Master industrial park’s phase 3 opens up in Naberezhnye Chelny

Russia’s economy minister Elvira Nabiullina praised Tatarstan’s achievements in promoting and supporting small business. She said it at the opening of the Master industrial park’s phase 3 in Naberezhnye Chelny.

The Master IP was set up in 2004 by the Tatarstan government and Kamaz automaker on a fifty-fifty basis. The production facilities took a total of 115 thousand square metres, while office premises were located on 33 thousand square metres.

In 2007, the Master IP applied to the Russian economy ministry for a national business projects competition. The project was approved, and the industrial park received subsidies of 980.6 million roubles, to set up the phase three.

A total of 137 production companies of various business types, from engineering to public service, are now residents in the park. The total personnel is 1,620, the turnover in the 5 months of 2010 has been 2.3 billion roubles.

Elvira Nabiullina said the Russia ministry supported the project as it had proved its relevance.

“Tatarstan does a lot for small business. In the difficult last year, 47 thousand new small and medium businesses were set up, which increased their number in Tatarstan by 25 percent, while the growth in Russia in average totalled 9 percent,” she said.

“The focus here is on production, on developing innovative business. That is why it is very important that new facilities have been built in the industrial park. They are not just walls but all the services and logistics companies need,” Nabiullina enhanced.

The Tatarstan President thanked the Russian minister for support, expressing expectation the ministry would continue to aid Tatarstan in developing small and medium business.

The Master IP is an example of how small business can progress in Russia, said Kamaz CEO Sergey Kogogin. Kamaz is beginning a similar project in Yaroslavl, he added.

It is small business that amid the crisis displayed maximal adjustability to the changing environment. “The local residents had to optimise their costs, slightly reduce the personnel but they saved production. All factors evidence to that we made effective moves,” the auto giant’s general director said.

Elvira Nabiullina said in an interview later the Master IP project met all the Russian government’s priorities in terms of supporting small business. “The complete range of services for undertakers is provided here, and such parks allow to considerably reduce the red tape,” the minister shared.