OREANDA-NEWS. January 21, 2009. The first Russian-Finnish companies connected to the Alakurtti Techno Park could be established already in September, Head of the Alakurtti municipality, Stepan Olenich, believes.

Recently Mr. Olenich had a meeting on the project with Murmansk Oblast governor Yury Yevdokimov, news web site Murmansk.ru reports. The governor is worried about the situation in Alakurtti, a small town on the Russian-Finish border which used to host a military base. To a certain degree Alakurtti has experienced deterioration and despair after the closing of the base. Establishment of the Russian-Finnish Techno Park is expected to bring employment and prosperity to the town.

Finland has allocated 84 000 EUR to a preliminary planning design of the project, but for the actual technical and economic feasibility study, more money will be needed. The regional government in Murmansk is hoping to be able to attract federal authorities to the project. A proposal has been made to the Ministry for Regional Development to include the Alakurtti Techno Park in the federal program for Economic Growth Zones, and an application for federal budget funding has been sent the Ministry of Education and Science, who is responsible for establishment of Techno Parks in Russia.

Mr. Olenich remains an optimist and believes that the first Russian-Finnish companies connected to the Alakurtti Techno Park could be established already in September.

Lately, Sweden has also been showing interest to the Techno Park, and is now ready to join the project. The Murmansk regional government is also interested in Norwegian participation in the project, but so far no Norwegian investors have come forward.