Russian science park project to continue despite doubts in viability – deputy PM

(Interfax – Zelenograd, April 5, 2013) The Skolkovo (science park) project will be carried out despite the doubts in its viability circulating in society, the deputy PM and government Chief of Staff, Vladislav Surkov, has said.

“Despite various opinions and discussions in society we will have our own way and will still continue building Skolkovo,” he said at the meeting with the representatives of the Russian high-tech business.

In particular, Surkov noted that “not an obscene sum of money” was allocated for Skolkovo.

Speaking on the situation with high technologies in general, he said, there were still not enough companies dealing with it in Russia. “We are, of course, at the beginning of the way,” he noted. “There are not many of us actually, we are in the minority but I hope that we will grow in number from year to year,” Surkov said.

He also expressed hope that the number of the companies built from the ground up would increase. “Brand new things may emerge only separately from our traditional structures.”

Surkov went on to say that the programme of economic development and innovative economy had been adopted in Russia. He said: “By 2020 more than R160bn (about 5bn dollars at current exchange rate) will have been allocated as part of the innovative subprogramme.”