September 17, 2012
The story of one housewarming. Moving to Hypercub, Skolkovo Resident
Housewarming is, as you know, a joyous, but very troublesome event. The solemn event with participation of the management of Skolkovo, friends and partners of the Fund was held in Hypercube on September 15. The day before, we decided to see how the transfer will take place for one of the sixteen residents of Hypercube, who won the tender for the right to be the first inhabitants of Skolkovo.
The Fund's resident, the company PharmaSapphire, develops high-precision dosing pumps based on a synthetic single crystal sapphire. This resident of Skolkovo left the day before the solemn event from his old office, which was located in one of the small business centers in Moscow.
With the office, where the company spent several years, the team broke up without much regret, although there was some excitement. According to the staff, they were especially worried about whether it would be convenient for everyone to get to the new office, especially for those who travel by public transport. Perhaps this was the only thing that worried, but we are glad that in the past there are memories of many years of work on the principle of "in crowded, but not offended", that ahead of a more interesting and rich life.
"For us, it is important that what our guests, clients and business partners will see there and here. It's just, as they say, heaven and earth, "while distracted from charges, says the director of PharmaSapphire Vitaly Savenkov.
"There we will have at times more opportunities to build cooperation," -
PR director Anna Strizhkina adds, which helps her boss to assemble to a new place
"There we will have at times more opportunities to build cooperation," -
PR director Anna Strizhkina adds, which helps her boss to assemble to a new place
As, probably, always in such cases the company has to translate a huge amount of business and technical documentation, equipment, advertising materials, etc., etc.
Yes, moving business is fussy and troublesome. I would not want to get in the way at such a moment, so I ask questions, catching the seconds when the team is interrupted by the hassle of moving. I offer help, but here just (as, incidentally, by the way!) A new advertising banner is late from the printing house, so the move is postponed for an hour. In the end, we get a very thorough conversation. In the course of which it turns out that there is nothing to regret at all for new settlers at all. Before moving to Hypercube, the company rented an office with a total area of 50 meters. This includes a corridor and toilets. Actually, the room for work was in sight not more than 20-25 "squares". And for this "beauty" the company was laying out a rent of 500-600 dollars per year of rent per square meter.
"We are planning that a team of five people will permanently work in Hypercube, the backbone of which will be the sales director, the head of advertising and public relations, the marketing director," says Vitaly Savenkov, general director of Pharma Sapphire LLC. Thus, the premises in the Hypercube for this company, as, probably, for most others, will become a front-office.
In one of the RAS labs there is a high-precision equipment, working with accuracy to nanometer machines, on which "PharmaSapphire" processes a synthetic single crystal. Sapphire (or, more accurately, "leucosapphire", ie, transparent sapphire), which in strength and other important characteristics is second only to diamond and has practically zero porosity. But even a product from technical ceramics has pores in which the old medicine is clogged. Scientists explain that the old medicine is eaten in the pores of the pump-dispensers so that when you switch from manufacturing one type of medicine to another expensive dispenser, you just have to throw out and buy a new one.
Yes, moving business is fussy and troublesome. I would not want to get in the way at such a moment, so I ask questions, catching the seconds when the team is interrupted by the hassle of moving. I offer help, but here just (as, incidentally, by the way!) A new advertising banner is late from the printing house, so the move is postponed for an hour. In the end, we get a very thorough conversation. In the course of which it turns out that there is nothing to regret at all for new settlers at all. Before moving to Hypercube, the company rented an office with a total area of 50 meters. This includes a corridor and toilets. Actually, the room for work was in sight not more than 20-25 "squares". And for this "beauty" the company was laying out a rent of 500-600 dollars per year of rent per square meter.
"We are planning that a team of five people will permanently work in Hypercube, the backbone of which will be the sales director, the head of advertising and public relations, the marketing director," says Vitaly Savenkov, general director of Pharma Sapphire LLC. Thus, the premises in the Hypercube for this company, as, probably, for most others, will become a front-office.
In one of the RAS labs there is a high-precision equipment, working with accuracy to nanometer machines, on which "PharmaSapphire" processes a synthetic single crystal. Sapphire (or, more accurately, "leucosapphire", ie, transparent sapphire), which in strength and other important characteristics is second only to diamond and has practically zero porosity. But even a product from technical ceramics has pores in which the old medicine is clogged. Scientists explain that the old medicine is eaten in the pores of the pump-dispensers so that when you switch from manufacturing one type of medicine to another expensive dispenser, you just have to throw out and buy a new one.
