„A state does not get a Silicon Valley at the press of a button”

Jane Zavalishina about Russia’s digital economy

Russia’s potential for digital innovation is enormous, talents abound and banks as well as state authorities are often more digitally adept than their Western counterparts when it comes to dealing with end customers. Nonetheless, the conditions set by the state impede the sector’s competitiveness. This also hinders much needed investments for Russian start-ups that require access to global markets.

Jane Zavalishina, founder of Mechanica AI, is one of the leading managers in the Russian tech sector, including former head of Yandex Data Factory. In an interview with Alena Epifanova, she talks about the country's huge potential, the opportunities for Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications, the desire for more proliferation in the start-up sector and why women play a much bigger role in this industry in Russia.

Listen to the full interview with her in English here.

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