Experience of the pharmaceutical cluster of St. Petersburg

As part of a visit to St. Petersburg, a delegation from the Kirov Region, led by Governor Igor Vasilyev, visited the Regional Engineering Center for Microreactor Synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and the "St. Petersburg State Chemical-Pharmaceutical Academy" (including its GMP Center) on February 26.

Today, continuing the working trip, the delegation—which includes representatives of the regional government and members of the Kirov Region's industrial biotechnology cluster—visited the pharmaceutical enterprises JSC "BIOCAD" and LLC "Geropharm," located within the special economic zone (SEZ) "Neudorf."

As explained by the Government of St. Petersburg, in January 2006, an agreement was signed between the Government of the Russian Federation and the city to create a technology-innovation type Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Its goal is the development of high-tech industries, the production of innovative products, the commercialization of achievements in science-intensive fields, and increasing the competitiveness of the region's economy.

A special regime for entrepreneurial activity is in effect within the SEZ. Investors receive state-funded infrastructure for business development, significant customs benefits and tax incentives, as well as the advantage of proximity to consumers. Dozens of residents are registered in the SEZ, including the visited JSC "BIOCAD" and LLC "Geropharm."

Recall that the working trip of the Kirov delegation is aimed at studying the positive experience of creating and developing the St. Petersburg pharmaceutical cluster, established in 2010. In the Kirov Region, the regional government began work on creating an industrial cluster last year under the leadership of Deputy Chairman Maxim Kochetkov. The main goal of creating the cluster is to obtain state support measures. Thus, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade has decided to prioritize the development of industrial clusters, where regional companies can receive support directly from federal sources.

The Association "Industrial Biotechnology Cluster" created in the Kirov Region includes heads of Vyatka State University, Kirov State Medical University, biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies. These include LLC "Nanolek", JSC "AVVA RUS", JSC "Kirov Pharmaceutical Factory", and others.

It is worth noting that the example of the St. Petersburg pharmaceutical cluster's development is successful and indicative when assessing best practices in the development of specialized industries. During the visit, members of the Kirov delegation had the opportunity to exchange positive experiences and obtain information on all topics of interest.