IBM and SAP inked cooperation agreements almost simultaneously this week with the Skolkovo Foundation, the state sponsored organization in charge of developing a state-of-the-art innovation hub near Moscow.
Both companies intend to create research and development facilities at Skolkovo. IBM’s researchers will work on smart technologies for use in oilfields, mobile NFC technologies, and road traffic security technologies. At the beginning, before the physical completion of Skolkovo, the R&D center will be hosted by an existing IBM laboratory in Moscow, and employ as many as 170 people until the end of next year.
In addition, IBM will offer its expertise to help Skolkovo set up an efficient IPR protection system.
The SAP Lab will dedicate itself to a variety of high tech programs, including the development of security management systems for big cities. The SAP Lab could start operations at the beginning of 2012 with a team of 70 employees, a number that could grow to up to 250 by the end of 2015. Investment in the SAP Lab could total €45 million ($60. 3 million).
With 51% of the Russian business software market, SAP announced a few months ago that it will invest €1 billion in Russia and the CIS markets by 2015, hinting at a possible cooperation with Skolkovo.
Skolkovo cooperates with a number of other foreign tech giants, including Cisco, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Microsoft and Intel.
Source: Digit.ru (RIA Novotsi), CNews.ru
