Innopolis Special Economic Zone

SEZ “Innopolis” (Russian: Иннополис) is a high tech innovation hub located in the city of Innopolis in the Republic of Tatarstan. The Innopolis zone also bears the designation of a special economic zone (SEZ). On November 1, 2012 the Government of the Russian Federation issued a decree creating special territories to attract investment and develop the IT-industry in the region. A special economic zone provides its residents and partners with tax and customs benefits, insurance premiums, rental incentives and a number of other preferences.[1]

Special economic zone "Innopolis"
Company typeJoint-stock company
FoundedNovember 1, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-11-01)
Headquarters
Russia
Area served
The Republic of Tatarstan, Verkhneuslonsky and Laishevsky districts
Websitehttps://sezinnopolis.ru/en/

The SEZ is located in the Verkhneuslonsky and Laishevsky municipal districts and occupies a total area of 311 hectares. As of 2020, 109 companies were residents of the Innopolis SEZ, with 26 of them participating as partners, and another 50 as startups. These companies have provided jobs for 3.8 thousand people and invested about 27 billion rubles into the economy of Tatarstan.[2][3]

History

edit

Special economic zones in the Russian Federation

edit

Special economic zones (SEZs) are territories endowed with special legal status in the Russian Federation that provide advantageous economic conditions for their residents and partners. SEZs are designed to attract direct investment as well as foster entrepreneurship and development in the region. Investors in such zones receive tax and customs benefits, rental incentives, special infrastructure and other opportunities. Foreign residents are able to take advantage of simplified regulatory procedures related to investment, administration and business operations. As of 2020, there were 33 special economic zones in Russia, seven of which are technology innovation zones. According to the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, the latter contribute to the development of “innovative activities for the creation and distribution of scientific and technical products and their industrial application.” Russian tech innovation SEZs are usually located in research and educational centers and are designed to promote innovative industries.[4][5]

Innopolis

edit

On November 1, 2012, the Government of Russia adopted Resolution No. 1131 on the creation of the SEZ “Innopolis” with a total area of 311 hectares within the Verkhneuslonsky and Laishevsky districts of Tatarstan.[6] This SEZ became the fifth technology innovation zone in Russia and the second special economic zone in Tatarstan after the establishment of “Alabuga”.[7] At the end of 2017, shares of both “Alabuga” and “Innopolis” worth about 32 billion rubles were transferred to right-to-use arrangements to the government of the Republic of Tatarstan.[8] In 2019, the territory of Innopolis was removed from the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Digital Development to the control of the Minister of Economy of Tatarstan, a decision that, according to the government of the republic, will contribute to the “acceleration of institutional development.” In practice the Innopolis economic zone is managed by its general director Renat Khalimov and the local administration. Particularly important decisions are considered by the Board of Directors chaired by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.[9]

Economics

edit
 
Innopolis under construction, year 2014

Tax procedures and benefits

edit

The SEZ "Innopolis" was established as a locus of entrepreneurial activity in order to attract financial and intellectual resources to the IT-industry.[1] Innopolis investors and residents receive special preferential tax and duty treatment. The SEZ applies a special customs regime without the import and export rates.[7] From January 2020 until 2023, residents can pay taxes under simplified tax schedules of 1% of total income or 5% from the “income minus expenses” option.[10][11] The SEZ administration believes that the reduced tax rate will attract investment in small and medium-sized business projects in the IT sector. Since the end of 2019, 39 new startups with ready-made projects have been accepted by Innopolis. Over the next ten years, Innopolis is expected to attract a hundred new residents and 380 small and medium-sized businesses.[12] The 2020 preferential package offers residents a free coworking space, their own office in a technopark, and preferential rental housing. Additionally, Innopolis offers a free business acceleration program, free mobile internet and a one-year subscription to online entertainment services.[13]

In the summer of 2012, an office of SEZ “Innopolis” was opened in California to attract investors as well as to help Russian entrepreneurs gain access to international business infrastructure and recruit foreign specialists under special conditions.[7] Currently, students and instructors from 37 countries live in Innopolis.[14]

