Russia isn’t up front in this field. The AI ​​market here in 2019 was estimated at 291.5 billion rubles ($3.8 billion), which is approximately 2% of the world market. There are around 500 companies on the Russian AI map, and about 250 of them are startups, compared to about 5,000 AI startups in the world.

 
 There is one more thing. Historically, Russian science mostly dealt with fundamental things, which often don’t even have any applied value. One of the most cited Russians in AI is Dmitry Vetrov. His <a href="https://bayesgroup.ru/about/" target="_blank">team </a>is engaged in deep mathematics in the field of neural networks. They make Bayesian ensembles, and they are broadly cited in academia. The media won’t cover their accomplishments, because they are doing something that lies much deeper than practical application. In the future, based on their results, developers will make neural networks with practical applications. In this sense, I have high hopes for our businesses. Yandex can offer a lot of great things for the media to write about.

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 AI Venture Labs 2020 map with AI solutions against COVID-19 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/top-100-ai-startups-companies-at-war-against-covid-19/" target="_blank">shows </a>three startups out of 100 having Russian roots.  
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</div>
 
 AI Venture Labs
 

 
 

 
 WHAT CHANGED AFTER THE PANDEMIC

 
 We have not yet published the data on the growth of the AI market in 2020, but over the year the market has grown significantly, both in Russia and abroad, precisely because of COVID-19. The pandemic has pushed mainly online services, and AI was a key factor. It has had an impact on healthcare, diagnostics as machine learning helps to classify images and react to them faster, predict what will happen next and shape the situation. In this sense, AI turned out to be in great demand, although it seems to me that it still has difficulties finding its way into healthcare. The medical community is too cautious and has very tough regulators.

 
 

 
 AI IN HEALTHCARE 

 
 There are three big problems with AI in healthcare in Russia. One of them is data, which is complex, unstructured, erroneous, and personal. Everything is complicated there. Another big problem is certification. It is not very clear how to certify something that does not have a clear order of action or an algorithm. In Covid times, everyone simply had to close their eyes on this in order to get the result. In peacetime, the problem takes years to be solved.

 
 The third problem is specific to Russia and generally very complex, which most of our companies have not even reached yet, but will soon: the payment problem. In this country, as in the rest of the world, everything is paid for through healthcare insurance, or compulsory medical insurance, in particular. The introduction of a new product for healthcare payment is always a difficult thing. The rest of the world at least knows how to deal with it, but in Russia, no one really knows. In this regard, I would say that the market is, in fact, too dependent on state policies. Something needs to be done to enable private companies to develop, while the state should become a transparent, fast and reliable buyer of services.

 
 

 
 GLOBAL THINKING

 
 Many Russian companies understand the need to become international, but selling abroad is not easy. To do this, you need to make a product that is competitive internationally, and for this, you need a general understanding of how to make such products. Overall, we have cases, we know that it’s possible. For example, we have the Prisma app that became quite popular globally. So, Russians are able to make good world-class products.

 
 There’s also a certain psychological factor, not only in Russia but all over the world. The Chinese look at China first, the Americans look at America. Only rare countries such as Israel understand that there is no one to sell to domestically. In Russia, people look at the Russian market primarily.

 
 

 
 MAKING RUSSIAN STARTUPS VISIBLE

 
 I do not see any particular difficulties for Russian companies to enter the international market. On the other hand, today's world is highly politicized, and, conventionally, when Huawei sells its cloud all over the world, people view it politically. I know for a fact that some of the biggest, high-profile international companies use Russian solutions, but they don't really want to be public about it, since, apparently, this carries certain political risks for them. It’s quite possible that there are much more of such cases than we know of.

 
 Grigory Sapunov's company Intento is a good example of an international company. It’s an American startup made by Russians, an aggregator of cloud APIs. It offers customers its API and internally mounts it on the API of different clouds. Intento shows exceptional growth in America, and its service is popular among big companies. So we can see positive cases and let's hope there will be more of them every year.

<hr />
 
 See ICT.Moscow's special project <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/projects/ai/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AI IN RUSSIA</a> to get more information on the topic: cases of implementation, market overview, open datasets.

An interview with a lead AI expert in Russia Igor Pivovarov 

What Russian AI industry has to offer the world?

Past week’s top tech stories from Moscow

 
 

<hr />
<h2>
 MARKET IN BRIEF
</h2>

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</div>
 
 Source:&nbsp;Wikipedia
 

 
 

<ul>
 <li>McKinsey <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mckinsey-names-moscows-transport-system-worlds-most-efficient/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Names </a>Moscow’s Transport System World’s Most Efficient</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>Moscow Metro App to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/moscow-transport-app-to-add-payment-with-facial-recognition/" target="_blank">Add</a> Payment with Facial Recognition</li>
 <li>Goldman Sachs <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/goldman-sachs-values-sberbanks-non-financial-ecosystem-at-17-6-billion/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Values </a>Sberbank’s Non-Financial Ecosystem at $17.6 billion</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>Russian Radio Research Institute (NIIR) to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russia-to-test-5g-on-6-7-6-8-ghz-band/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Test</a> 5G on 6.7-6.8 GHz Band</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>T1 Group, VTB and Huawei to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/t1-group-vtb-and-huawei-to-launch-a-fintech-jv-in-moscow/" target="_blank">Launch</a> a FinTech JV in Moscow</li>
 <li>New IT Platform for Telemedicine to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/new-it-platform-for-telemedicine-to-launch-in-moscow/" target="_blank">Launch</a> in Moscow </li>
</ul>

 
 

