The president of Boeing for Russia and the CIS says the aviation giant’s research center at Skolkovo should be up and running by the end of the year.
President of Boeing for Russia.CIS Sergei Kravchenko. Photo: sk.ru
Boeing is a key partner of the Skolkovo Foundation, a status that obliges the company to build research facilities at the Skolkovo Innovation Center, where it can then enjoy a wealth of benefits including tax breaks and access to the latest Russian innovations.
“We are currently completing our Aviation Training Center, which will train flight personnel and engineers,” said Sergei Kravchenko, Boeing’s top official in Russia and the surrounding republics, in comments carried by the Kommersant business daily.
“I was at the construction site recently and was I blown away: Not only will there be stunning aviation simulators designed and produced in Russia, but it will all be staffed by Russian scientists and programmers,” he added.
“I think in November or December the building work will be finished and we will begin work at the new center. It’s funny, just 18 months ago we announced this project in the presence of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev,” Kravchenko said.
The research facility, known as Boeing's Moscow Design Center, will house nearly 300 IT specialists, engineers and researchers to support Boeing Commercial Airplanes programs.
Then-President Dmitry Medevdev signed the partnership agreement with Boeing on his trip to the United States in 2010.
The project brings together Boeing, Russian company TRANSAS, the Industrial Investors group and the Skolkovo Foundation.
TRANSAS produced half of all the class D aviation simulators for airplanes and helicopters in Russia. A Boeing 737-800 simulator was put on display at the Skolkovo Hypercube in 2013.