In March 2006, the Russian government approved a program to create technoparks, which will incorporate high-tech enterprises in such sectors as nano-, bio-, information and other kinds of technology, as well as scientific research organizations, educational institutions providing staff for such enterprises, and other related ventures.
"A technopark is an area of residential and industrial buildings, built near a large educational or scientific institution," Ilya Ponomarev explained.
The area of each technological park will be about 700,000 square meters, with 40% of this designated for residential buildings, 25-30% for industrial purposes and 30-35% for infrastructure.
The construction of two industrial parks in the west Siberian city of Novosibirsk and in the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia's Volga region is currently underway. This year construction work will begin in the central Russian cities of Obninsk in the Kaluga Region and in Nizhny Novgorod on Volga, as well as in Tyumen and Kemerovo in western and southwestern Siberia, respectively.
In 2009, Russia will begin building technoparks in Chernogolovka in the Moscow Region, as well as in St. Petersburg.
The state will allot approximately $1.3 billion for the project, around 15% of all construction costs. Private investment is expected to exceed $6 billion.
