Zurich’s Technopark has been asked to help establish Russia’s "Silicon Valley", on the basis of its experience in promoting technology transfer.
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The German-language SonntagsZeitung reports that the Technopark is due to sign a memorandum of understanding on September 17 with Russian billionnaire Viktor Vekselberg, who is the Russian project leader.
The privately-financed Zurich Technopark was opened in 1993, and provides advice and locations for technology-oriented start-ups, with the aim of getting the results of scientific research onto the market.
The Russian government plans to set up a similar park in Skolkovo near Moscow, and wants to benefit from Zurich’s know-how in the conception of the park, and also in finding venture capital and in marketing. Skolkovo will also be able to use the logo.
Henning Grossmann, CEO of the Zurich Technopark, told the SonntagsZeitung that they would conduct regular quality controls of the Russian site.
It is planned that Skolkovo should join the Technopark Alliance, which includes parks not only in Zurich, but also Aargau, Lucerne, Lugano, Schlieren and Winterthur.
The Russian site is to have space for more than 500 firms. It is expected to cost $2 billion (SFr2.03 billion), the paper said.
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