The Russian government will discuss allocating 15 billion rubles ($500 million) next year for a new high-tech hub in Skolkovo, presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich said on Tuesday.
"In 2011, we expect that a total of up to 10 billion rubles will be allocated for activities of the modernization commission and separately 15 billion rubles for Skolkovo, which will include support of business projects," Dvorkovich told a news conference.
"But this is not a final sum...I cannot say now whether the figure will be higher or lower."
This year the government has allocated 10 billion rubles for activities of the commission which approves projects and distributes funds for their development, Dvorkovich said.
The commission has distributed five billion rubles worth of projects so far with the remainder to be distributed among other projects and Skolkovo.
President Dmitry Medvedev wants to steer foreign investor interest away from its traditional industries of oil and gas toward new technology.
In February 2010, Medvedev announced the establishment of a modern powerful center for research and development, which the media quickly dubbed Russia's Silicon Valley after the Northern Californian region that has served as a model for such centers in the United States and around the world.
Skolkovo is being built from scratch 20 km outside of Moscow. Research at the center will focus on five priority spheres: energy, information technologies, communication, biomedical research and nuclear technologies.
Russia considers the development of the high-tech and innovation sector a top priority, pledging billions of dollars to finance the sphere.
MOSCOW, June 15 (RIA Novosti)
