This year the largest startup conference for tech entrepreneurs in Eastern Europe will host over 12,000 participants, 2,000 startups and 700 investors from 20 countries around the world.

In addition to Skolkovo’s traditional areas - IT, energy efficiency technologies, space technologies, nuclear technologies and biotechnologies, the program will now include a new category – agricultural technologies. This section will include topics such as 'Genomic and Conventional Selection of Plants and Animals', 'Precision Agriculture', and 'Advanced Processing of Agro Raw Materials and Waste'.

The program also includes visionary sessions on future technologies dealing with gadgets - 'Big Mobile Revolution', the role of women in innovation processes -'Womennovation', and transportation - 'Transport of the Future', 'Innovation in Railway Transport'.

This year the additional program will see an entire pavilion devoted to interaction between art and science including an Art & Science Day. All the gurus of modern art and science will gather in one place on June 2. They will talk about the amazing results that can be produced by the synergy of artists and scientists. The key speaker will be Dmitry Bulatov, the artist, theorist of art and curator of the National Center for Contemporary Art, whose works were presented at the 49th and 50th Venice Biennials.

The most spectacular event of the Startup Village 2016 will be the Open International Championship Formula Drone, which features FPV Drone Racing, and which any multicopter owner can take part in.

A separate AR/ZR Zone will showcase augmented and virtual reality. In addition, Sberbank will hold an Open Big Data Championship.

This year, the Startup Village website has a SV Partner service, where startups and investors can easily arrange meetings during the event. Featured filters help them find a desired partner and pre-arrange the meeting schedule.

The additional program includes several workshops on intellectual property to help startups gain crucial business and international communication skills.