"When the technopark will be built, we will certainly use its capabilities, if they, of course, will suit us," says Vitaly Savenkov
For the production of high-strength and high-precision dispensers, with a warranty period of up to 15 years (the strength of sapphire monocrystal allows), the company needs super-modern equipment that is expensive. Such processing is possible only on unique machines, which are generally still small in the world.
"We also need to measure up to 1 nanometer, that is, the numbering is at the level of one angstrom," says the director of PharmaSapphire, explaining that tracking of surface roughness with accuracy of one angstrom is required. Although the technopark already has an electron microscope, which it sees with a resolution of up to 2 nanometers, in this case it is not enough.
"We also need to measure up to 1 nanometer, that is, the numbering is at the level of one angstrom," says the director of PharmaSapphire, explaining that tracking of surface roughness with accuracy of one angstrom is required. Although the technopark already has an electron microscope, which it sees with a resolution of up to 2 nanometers, in this case it is not enough.
In "Hypercube" the company has already scheduled meetings with potential buyers and investors from Germany, Belgium, France
"There we will not be ashamed to invite our potential customers at the level of Phizer, Berlin Chemie, who spend enormous money on the purchase of this very expensive and short-lived expendable equipment," says Vitaly Savenkov.
The company needs partners and investors to launch a product on the market that they plan to sell to pharmaceutical companies during the first five years. And in the future, they are also expected in the food, chemical, petrochemical, perfume, cosmetic and machine-building fields. "The dispenser is the heart of any unit, it works in different constant modes, while it wears out. And the equipment is expensive, "explains the director of PharmaSapphire.
These devices have become the most expensive consumables, while today foreign manufacturers guarantee only one year for their dosers, while the price of our dispensers is much lower and they are biologically compatible with the body, blood, do not enter into chemical reactions. For a pharmaceutical company, replacing a set of dispensers may cost about half a million euros.
These devices have become the most expensive consumables, while today foreign manufacturers guarantee only one year for their dosers, while the price of our dispensers is much lower and they are biologically compatible with the body, blood, do not enter into chemical reactions. For a pharmaceutical company, replacing a set of dispensers may cost about half a million euros.
The dispenser of the western production costs about 500 thousand rubles ("FarmaSapfir" is ready to offer the market dispensers for 250 thousand rubles). But competitors have a history and a recognizable brand on the market. In order to offer the Russian and global markets a more competitive product, serious work is still to be done on crystallography.
"Skolkovo has a wonderful start, and it is also very necessary for us, we really need additional opportunities for R & D," says Vitaly Savenkov.
"Skolkovo has a wonderful start, and it is also very necessary for us, we really need additional opportunities for R & D," says Vitaly Savenkov.
Director of Sales "FarmaSapfir" Eugene Mukhanov, who is responsible, including for the selection of distributors and exclusive dealers on all continents, says that it is extremely important for the company to have the appropriate premises to fit into the international standards of GMP, without which to enter the foreign pharmaceutical markets You can forget. "According to these rules, the whole world is now playing, and they also include the premises where equipment for pharmaceuticals is manufactured, strictly specify the area, the height of the ceilings and even the clothes in which employees walk," says Mukhanov.
So, part of thorns on the way to the stars for this resident is already behind. It was nice to see them on September 15, a bit tired, but joyful and smiling, finally received a warrant for new housing from the head of the partner organization - Business School Skolkovo Ruben Vardanyan.
And as parting words and a guide to action - the words of the president of the Skolkovo Foundation Viktor Vekselberg:
"Today is our first housewarming with you, you will be in charge of this building!"
In its new prestigious, spacious and bright office, where there is a place for presentation of products, PharmaSapphire will work side by side with its colleagues from other scientific start-ups. This is not in closeness, and especially not in resentment, but rather in mutual synergy.
"Today is our first housewarming with you, you will be in charge of this building!"
In its new prestigious, spacious and bright office, where there is a place for presentation of products, PharmaSapphire will work side by side with its colleagues from other scientific start-ups. This is not in closeness, and especially not in resentment, but rather in mutual synergy.
