Saint-Petersburg was acknowledged as the most innovative Russian region

Saint-Petersburg took the first place in Russia’s innovation rating for the first time, shifting from the fifth place. The second place went to Tomsk region, and the third – to Kaluga region with Moscow taking the forth one.

As it was noted previously by OJSC RUSNANO CEO Anatoly Chubais, “Saint-Petersburg is one of the key regions for Russian nanoindustry development. It possesses unique scientific and educational potential, and can be supported by dynamic business development. RUSNANO designing companies have already been working in Saint-Petersburg: light-emitting-diode illumination engineering factory CJSC Optogan, nanostructure ceramics wear-resisting part production LLC Virial. Production sites of LLC Connector Optics to produce ultra-high speed energy-efficient optical components for communication networks, and LLC Optosense to produce small-scale explosive gas sensors, the second phase of LLC Virial, will be opened till the end of 2011.

According to the survey data, the key events in sphere of city innovations have been as follows:

- start of Yo-mobil production in Maryino industrial area in Petrodvorets district. Car assembly line is planned to start at the end of 2012 (with investments primarily from “Yo-Avto” and “Yarovit Motors”, in an amount of €150 mln.);

- signing of memorandum of intentions in relation to construction of the first in Russia protonic beam-therapy center in Saint-Petersburg. LLC “Nuclear medicine center” is ready to invest $150 mln. in the project. The planned object will become the first proton therapy industrial center in Russian Federation;

- signing of agreement on cooperation between Saint-Petersburg Government and Microsoft Corporation;

- AstraZeneca company’s announcement to create a bio-informatics and forecasting medicine center in Saint-Petersburg till the end of 2011;

- holding of 25^th European symposium on applied thermodynamics ESAT-2011;

- putting the first phase of the country biggest factory of super-luminous light-emitting diodes production in operation, under brand SVETLED;

- holding of Saint-Petersburg International Economic Forum, within which the city has signed over 10 agreements with the total volume of investments of about 100 bln. roubles. The money will be invested in Saint-Petersburg economy in the coming years;

- National Research Nuclear University MEPhI and Saint-Petersburg State Electrotechnical University were recommended as educational activities coordinators of Russian national nanotechnological network.

One more factor that allowed Saint-Petersburg to outrun other regions has been a system approach to innovations. In such a way integrated program “Science. Industry. Innovations” for 2012-2015 was accepted by the city government in June. “Program implementation will allow to contribute to stable development of city industry and science by means of modernization of key branches and infrastructure, utilizing internal market, labour capacity increasing, and organization of competitive and modern regional innovation system in Saint-Petersburg. Over 6.5 bln roubles will be assigned for its implementation,” – as the CEDIPT (Committee for Economic Development, Industrial Policy and Trade) Chairman Eugene Yelin emphasized.

Besides, Saint-Petersburg is one of the largest academic and educational centers in Russia, where about 10 % of country scientific potential is concentrated. The city possesses considerable industrial potential. New sites, large-scale projects to be realized on SEZ development and high-tech technoparks make new city economy’s infrastructure.

The main bet of Saint-Petersburg government is on city economy innovative development and creation of clusters which enable to reduce producer's costs considerably by setting effective chain of production and realization of finished products. Priority of economy development today is creation of a number of hi tech clusters: automobile construction, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, shipbuilding, ICT

Leading auto giants work is Saint-Petersburg – Toyota, Nissan, General Motors and Hyundai. Last year Hyundai company opened a total cycle technopark. Magna factory started car components production while MAN group confirmed its intention to open production facilities in Saint-Petersburg. A memorandum was signed with MAN Truck & Bus AG group on 14 April on foundation of an enterprise to produce over 6000 of cargo and passenger transport items per year, in Shushary industrial area. The concern is willing to invest about €25 mln and create about 100 working places. The first stage of the project will be finished in 12 months – in April of 2012.

Pharmaceutical cluster is developing successfully in the city. As it was announced earlier, a ceremony of factory foundation of Novartis Company, one of the leading world-recognized pharmaceutical producers took place on June 16 within Saint-Petersburg International Economic Forum. Also, within the Forum framework the memorandums with such world-wide pharmaceutical companies as Pfizer, AstraZeneca, MSD (“MSD Pharmaceuticals”) were signed. In total, nine capital investment projects of new factories construction were triggered in 2010, with total volume of investments of 25.12 bln roubles. Now negotiations are under way with a number of companies on localization of innovative production and development of R&D centers in the territory of the city.

The city on the Neva represents one of the Russia’s leaders in information technology development. Up to 60% of IT companies locate in Saint-Petersburg (there are as many as 49 centers of world and Russian leading ICT companies so far in the city). This is contributed both by strong scientific and research base, formed here historically and the measures aiming to develop the branch taken by the city government in recent years. Our city owns all the necessary infrastructure to create an ICT (information and communication) cluster: technopark, business incubator, modern universities and research institutes. That means we have succeeded in meeting one of the most important requirements to attract companies to this innovative economy segment. ICT cluster in Saint-Petersburg is being created on the basis of the current world experience. A significant cluster’s infrastructure element is the specialized high-tech Ingria Technopark, the main city’s project in the sphere of ICT. This is one of the most up-to-date and forward-looking Russia Industrial Parks. The first order of its objects will be put in operation as early as in the beginning of 2013. Saint-Petersburg provides all conditions including power-producing, architectural concepts and transport support, for the Park to work effectively. The total amount of investments to the project is 30 bln roubles.

Shipbuilding industry is traditional for Saint-Petersburg. In the city’s existing industrial system, shipbuilding takes one of the higher-priority places. City enterprises and organizations provide about 70% of all volume of economic and sci-tech output of the whole Russian Federation shipbuilding industry.

The city works on creation of radiological cluster which represents one of the most perspective markets not only in domestic, but in world medicine.

Source: IMA-press