Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –
This year, the winner of the “Your Project” competition in the “innovation” category was a team from Novosibirsk: Alena Kozich, Ilya Kateshov, Artem Tretyakov and Nikita Konstantinov. In the fall, they will begin their studies in the “Managing research, development and innovation in the company” Artem and Nikita shared how the work on the case went and why they are looking forward to starting their studies at HSE.
— What did you like about the competition, and what caused difficulties?
— I liked the freedom to choose the topic for the scenario study, the task included many industries for the application of UAS, from agriculture and the oil and gas industry to transport and logistics work and medicine, which is what we chose. I also liked the clearly formulated task, which at the same time did not limit the space for research. The number of companies to be studied could be chosen independently: at least 1 company, at least 20 companies, it all depends on the strength of the team. Of course, when solving a complex task, difficulties arise, but it is the ability to cope with them that helps build a reliable and strong solution, so there is no point in being afraid of difficulties, they must be overcome.
— How did you distribute roles in the team?
— My team and I have been taking part in case championships since the first year of our bachelor’s degree and we are the organizers of a case club within our university, so during the time of solving cases we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Each team member was responsible for their own unique part of the work, and everyone’s skills helped us apply our efforts to the solution as effectively as possible.
The task was complex, so it was necessary to conduct a large block of analysis. After that, we moved on to forming a solution. At the analysis stage, we identified two main areas: analysis of foreign practices and analysis of the current situation in Russia for the implementation of new practices.
Two people looked for foreign practices, two analyzed the current situation. After that, they moved on to implementation. Implementation was also divided into several parts: calculating solutions and assessing their impact on business and the situation in Russia as a whole.
— Was the case difficult?
— The task was clearly formulated, from the very beginning the team understood what to do. The case turned out to be interesting, with the main focus on the study of scenarios and practices, as well as the argumentation of initiatives. The Zipline company website contained 90% of the information we needed, except for the financial statements, which we found in open sources. During the analysis, we actively maintained a board in Figjam (analogous to Miro for Figma) and recorded every potentially useful information.
In parallel, we analyzed federal laws and draft laws, and looked at the current situation of using UAS (unmanned aerial systems – Ed.) in Russia, because experience is also a limiting factor. Using UAS in specific regions is legally permitted, but consumers do not have active demand for the product, so it is necessary to think in a different direction. After all the practices were collected and the risks were analyzed, we began to generate ideas for using practices taking into account the limitations.
Some practices, as expected, could not be implemented due to restrictions at the regional level. We deleted some initiatives, but others that we thought were potentially profitable, we reworked in such a way that they did not affect the restrictions.
For example, delivery of first aid supplies using drones has been legally permitted in the Magadan Region since February 2025, so we decided to apply this practice specifically in the Magadan Region.
After generating initiatives and creating a strategy for their application, we began calculating financial models taking into account the economic context of the regions and the method of drone delivery. The last day, as befits true case study specialists, we devoted ourselves entirely to creating a presentation and additional analysis of the final solution.
— What are your expectations for the upcoming Master’s degree at HSE?
— Since last year, we have been planning to enroll in the innovation program. We expect a lot of practical work, but most of all we are looking forward to meeting cool guys in order to start doing something together and simply broaden our horizons.
Evgeniy Savelenok, Academic Director of the program “Management of Research, Development and Innovation in the Company”
“Initially, when preparing the case, colleagues had a request to monitor information from foreign sources about the state of affairs in the UAV industry with an emphasis on new technologies and products. As a result of the discussion, we supplemented the task with a creative part – generating a scheme and logistics for using UAVs in Russia, including calculating economic costs. The case turned out to be complex and practically applicable – our partners considered all the solutions, and applicants have the opportunity to present their developments to the company’s specialists.
The special thing about the competition is that you know the people who are going to defend their theses. This knowledge helps us to make a more informed assessment at the defense: we look at the work in the chat, and at the finished product, and at the individual achievements of the participants. As a rule, the more organized, united and active teams win. That is, we get applicants with whom we can get to know each other throughout the competition, watch them in action, observe their work. This is the right idea.”
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