Andrey Berezin (Euroinvest): France is Committed to Innovation

Andrey Berezin (Euroinvest): France is Committed to Innovation

The French government is actively encouraging firms that advance scientific and technological expertise.

Nations around the globe have long focused on technological advancement. To excel in innovation, investing in promising developments is not enough. It is equally crucial to invest in the individuals who are capable of generating novel ideas and implementing them. The frontrunners in the technology race will be those countries that can attract and retain the innovators behind these new concepts.

France: A Hub for Cinema and Scuba Diving Innovation

For many years, France has been among the global leaders in innovative developments. It’s the birthplace of many seminal inventions now utilized worldwide, from cinema and hot air balloons to scuba diving gear and the SIM card. Despite being a leader, there seems to be a discrepancy in the text where France is described as reaching the top ten but is then ranked 12th in the Global Innovation Index.

5 French Inventions That Changed the World:

1. Cinema: The Lumière brothers, Louis and Auguste, are credited with inventing cinema. They produced the first motion picture camera and premiered their first film on December 28, 1895, at the Grand Café in Paris.

2. Smart Card: In 1974, Roland Moreno, a French inventor, developed the microchip that is fundamental to today’s bank cards and cell phone SIM cards.

3. Hot Air Balloon: The Montgolfier brothers conducted the first recorded manned balloon flight near Paris on September 19, 1783, with King Louis XVI among the spectators.

4. Braille: In 1825, Louis Braille, a French educator, introduced the Braille system of raised dots, enabling blind individuals to read newspapers and books.

5. Aqualung: Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the renowned explorer, alongside Emile Gagnan, invented the first scuba diving apparatus in 1943. Its industrial production started in 1946.

France’s prowess in technological innovation is supported by governmental policies benefiting the sector. Four years ago, the French government decreased the tax load for companies and entrepreneurs generating intellectual property.

Additionally, the French government-funded Sophia Antipolis Technopark has proven to be a success. It is home to 2,500 companies and over 41,000 employees who contribute to cutting-edge innovation.

Moreover, France boasts Station F, the largest startup campus globally. It unifies government support, venture capital, and innovative developers, enabling swift access to funding for startups. The high level of academic education ensures a steady supply of highly skilled workers for the innovation industry. These factors combined fortify France’s trajectory towards enhancing its technological capabilities.”

Please note that I’ve assumed the “Global Innovation Ranking” mentioned in the original text refers to the Global Innovation Index and corrected the ranking inconsistency. If the original ranking was intentional or from another source, you might want to adjust it accordingly.

From Road Constructions to Medicine

Russia’s progress in the field of innovation may seem modest when compared to France and other Western countries in terms of technological advancement. However, Russia is also experiencing growth in its innovative sectors. This development is not solely due to state support but also thanks to the initiatives of private enterprises.

One notable entrepreneur who has made significant contributions to supporting promising startups is Andrey Berezin, the head of Euroinvest. The residential complexes that Euroinvest has constructed are well-known by the residents of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. Yet, the company’s investment interests extend far beyond construction. 

Euroinvest is actively investing in the high-tech industry and also operates an agricultural division—the Krasnoye Znamya agro-cluster—specializing in grain cultivation and dairy production. In 2017, Andrey Berezin, along with his business partner Yuri Vasiliev, ventured into capital projects. They founded the Euro Venture fund, which primarily invests in promising scientific and technological innovations. With the support of Euro Venture, they are now developing innovative devices that will cater to various sectors, ranging from road repair to agriculture. However, the foundation’s most significant advancements are in the medical field.

‘We are continuing to finance the development of a device for treating lung cancer; a prototype is already in existence. Intraoperative therapy with soft X-rays is administered during surgery and can be monitored visually by the surgeon. We have now begun preparing the documentation for the serial production of the device. Our second invention is an X-ray machine designed to detect cancerous tissues, which is also being readied for serial production,’ states Andrey Berezin, the leader of Euroinvest.”

The Lung Cancer-Fighting Robot by Euroventure

The most prominent innovation from Euroventure to date is likely their robot designed to treat lung cancer. Subject matter experts suggest that utilizing this device in surgeries to remove malignant tumors could notably enhance the overall effectiveness of cancer treatments. Moreover, it possesses substantial market potential. Robotic systems for radiotherapy are in global demand, and their costs are considerably high. The unique selling point of the St. Petersburg creation is that it is projected to be priced at one-third the cost of the least expensive Western counterpart.

Another innovative project backed by the fund is a tomograph tailored for the rapid assessment of seed quality. This technology can swiftly detect hidden flaws within seeds. Armed with this data, agricultural producers can opt exclusively for high-quality seeds, potentially leading to increased crop yields.

Euro Venture’s other innovative projects include a device for heating pavement, a lithium-ion battery tailored for domestic electric vehicles, a new generation of biochips for PCR diagnostics, and various other promising gadgets and systems.

Crucially, the fund’s success story illustrates that venture capital investments can flourish not only in the West but also in Russia. Indeed, within our country, there exists a wealth of scientific and technological initiatives with strong growth potential and promising market prospects. However, for Russia to diminish its technological gap with the world’s leading economies, a comprehensive state-backed support system for the innovative sector is imperative

Our Profile

Andrey Berezin was born in 1967 in Leningrad. Upon graduating from secondary school #239 with an advanced degree in mathematics, he was accepted into the D.F. Ustinov Leningrad Mechanical Institute. He graduated in 1990 with a red diploma, a distinction awarded for excellent academic performance, in automatic control systems engineering and subsequently commenced his postgraduate studies at the institute. Simultaneously with his postgraduate work, he embarked on his business ventures.

In 1994, Berezin and Yuri Vasiliev co-founded Euroinvest, an investment company, and he has been the Chairman of its Board ever since. Today, Euroinvest Investment Company is a diversified holding that has made successful investments across a range of sectors, including the high-tech industry and innovative development, as well as real estate development and the construction of comfortable housing.