In August 2020, the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and General Director of Russian Post Maxim Akimov signed an agreement on creating Russia's first free economic zone for cross-border Internet commerce in Innopolis. By November, the company plans to build a new bonded warehouse and create a hub to accelerate international mail transport between Europe and Asia.[15][16]

Partners and residents

edit

As of 2020, 109 companies in the zone have the status of resident and 26 more are partners of the Innopolis SEZ. These include Acronis, Cognitive Technologies, Schneider Electric, MTS, Yandex, Gazprom Neft, Alfa-Bank, Sberbank, Tinkoff Bank, Magnit IT Lab and others.[17] According to reports, residents and partners have provided more than 3.8 jobs in Innopolis. In November 2020, nine companies became new residents and partners of the Innopolis SEZ and were expected to create more than 250 new jobs.[3] By this time the overall level of announced investment in IT-Industry through the project had reached a record level amounting to 43 billion rubles.[18]

Infrastructure services

edit
 
Residential area of Innopolis, year 2016

The Innopolis economic zone consists of two sites located in the Verkhneuslonsky and Laishevsky districts. The main site with a total area of 192 hectares is located in downtown Innopolis and accommodates the offices of IT companies and laboratory facilities. The second site of 118 hectares is allocated for manufacturing and is located not far from the Kazan international airport. Additionally, the SEZ has an “IT Specialist Recruitment Center founded by the Innopolis City Hall, which helps residents to monitor the job market and recruit personnel in the region.[19]

We have identified for ourselves two so-called “magnets” that will attract IT companies to Innopolis — a SEZ, which provides companies with significant tax preferences, and an international IT university that will train highly qualified personnel.[20]

— Roman Shaikhutdinov, Vice Prime Minister of Tatarstan and Minister of Informatization and Communications

Innopolis has integrated representatives from local government as well as a developing social and recreational infrastructure for its employees and guests. As of 2020, the city had a kindergarten, a school, an IT lyceum for 153 students, a sports complex, a medical center, post offices and banks, supermarkets, bars, cafes, restaurants and other facilities.[21] In August 2020, a cultural center ArtSpace with an area of 2.2 thousand square meters was opened in Innopolis and the President of the Republic Rustam Minnikhanov attended its opening ceremony.[22][23]

The Innopolis University is the main educational project of the SEZ.[24] The university annually trains over 800 bachelors, masters and postgraduate students in IT and robotics. According to the Prime Minister of Tatarstan Roman Shaykhutdinov, most graduates from the university work in the SEZ and in the university faculty.[25]

Technology parks

edit

The SEZ infrastructure includes a multifunctional technology park named after Alexander Popov with offices, development centers and conference halls. As of 2020, the technology park with a total area of 40 thousand square meters provided workplaces for more than 1,500 employees. In 2016 the administration of Innopolis decided to build a second working space.[26] This new technology park named after Nikolai Lobachevsky is designed to support an additional 1,500 employees and is scheduled for completion in 2021.[27]

Transport

edit

The city of Innopolis is 40 km away from Kazan and constitutes a part of its urban agglomeration. Transport accessibility is ensured by a network of roads that is part of the federal highway M7, the proximity of river transport (Sviyazhsk) and the presence of helipads. Innopolis is located 60 km from the Kazan International Airport and 33 km from the main railway station. In 2020, there were two bus routes circulating between Kazan and Innopolis.[28][29][30]

In 2018, Innopolis became the first city in Europe to launch unmanned Yandex taxis. Five test stations are located near main destinations like: the university, the stadium, the medical center, the Zion residential complex and the technology park. As of 2020, six unmanned vehicles were running in the city daily, with average ride times of 7–10 minutes. In August 2020, the Prime Minister of Tatarstan, Roman Shaykhutdinov, announced the joint plans of the Innopolis University and Kamaz to launch an unmanned heavy truck.[31][25]

