On April 1, the Head of the Republic of Komi held a working meeting with Vitaly Khotsenko, Director of the Department of Regional Industrial Policy and Project Management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, and Andrey Shpilenko, Director of the Association of Clusters and Technoparks of Russia.

"Dear Vitaly Pavlovich, dear Andrey Viktorovich! First of all, I would like to thank you for the visit and the support provided to the Republic of Komi in the development of industry. Cluster policy is one of the most important tools today. I am sure that with your participation and support, we will be able to achieve serious results in the development of industry on the territory of the republic," Vladimir Uiba welcomed the guests.

The meeting was held within the framework of the "Practical Session on the development of industrial clusters in Russia", which is taking place these days in Syktyvkar. The session will bring together representatives of organizations and enterprises within existing and emerging industrial clusters, representatives of executive authorities responsible for implementing regional industrial policy, and representatives of Russian cluster development centers from 60 regions of the country.

In 2020, a woodworking cluster was formed in the Komi Republic. The comprehensive cluster development map includes 14 participating enterprises. This year, it is planned to obtain the status of an industrial cluster and enter the register of industrial clusters of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia.

"Of course, we will support the inclusion of the industrial cluster of the Komi Republic in the register. We will consider the projects so that they receive funding in accordance with the 41st decree of the Russian Government, " Vitaly Khotsenko said.

An industrial site (a private technopark) with a management company, LLC "Algraf", has been created in the Komi Republic to improve the cooperation relations of the cluster member enterprises. The number of residents is 9 (mainly furniture manufacturers). There are technological infrastructure facilities: a center for the collective use of equipment for residents of the technopark.

The volume of investments is about 100 million rubles. (of which: 20 million rubles – equipment for the collective use center; 80 million rubles - preparation of the site/premises of the technopark).

Currently, the issue of creating an oil and gas cluster is being worked out, and negotiations are underway with potential participants.

In the Republic of Komi, the infrastructure of financial support for enterprises has been formed. The Regional Industrial Development Fund operates to finance investment projects on preferential terms (from 1 to 5% per annum). In 2020, 10 million rubles were allocated to finance investment projects.

In 2021, according to the results of the competitive selection of regional industrial development programs announced by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, 56.8 million rubles will be allocated from the federal budget to the Republic of Komi to co-finance the activities of the Regional Industrial Development Fund for the issuance of concessional loans to industrial enterprises implementing investment projects in the type of economic activity "Manufacturing". 100 million rubles for these purposes are provided in the republican budget.

A popular mechanism is the provision of preferential microloans by the Microcredit Company of the Republic of Komi. In 2020, 284 loans were issued in the amount of 253.9 million rubles to 226 recipients. In case of insufficient collateral for obtaining credit funds, enterprises of the republic can apply for a guarantee to the Guarantee Fund of the Republic of Komi.

In 2020, a Leasing Company of the Republic of Komi was established with an authorized capital of 160 million rubles. The company provides equipment and equipment for leasing to small and medium-sized businesses on preferential terms.

In the region, the ANO of the Republic of Komi "Center for Entrepreneurship Development" – the regional Center "My Business", which since the end of last year is also a management company in the Arctic, and performs the functions of supporting projects on the principle of "one window". The Center provides entrepreneurs with information and consulting, marketing, consulting and educational services, conducts presentation events of various levels.

In order to increase the investment attractiveness and create favorable conditions for launching new investment projects in the Arctic, including small and medium-sized businesses, in 2020, the republic introduced new measures of state support for business activities in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.

Along with federal support measures, regional legislation introduced tax preferences for corporate income tax and the simplified taxation system, as well as an exemption for corporate property tax. Municipalities have adopted regulations on land tax exemption.

As of March 31, 2021 in the Republic of Komi registered on the portal https://arctic-russia.ru/ 31 applicants for the status of a resident of the Arctic zone with a total investment of 5.7 billion rubles. It is planned to create 810 new jobs. Agreements have already been signed with four companies.

The republic is working on the creation of a special economic zone of industrial-production type with preferential treatment for its residents. A letter was received from the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, which conceptually supports the initiative of the Government of the Republic.

In order to provide industrial enterprises of the republic with infrastructure facilities (transport, engineering, energy, and utilities), an application was submitted to the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation in December 2020, according to the results of which five investment projects of the Komi Republic are included in the consolidated list of new investment projects and can qualify for budget investments.

The implementation of new investment projects in the Komi Republic will create 763 jobs. The volume of investments will amount to 9.3 billion rubles.