The Republic of Tartarstan has laid plans for the construction of an IT village providing housing and modern infrastructure, including golf and ski facilities, for up to 20,000 IT professionals near the capital of Kazan. The planned community is intended to house a total population of 50,000.
The project – nicknamed “Tatarstan’s Skolkovo” by the Russian press, in reference to the innovation hub under completion near Moscow – is being funded from the regional budget with 100 billion rubles, or approximately $315 million.
Tatarstan’s vice premier Nikolai Nikiforov indicated that the construction will begin in Spring 2012. Construction will be led by the RSP Architects from Singapore, exemplifying the growing cooperation between Russia and Singapore in the field of innovation.
“For IT-companies and investors, Tatarstan will be a good alternative to the Moscow and St. Petersburg markets because of lower expenses for salaries”, said Nikiforov. Tatarstan authorities plan to attract up to 200 companies, including some companies presently based in Skolkovo.
An ambitious innovation agenda
The Autonomous Republic of Tatarstan stands out as one of the country’s most economically developed regions. It is situated on the confluence of the Volga and Kama rivers, approximately 800 km east of Moscow. Kazan, a city of more than 1.1 million, is the regional capital.
While already known for its developed assets in the oil and petrochemical sector, in aircraft manufacture, instrument and mechanical engineering, Tatarstan has also developed ambitious high tech projects for the past few years.
In 2009, Cisco took part in the creation of IT-Park, which claims to be the biggest technopark in Eastern Europe. After IT-Park opened a business incubator last April, the regional authorities are now considering creating another one in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan’s second largest city.
In April, a trade delegation of 25 leading European venture capital firms and top executives from major international technology corporations visited the 6th Kazan Venture Fair. This was the only regional event included in the delegation’s Russian program.
During a visit to Kazan in June, Google Russia representative Vladimir Dolgov praised Tatarstan for its Internet penetration rates, which stand among the highest in Russia. Dolgov offered to prepare a panoramic view of the sports infrastructure that will support Kazan’s Universiade Games in 2013.
Sources: Vedomosti, Tatarstan Ministry of Informatization and Telecommunications