Engineering infrastructure

edit

Heat is supplied to Innopolis from an automatic boiler house with a capacity of 32 MW built in 2015. Due to the lack of its own water resources, water supplied to the city is taken from the Volga. To ensure a regular water supply to the SEZ, new treatment facilities and pumping stations were built in a short timespan of three months.[32][33] In August 2013, the first section of a 3.29 km gas pipeline was launched in Innopolis. Two years later, Gazprom Transgaz Kazan completed the construction of a branch of the Kazan-Gorky gas trunk line to Innopolis.[34][35] In 2016, Megafon installed fiber-optic communication links in the SEZ providing a connection at a speed of up to 10 Gbit/s.[36]

Housing

edit

According to official statistics, more than 5,000 people visit the Innopolis economic zone every day, of which 3,781 live there permanently. At the end of 2019, the housing stock in the city consisted of 22 residential buildings with 1,572 apartments available for rent.[37] For residents, 21 townhouses with a total area of more than 16 thousand square meters have also been built. In 2017, the Innopolis administration announced plans to build commercial housing for sale.[38] In March 2020, four developer companies expressed their interest in investing in the commercial housing and urban infrastructure of Innopolis.[39]

Awards and achievements

edit

In 2018, the Innopolis SEZ received an award for the federal Special Economic Zones in the category of the Social Environment for the development of the region's business ecosystem. In 2019 and 2020, the economic zone was included in the fDi Magazine’s Global Free Zones of the Year 2019 Awards receiving several nominations at once. The SEZ “Innopolis” is also a member of the World Free Zones Organization and a member of the Association for the Development of Clusters and Technology Parks of Russia.[40][41][42]