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 GOV AGENDA
 Russian Regulator <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-regulator-proposes-collecting-biometric-data-from-taxi-drivers-and-car-sharing-users/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Proposes </a>Collecting Biometric Data from Taxi Drivers and Car-Sharing Users
 Russian Supplier Portal <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-supplier-portal-added-to-g20s-list-of-innovative-procurement-practices/" target="_blank">Added</a> to G20’s List of Innovative Procurement Practices
 </div>
 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/" target="_blank">More news →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 INVESTMENT DEALS&nbsp;
</h2>

<ul>
 <li>15 Moscow Startups <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/15-moscow-startups-raise-7-9-ml-for-scaling/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Raise</a> $7.9 ml for Scaling</li>
 <li>Mail.ru Group to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mail-ru-group-to-invest-60-ml-in-aliexpress-russia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Invest</a> $60 ml in AliExpress Russia</li>
 <li>Sberbank <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/sberbank-buys-jivo-communication-platform/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Buys </a>Customer Service Platform Jivo</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>AI Startup ZeBrains <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/ai-startup-zebrains-raises-1-ml/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Raises </a>$1 ml</li>
</ul>

<hr />
<h2>
 ANALYTICS AND INSIGHTS
</h2>

 
 researches, monitorings, reports and other analytics of Moscow and Russian IT market

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/voice-ai-in-russia-2020-2025/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">JUST AI</a>: Voice AI in Russia 2020-2025 →</li>
</ul>

 
 An overview of voice AI market in Russia, which is expected to reach $120 million in 2021.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/top-russian-federation-predictive-analytics-startups/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">STARTUP PILL</a>: Russia’s 11 Best Predictive Analytics Startups of 2021 →</li>
</ul>

 
 Best startups that take a variety of approaches to innovating the Predictive Analytics industry.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/top-15-digital-solutions-in-manufacturing-industry/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">HSE</a>: Top 15 Digital Solutions in Manufacturing Industry →</li>
</ul>

 
 Based on big data analyses, researchers identified the most significant digital technologies that are already used in Russian and global manufacturing industry.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/urban-transportation-systems-of-25-global-cities/" target="_blank">MCKINSEY: Urban transportation systems of 25 global cities →</a></li>
</ul>

 
 The study is designed to analyze transport systems in 25 cities of the world and to benchmark critical aspects of their performance that have the most effect on city residents’ transport needs and quality of life.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/" target="_blank">More analytics →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FROM MOSCOW
</h2>

 
 a showcase of some Moscow-based emerging startups 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/intelligent-university/" target="_blank">Intelligent University</a>

 
 Online learning platform for up-to-date fields of study: environment, new media, entrepreneurship, soft skills, science and technology, art and culture

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/icowork/" target="_blank">ICowork</a>

 
 An online service that allows to choose, book and pay for the rental of a workplace in Moscow

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/saleschain/" target="_blank">SalesChain</a>

 
 A cryptocurrency platform for working with banks and leasing companies

 
 

 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/search/?searchText=blockchain&category=card" target="_blank">More solutions →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 MOSCOW IT: KEY ACTORS
</h2>

 
 discover people who stand behind the innovative companies and projects in Moscow

 
 Sergey Solovyov, CEO of T1 Group | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergey-solovyev-67146b1b/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>

 
 Ruslan Fazlyev, founder and CEO of Ecwid | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aznakai" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a>

 
 Timur Valishev, CEO of Jivo | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/timur.valishev" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a>

 
 Denis Shvetsov, CEO of Doctor Ryadom | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/denis.shvetsov.56/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a>

<hr />
 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/?filterCategory=Tech-in-Moscow">Previous Tech in Moscow newsletters</a>

The weekly observer of Moscow's tech stories

Tech in Moscow #27 (9 August - 13 August 2021)

According to McKinsey’s “Urban Transportation Systems of 25 Global Cities” report, Moscow is ranked first for its transport efficiency, with Shenzhen, and Singapore behind. Russia’s capital city has high public-transport efficiency, ranking first in the subcategory as well.

 
 Analysts highly regarded the level of electronic transport services in Moscow, including the development of transport mobile applications and the availability of Wi-Fi. According to this indicator, the Russian capital ranks third, behind only Madrid and Hong Kong.

 
 The Russian capital has secured a top ranking in improvement in several subgroups, including rail transport (where it ranks fifth), shared transport (sixth), and external connectivity (first). In addition, the city was ranked sixth in transport availability index and the second among the leading cities with top improvements in transport availability.

 
 Since 2018, Moscow has implemented several large-scale projects designed to upgrade its airport infrastructure. For example, Domodedovo has become Russia’s first airport to deploy baggage storage robotization systems and automated turnstiles; the air haven is currently testing a face recognition system.

 
 McKinsey’s “Urban Transportation Systems of 25 global cities” selected 25 cities for global ranking using five separate metrics: "availability", "affordability", "efficiency", "convenience", as well as "safety and sustainable development". In order to be included in the report, the population of the city must exceed five million people, with GRP per capita more than $10,000 and the number of cars more than 150 per 1,000 people.

<hr />
 
 Read McKinsey’s “<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/business%20functions/operations/our%20insights/building%20a%20transport%20system%20that%20works%20new%20charts%20five%20insights%20from%20our%2025%20city%20report%20new/elements-of-success-urban-transportation-systems-of-25-global-cities-july-2021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Urban Transportation Systems of 25 Global Cities</a>” report online

<hr />
 
 In November 2020, Moscow authorities <a href="https://transport.mos.ru/en/news/104216" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">announced</a> plans to launch a MaaS-platform (Mobility-as-a-Service) in the city. It will combine all city and several private transport services. To learn more, read ICT.Moscow's <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/maas-in-global/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">insight</a> on the prospects of MaaS in global cities.

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</div>
 
 McKinsey&nbsp;
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/ru/news/mckinsey-nazvala-transportnuiu-sistemu-moskvy-samoi-effektivnoi-v-mire" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian) </a>