Today There Was A Meeting on Issues of Entrepreneurship Support and Creation of Special Infrastructure for Development of Small and Medium-size Business

Issues of entrepreneurship support and creation of special infrastructure for development of small and medium-size business were discussed at a meeting with participation of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, Chief Executive of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Linar Yakupov, Deputy chairman of State corporation “Bank for development and foreign economic activity” (Vnesheconombank) Mikhail Kopeikin, Director of Department for small and medium-size entrepreneurship of RF Ministry of Economic Development Natalia Larionova.
A meeting themed “General standards of creation and management of industrial parks and formation of special entrepreneurship programs by the State corporation “Bank for development and foreign economic activity (Vnesheconombank)" and JSC SME Bank was held on the territory of technopolis Himgrad (Kazan) on December 12. 
Addressing attendees of the meeting Rustam Minnikhanov said today serious projects in the sphere of entrepreneurship cannot be realized without federal and regional support.  
Being one of Russian regions Tatarstan has enough experience in the sphere of development and support of small and medium-size business, in particular, creation of special sites for entrepreneurship, Rustam Minnikhanov marked. He believes creation of such infrastructure (technopolises, technoparks, business incubators) is so popular among businessmen. Rustam Minnikhanov cited IT-park High Technology Park, Master Kama Industrial Park and Idea Technopark as a good example of interaction between state (creation of infrastructure) and business (resident companies).  
Rustam Minnikhanov informed currently the share of small and medium-size entrepreneurship in GRP makes 24,6% in Tatarstan,. According to RT President this number can be increased in petrochemistry, oil processing, mechanical engineering and other spheres.  
Speaking about one more industrial platform – Alabuga Special Economic Zone Rustam Minnikhanov said there are now 20 residents. In the nearest three years planned investment in Alabuga SEZ will make 70 bln roubles.  
Financial investments of the state in creation of infrastructure for development of business and entrepreneurship bring results, Rustam Minnikhanov stated. By his words Tatarstan experience can be used in other regions as well.  
Deputy chairman of State corporation “Bank for development and foreign economic activity” (Vnesheconombank) Mikhail Kopeikin told about mechanisms of support of projects on developing territorial industrial clusters by Vnesheconombank. He informed about serious plans of the bank on financing high-tech projects in the sphere of auto production, chemistry and petrochemistry, oil processing, etc. All these projects should be aimed at modernization or development of high-tech sector. The bank also offers major program on supporting small and medium-size entrepreneurship.
According to Mikhail Kopeikin Tatarstan is the leading region in terms of entrepreneurship development and gaining of financial support for realization of projects in this sphere. “We consider Tatarstan as the site for implementing pilot projects including funding models of projects on cluster development”, Mikhail Kopeikin said.  
Chairman of Himgrad technopolis Board Albert Karimov, Director-general of Master KIP  Maksim Steblov, Director of GAU IT-park High technology park Dinar Nasyrov told about organization of infrastructure for entrepreneurship support in Tatarstan and payoff from projects.  
Director of Department for small and medium-size entrepreneurship of RF Ministry of economic development Natalia Larionova told about realization of state financial program of supporting small and medium-size entrepreneurship in terms of supporting industrial parks and centres of cluster development.
Summing up, Tatarstan President offered RF Ministry of economic development and Vnesheconombank to consider opportunity of expanding state support of entrepreneurship.  
Rustam Minnikhanov believes today it is up to the state to create infrastructure for entrepreneurship, thus rendering real support for small and medium-size business.

Joint Action Plan on cooperation in the sphere of small and medium-size entrepreneurship support was signed by Vnesheconombank and Tatarstan Investment Development Agency. The Document was signed by Chief Executive of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Linar Yakupov and Deputy Chairman of State Corporation “Bank for development and foreign economic activity” (Vnesheconombank) Mikhail Kopeikin.

Further, a loan contract was signed between JSC SME Bank and State Non-Commercial Organization “Investment and Venture Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan”.

Moreover, an investment agreement was signed between Idea Innovative Technopark, LLC Izvarino Pharma and LLC Technology Transfer Centre.