References

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ a b Yusupov & Sagdieva 2015, p. 82—86.
  2. ^ "В ОЭЗ "Иннополис" разработают систему беспилотного движения в метро и единую платформу для зарядки электромобилей" [The SEZ “Innopolis” will develop a system of unmanned metro and a unified platform for charging electric vehicles]. C-News. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b "В Татарстане разработчики беспилотного метро пришли в ОЭЗ" [In Tatarstan, the developers of the unmanned metro applied to the SEZ]. РИА Новости [RIA Novosti]. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  4. ^ "ОЭЗ технико-внедренческого типа" [SEZ of technical and innovative type]. Министерство экономического развития РФ [Ministerstvo ekonomicheskogo razvitiia RF]. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Технологический тип ОЭЗ" [Technological type of SEZ]. Россия. Особые Экономические Зоны [Rossiya. Osobye Ekonomicheskie Zony]. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  6. ^ Дмитрий Медведев [Dmitry Medvedev] (7 November 2012). "Постановление Правительства Российской Федерации от 1 ноября 2012 г. N 1131 г. Москва "О создании на территориях Верхнеуслонского и Лаишевского муниципальных районов Республики Татарстан особой экономической зоны технико-внедренческого типа"" [Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation from November 1, 2012 N 1131 (Moscow) "On the creation of a special economic zone of technology-innovative type on the territories of the Verkhneuslonsky and Laishevsky municipal districts of the Republic of Tatarstan"]. Российская газета [Rossiiskaia gazeta]. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  7. ^ a b c Кирилл Антонов [Kirill Antonov] (2012-11-02). "Программисты взяли Казань. В Татарии создана особая экономическая зона "Иннополис" для IT-компаний" [The programmers took Kazan. A special economic zone "Innopolis" for IT-companies was created in Tatarstan]. Коммерсантъ [Kommersant]. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Татарстану передали 100% акций ОЭЗ "Иннополис" и "Алабуга" на 32 млрд рублей" [Tatarstan was transferred 100% of shares of SEZ "Innopolis" and "Alabuga" for 32 billion rubles]. «БИЗНЕС Online» [BUSINESS Online]. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  9. ^ Наталья Голобурдова, Линар Фархутдинов, Ксения Соколова, Алексей Лучников, Максим Кирилов [Natalia Goloburdova, Linar Farkhutdinov, Kseniia Sokolova, Aleksei Luchnikov, Maksim Kirilov] (2019-10-23). "Новая гавань Иннополиса: Шайхутдинов и Хайруллин оформили развод?" [New harbor of Innopolis: did Shaikhutdinov and Khairullin separate?]. «БИЗНЕС Online» [BUSINESS Online]. Retrieved 2020-10-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Артур Дулкарнаев [Arthur Dulkarnaev] (14 January 2019). "Особая экономическая зона Иннополис" [Special economic zone Innopolis]. VC.ru. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  11. ^ "Льготы для резидентов ОЭЗ "Иннополис"" [Benefits for residents of the SEZ "Innopolis"]. Innopolis. Официальный сайт. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  12. ^ Ирина Егорова [Irina Egorova] (16 June 2020). "Налоговый эксперимент: помогают ли льготы Иннополису" [Tax experiment: do benefits help Innopolis]. KazanFirst. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  13. ^ Таня Боброва [Tanya Bobrova] (2 March 2020). ""Иннополис" предложил ИТ-стартапам налоговые льготы, место в коворкинге и подписку на сериалы в обмен на переезд" [Innopolis offered IT startups tax incentives, a coworking space and a subscription to TV series in exchange for a move]. VC.ru. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  14. ^ Кирилл Антонов [Kirill Antonov] (30 August 2012). "Кремниевая долина по-татарски" [Silicon Valley in Tatar style]. Коммерсантъ [Kommersant]. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  15. ^ "В Иннополисе подписали соглашение о создании первой в РФ бондовой зоны" [An agreement on the creation of the first free economic zone in the Russian Federation was signed in Innopolis]. РБК. 2020-08-24. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  16. ^ ""Почта России" откроет в Иннополисе первую в стране бондовую зону" [Russian Post will open the country's first free economic zone in Innopolis]. Россия. Татарстан [Rossiya. Tatarstan]. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  17. ^ "ОЭЗ "Иннополис" составила каталог успешных ИТ-компаний" [SEZ "Innopolis" compiled a catalog of successful IT companies]. Министерство экономического развития РФ [Ministerstvo ekonomicheskogo razvitiya RF]. 19 December 2019. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  18. ^ "Новые резиденты ОЭЗ "Иннополис" вложат в проекты 43 млрд рублей" [New residents of the SEZ “Innopolis” will invest 43 billion rubles in projects]. Коммерсантъ [Kommersant]. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  19. ^ "ОЭЗ "Иннополис" получила три награды в мировом рейтинге особых экономических зон" [SEZ "Innopolis" received three awards in the world ranking of special economic zones]. Хайтек [Hitech]. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  20. ^ "Для ОЭЗ "Иннополис" в Татарстане определили управляющую компанию" [A management company has been appointed for the SEZ “Innopolis” in Tatarstan]. ИА REGNUM [IA REGNUM]. