The Skolkovo Technopark has signed a cooperation agreement with Parque Tecnologico de Andalucía in southern Spain, expanding the Russian relationship with the Costa del Sol far beyond tourism
The deal, struck this week by Skolkovo Technopark General Director Renat Batyrov and his Andalusian counterpart Felipe Romera, runs for three years and grants access to science and administrative resources for both parties in the other country.
“Many Russians love to vacation on the Costa del Sol,” Romera told sk.ru. “Practice shows that those who chose us as their holiday destination sooner or later seek the opportunity to work in Andalusia. We’re ready to offer that possibility,” he said.
According to local government figures, Russian tourist numbers to Andalusia more than doubled between 2000 and 2010, with more than 600,000 Russians visiting the Costa in that final year.
Batyrov referred to Spain as “an interesting partner” in a deal that would be of huge benefit because “Spanish companies are traditionally strong in IT and biomedicine.”
Batyrov, left, and Romera shaking hands after signing the cooperation agreement in Moscow
The deal provides the infrastructure and administrative support for resident companies to enter the Russian and Spanish markets, simplifying access to laboratories and local government as well as facilitating conferences and business meetings.
Both technoparks will act as conduits for correspondence between resident companies and provide consultation services for legal and regulatory frameworks.
The deal runs through summer 2017 and may be prolonged.
The 65,000 sq. m Skolkovo Technopark is in the heart of the Skolkovo Innovation Center outside Moscow. Construction is nearly completed and parts of the Technopark are due to come online later this year.
It is fully integrated into the global innovation community through membership of Technopark-Alliance.
Since opening in 1992, the Malaga-based Parque Tecnologico de Andalucía has provided for the opening of 630 companies, employing a total of 15,000 people.