Sber Design Laboratory is led by industrial design veteran Vladimir Pirozhkov, who previously headed design divisions at Citroën and Toyota. This leadership is highlighted by the bank’s press service.
The new lab at Sber will explore advanced design across multiple domains, including industrial, communications, digital, architectural and interior design, and it will also develop design education programs within Russia.
The laboratory’s development aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Russian business by delivering unique prototypes and ideas that shape the future direction of technologies and environmental aesthetics in the country, according to the official statement.
According to Sberbank President German Gref, design and innovation start with a focus on people and on sensing what matters to them.
The lab is tasked with making the interactions between people and Sber more harmonious, and the president extended goodwill to Vladimir Pirozhkov and his team for their work ahead.
Pirozhkov has been associated with notable Russian projects, including contributions to the development of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft, the design of torches used at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, the interior design of the new Orel spacecraft, and involvement in the prototype center at NUST MISIS.
Today, Sber’s organizational framework encompasses laboratories focused on artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics, virtual and augmented reality, neuroscience, and human behavior, among others, reflecting a broad commitment to integrating technology with design and user experience.