The Forum on Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnologies has started its work
The International Forum on Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnologies has opened in St. Petersburg
The official portal of the Administration of St. Petersburg
The International Forum on Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnologies has started its work today at the Palace of Labor. This is a key event in Russia dedicated to strategic issues of innovative development of the pharmaceutical, biotechnological and medical industries. The Forum is being held in St. Petersburg for the second time. This year it gathered specialists from 250 companies operating in 15 countries of the world.
The participants and guests of the forum were addressed by the Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko. He noted that with the support of the federal center, the St. Petersburg pharmaceutical and medical industry cluster, created two years ago, continues to develop actively. Currently, 15 investment projects for the construction of new production facilities are under implementation. The volume of investments is estimated at 29 billion rubles. The city creates all conditions for investors to work. Pharmaceutical companies are completely exempt from paying property tax in respect of newly commissioned fixed assets, the income tax rate has been reduced to 13.5 percent, the period of use of tax benefits has been increased from three to five years, the rent for land for the period of construction and reconstruction has been reduced for investors. In addition, the city is fully committed to the infrastructural preparation of territories for the construction of new pharmaceutical enterprises. For example, 400 million rubles have been allocated from the budget of St. Petersburg for the preparation of the Pushkinskaya industrial zone, and now four companies have started design and construction.
Most of the pharmaceutical cluster enterprises will be located on the territory of the Special Economic Zone of St. Petersburg, in the offices of Neudorf and Novo-Orlovskoye. Laboratory complexes of the companies "Biocad" and "Pharm-holding" have been opened in the administrative and business center "Neudorf", where students and postgraduates of St. Petersburg universities can engage in research activities. The construction of plants of Novartis, Vertex, Pharmasynthesis, Immuno-Hem and other leading players of the domestic and global pharmaceutical market begins in the Novo-Orlovskoye branch. It is planned that a number of production facilities will be put into operation this year.
The next step in the development of the St. Petersburg pharmaceutical cluster will be the creation of a "Life Science Park". The concept of the project is being developed, which will allow to comprehensively address the issues of developing the infrastructure of biotechnologies and the bio-industry.
"In the plans for the development of the pharmaceutical cluster, we count on the support of the business community in promoting key projects, in developing a dialogue between business and government, in improving investment legislation, in creating transparent and understandable rules and procedures for all market participants," Georgy Poltavchenko said.
The head of Rospotrebnadzor, Elena Telnova, stressed that this forum is very important. The pharmaceutical market is undergoing serious, qualitative changes, and St. Petersburg is among the leaders of innovations in this industry. Yesterday, the state laboratory complex for quality control of medicines was opened in the city. As Elena Telnova emphasized, it is among the best in Russia, and unique specialists work here.
According to Sergey Tsib, Head of the Department of Chemical and Technological Complex and Bioengineering Technologies of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, a model of interaction has been created in St. Petersburg between various organizations and structures that effectively promotes the introduction of advanced technologies.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru26.04.2012