Novosibirsk announces new $3bn cluster town for IT and biopharma workers
The Novosibirsk region, in Siberia, has unveiled plans to build between now and 2020 what they call “Sibacademsoft,” a new $3bn integrated cluster based on the already existing biopharma and IT innovation clusters in the area.
Dec 18, 2012
Sibacademsoft is projected to grow into a cluster town for regional IT and biopharma specialists, a home for more than 52,000 people. Under plans, it will be built in proximity to the renowned Novosibirsk Academgorodok, the core of the region’s scientific and R&D activity, offering "all conditions for specialists to live and work."
"The project will have a range of funding sources, including federal, regional and municipal coffers, and non-budgetary sources, including banking loans and contributions from the companies that will join the new integrated cluster. The Novosibirsk region has plans to allocate for the next eight years no more than $470m," said Alexei Strukov, first deputy chairman of the Novosibirsk Regional Government and the regional minister of economic development.
Of the amount, about $270m will be invested in new social infrastructure projects, such as kindergartens, schools, medical institutions, and sports and recreation facilities. The remaining $200m will be allocated for preparing land sites, and building engineering and road infrastructure, the government official added.
The future cluster town will cover an area of an estimated 600 hectares, and the project initiators expect to build there 1,820 square meters of new housing.
In addition, a number of specialized facilities will be built, including a biotech business incubator to develop and make vaccines and other drugs; a clinical trials center; a high-speed computing center; and an IT and data processing center.
The region hopes that the new project will help Sibacademsoft resident companies boost their annual sales from $785m in 2011 to as much as $3.75bn eight years from now. Contracts with international customers are reportedly expected to account for at least 30% of the total sales.
Novosibirsk expects at least 100 companies, each with annual revenue of no less than $10m, to join the new Sibacademsoft project.
"The project will have a range of funding sources, including federal, regional and municipal coffers, and non-budgetary sources, including banking loans and contributions from the companies that will join the new integrated cluster. The Novosibirsk region has plans to allocate for the next eight years no more than $470m," said Alexei Strukov, first deputy chairman of the Novosibirsk Regional Government and the regional minister of economic development.
Of the amount, about $270m will be invested in new social infrastructure projects, such as kindergartens, schools, medical institutions, and sports and recreation facilities. The remaining $200m will be allocated for preparing land sites, and building engineering and road infrastructure, the government official added.
The future cluster town will cover an area of an estimated 600 hectares, and the project initiators expect to build there 1,820 square meters of new housing.
In addition, a number of specialized facilities will be built, including a biotech business incubator to develop and make vaccines and other drugs; a clinical trials center; a high-speed computing center; and an IT and data processing center.
The region hopes that the new project will help Sibacademsoft resident companies boost their annual sales from $785m in 2011 to as much as $3.75bn eight years from now. Contracts with international customers are reportedly expected to account for at least 30% of the total sales.
Novosibirsk expects at least 100 companies, each with annual revenue of no less than $10m, to join the new Sibacademsoft project.