History
Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree "On the working group to draft a project for a geographically isolated complex for research and development and commercialisation of their results." Appointed to lead the working group was the first Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration and Deputy Head of the Commission on Modernisation Vladislav Surkov.
Dmitry Medvedev, in his annual address to the Federal Assembly, said that the Government has to provide for the expansion of grant support to developers of new technologies on a competitive basis. "Development institutes must engage in search and selection of prospective projects throughout the country,” the President noted that they should provide financial support to innovative enterprises, including small innovative companies that are today being established under current legislation within universities and research institutes, and share risks with private investors.
In addition, the President said that we should complete the "development of proposals to establish in Russia a powerful research and development center that would focus on the support of all areas."
According to President Medvedev, this meant the creation of a modern technology centre, "in other words, this would be something like Silicon Valley in California, and other similar international centres. An attractive environment for the work of leading scientists, engineers, designers, programmers, managers and financiers would be formed there. In addition, new competitive technologies in the global market would be created there."