General Director of the Novgorod Special Economic Zone Artur Ayupov informed the journalists about it on 11 April. The area of the first production building is 38 thousand square meters, it is the size of five soccer fields. In September the residents will be able to bring in the equipment, and in November/December the building will be put into operation.
“Sewage and water supply systems have been completed, the boiler house is running in the commissioning mode. The roof and all steel structures have been built. We are completing the construction of interior utility lines. We plan to finish the first production building this year, and afterwards we will keep developing the site, see which modules are in higher demand and design new parameters of the facilities,” Artur Ayupov said.
The building is divided into 10 modules, which are ready-to-use production sites with standalone heat, water and power supply, as well as with own sewage system. And some of them are already occupied by future residents. While the first building will host residents belonging to industry, the SEZ site near Savino will be allocated to investors working in microelectronics business, and the site in Ermolinskoe settlement occupying 120 thousand square meters will be used by a single investor to build the Pletnikha production and logistics hub.
There also are some companies interested in the so called “green field” sites (land plots for construction to lease or buy provided with the necessary utility and transport infrastructure) to build their own plants, using some help from the SEZ managing company with the utility lines. On account of that, the SEZ territory will expand to 480 ha by the first quarter of 2024.
According to Artur Ayupov, SEZ is the point of growth for the industry. The business is attracted by tax incentives and a free customs zone. It allows to import equipment without duties and fees. As a result, its cost is reduced by some thirty percent.
“We are considering this site as a place to locate our own production facility, or maybe two or even three of them. Close location of the Novgorod SEZ to Saint Petersburg where we came from is one of its great advantages, as well as the options offered. We are very serious about becoming a resident to manufacture electric motors, thermal equipment and perhaps something connected with uninterrupted power supply,” Director of Elcom (Saint Petersburg) for International Trade Yakov Tsarev told the journalists during his visit to the SEZ.
With such concentration of modern enterprises, availability of personnel is becoming an issue. A student campus will help the SEZ residents with training of properly skilled professionals. It will be built within the framework of the “Science and University” National Project.
“Students that will live at the campus and study at the university and vocational schools will be trained on the basis of the dual system: 25% of time in class and 75% at the production facilities to gain practical experience. Such experience, for instance, is used at the Alabuga SEZ where the “Alabuga Polytech” educational centre operates. Therefore, after 4 years of studies they will be the prepared specialists,” Artur Ayupov continues.
But this will be in the future, and in the meantime the SEZ team has already selected 7 students and hired them as trainees. They have plans to hire 30 more students. After traineeship the young people will continue working at the SEZ managing company or at the resident companies.
As a reminder, the RF Government Decree on creation of the Novgorod SEZ under management of the Alabuga SEZ team was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in July 2021. Two companies got the SEZ resident status today: PREFABRIKA SEVERO-ZAPAD LLC and Novgorod Electric Systems LLC. The former will build a plant for production of prefabricated heavy and lightweight concrete houses. The latter will establish a plant for manufacture of complete switchgear and transformer (switchgear) substations.
The Novgorod SEZ functions within the framework of the “Formation and Development of Modern Infrastructure in the Novgorod Region for Entities Involved in Investment and Business Activities” regional priority project. It is aimed at the increase of investment activity and support of small and medium business.
12 апреля 2023 13:34:00