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  21. ^ Сергей Подгорнов [Sergey Podgornov] (14 August 2017). "Иннополис - будущая IT-столица России" [Innopolis is the future IT capital of Russia]. Элита Татарстана [Elita Tatarstana]. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  22. ^ "Новый культурный центр ArtSpace открыли в Иннополисе с участием Минниханова" [A new cultural center ArtSpace opened in Innopolis with the participation of Minnikhanov]. Татар-информ [Tatar Inform]. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  23. ^ Ксения Соколова [Ksenia Sokolova] (26 December 2019). ""Средняя зарплата – под 90 тысяч": Роман Шайхутдинов о том, как "газанул" Иннополис" ["The average salary is under 90 thousand": Roman Shaikhutdinov on how Innopolis moved ahead]. «БИЗНЕС Online» ["BUSINESS Online"]. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  24. ^ Елизавета Приставка [Yelizaveta Pristavka] (28 October 2020). "Университет Иннополис стал третьим среди вузов страны по качеству приема абитуриентов" [Innopolis University became the third among the country's universities in the quality of admission of its applicants]. Хайтек [Hitech]. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  25. ^ a b Екатерина Ларионова [Yekaterina Larionova] (20 August 2020). ""Иннополис стал новой точкой развития России": Шайхутдинов о резидентах, беспилотниках и пандемии" ["Innopolis has become a new center of development in Russia": Shaikhutdinov on residents, drones and a pandemic]. События [Sobytiya]. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  26. ^ "Технопарк Иннополис" [Technology Park in Innopolis]. Индустриальные парки и технопарки России [Industrialnye parki i tekhnoparki Rossii]. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  27. ^ "В Иннополисе возобновляют строительство второго технопарка" [Construction of the second technology park resumes in Innopolis]. RusCable.ru. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  28. ^ "Расписание автобусов Казань — Иннополис" [Bus schedule Kazan - Innopolis]. Автовокзалы.ру [Avtovokzaly.ru]. 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  29. ^ "Дорога в Иннополис: миллиард за 2 километра" [Дорога в Иннополис: миллиард за 2 километра]. «БИЗНЕС Online» ["BUSINESS Online"]. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  30. ^ "Дмитрий Медведев и Рустам Минниханов открыли Иннополис" [Dmitry Medvedev and Rustam Minnikhanov opened Innopolis]. РБК [RBC]. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  31. ^ "Беспилотник до работы и обратно" [Unmanned to work and back] (in Russian). Яндекс.Go [Yandex.Go]. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  32. ^ "Как устроена инженерная инфраструктура Иннополиса" [How the engineering infrastructure of Innopolis is arranged]. Издательский дом Гелион [Izdatelskii dom Gelion]. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  33. ^ "Ведется монтаж очистных сооружений СБО-2000 для ОЭЗ "Иннополис" в Республике Татарстан" [Installation of treatment facilities SBO-2000 for SEZ "Innopolis" in the Republic of Tatarstan is underway]. 345 Механический завод [345 Mekhanicheskii zavod]. 10 July 2015. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  34. ^ "До "Иннополиса" довели газопровод" [Gas pipeline was brought to Innopolis]. РБК [RBC]. 2013-08-21. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  35. ^ ""Газпром" подключил Иннополис к газопроводу "Казань-Горький"" [Gazprom connects Innopolis to the Kazan-Gorky gas pipeline]. Коммерсантъ [Kommersant]. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  36. ^ ""Мегафон" подключил к скоростному интернету резидентов "Иннополиса"" [Megafon connected the residents of Innopolis to high-speed Internet]. Cnews. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  37. ^ "Беспилотник до работы и обратно" [Unmanned to work and back]. Реальное время [Realnoe Vremya]. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  38. ^ "Талгат Абдуллин застраивает Иннополис: арендные панельки и "коммерческие" кварталы" [Talgat Abdullin builds up Innopolis: rental panels and "commercial" quarters]. «БИЗНЕС Online» ["BUSINESS Online"]. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  39. ^ Лилиана Набиуллина, Эльвира Вильданова, Олег Платонов [ Liliana Nabiullina, Elvira Vildanova, Oleg Platonov] (11 March 2020). "В Иннополисе появятся гостиничный комплекс и коммерческое жилье" [New hotel complex and commercial housing to appear in Innopolis]. РБК [RBC]. Retrieved 16 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  40. ^ "fDi's Global Free Zones of the Year 2019 – the winners". fDi Intelligence. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  41. ^ "ОЭЗ "Иннополис" стала членом Ассоциации развития кластеров и технопарков России" [SEZ "Innopolis" became a member of the Association for the Development of Clusters and Technoparks of Russia]. Газета Республика Татарстан [Gazeta Respublika Tatarstan]. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  42. ^ "ОЭЗ "Иннополис" вошла в международный рейтинг особых экономических зон" [SEZ "Innopolis" entered the international rating of special economic zones]. Татар-Информ [Tatar Inform]. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.

Bibliography

edit
edit