OREANDA-NEWS. May 25, 2012. On the 23rd of May, Skolkovo Foundation President Viktor Vekselberg and KAMAZ CEO Sergey Kogogin signed an agreement to create a research and development center in the innovation center Skolkovo, with the total cost of the project planned at 1.3 billion rubles until 2016.

Under the agreement, Skolkovo Foundation and KAMAZ will develop energy efficient models, IT innovations, as well as space technologies and new telecommunication solutions. It is assumed that 50 people will work at the Research and Development Center of OJSC KAMAZ in Skolkovo by 2015.

Viktor Vekselberg, President of Skolkovo Foundation, said, “KAMAZ is the first automaker to open a research and development center in Skolkovo. Our new partner will develop leading-edge power efficiency technologies and hybrid power plants. KAMAZ plans to develop a new generation of trucks using breakthrough innovation techniques on world level in Skolkovo. And our task is to create the most positive environment for implementation of strategic plans."

In Skolkovo, KAMAZ will:

make trucks and buses using advanced power efficiency technologies, using alternative fuels;
use IT-technologies for intelligent control of trucks and buses;
use and improve the latest developments for satellite and other communications to create a common information space which enables a driver to continuously communicate with all road users, point policemen, a warehouse, customers, etc.

Sergey Kogogin, General Director of OJSC KAMAZ, said, "Development of the Russian truck industry depends on adoption of high technologies. I’m glad to announce that our company has got a research center in one of promising and fast developing scientific and technical complexes of Russia – Skolkovo."

In the first place, energy-efficient technologies will be implemented in Skolkovo till 2015. They will be used to create a series-hybrid vehicle with power-wheels; a series-parallel hybrid with power-wheels and a gear-motor drive; to use fuel cells, gas and gas-diesel engines, a technology of liquefied methane, lithium accumulator batteries, composite materials, and nano coatings, etc.