http://en.rian.ru/business/20080610/109875025.html Alcatel, Microsoft, Intel could join IT park in Russia's Volga area
NIZHNY NOVGOROD, June 10 (RIA Novosti) - France's mobile phone firm Alcatel and U.S.-based computer giants Microsoft and Intel could join an IT park that Russia is building in the Volga area city of Nizhny Novgorod, the regional investment policy minister said Tuesday. "The project is being developed with co-financing from the federal budget. AlcatelĀ is considering accommodating a lab complex and an administrative building at the Ankudinovka IT Park. Talks are also underway with Microsoft and Intel," Dmitry Svatkovsky said. A total of 1.15 billion rubles ($49 million) will be allocated for the design and construction of the IT park, with most of the funds going toward engineering infrastructure. The IT park project is estimated at 15 billion rubles ($635 million), with 1.1 billion rubles ($47 million) to be allocated from the federal budget and 1.8 billion rubles ($76 million) from regional coffers. The project envisages the construction of an administrative and business center as well as an engineering and laboratory complex in its first stage, a business incubator during the second stage and production facilities at the third stage. The Ankudinovka IT Park is expected to open in 2011. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]