Newsletter by the Stockholm Region Office in St. Petersburg Issue 93, 2008, week 16

Eco Center of Renewable Resources is looking for Partners

The Eco Center of Renewable Resources was created for promoting and developing of alternative renewable energy resources in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, as well as for dissemination of usage of new technologies in environmental engineering and private environmental energy systems, such as for instance the concept of "Passive House". The main goal of the Center is to promote new environmental technologies, people's cautious attitude to the nature and the newly environmental way of living with the help of international experience, and uniting efforts of national and international scientific institutions and networks, business and government. The programs of the Center promote alternative or renewable energy technologies at different levels of all industries and common life.

Also, as a part of business activity, the Center acts in the sphere of developing systems of control and accountment of spending electricity and other types of energy at the public and private objects. It helps save up to 30% of financial expenses and to spend energy reasonably.

The Eco Center of Renewable Resources is open to create and develop partnerships in such areas as: development of energy systems on the basis of renewable resources (wing, solar, thermal, bio power and power of heat pumps); development of energy efficiency systems in business and private sectors; creating of cautious attitude to the nature and environmental way of living. Until the end of May there is a call for projects within European cross-border cooperation programme – The Baltic Sea Region, which could be one of the possible ways to cooperate. The basis of this possible project, which could involve Denmark, Germany, Finland, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden, could be mentioned as a need to strengthen the development potential of the countries of the region, by means of a partnership dealing with environmental issues.

Contact person: Dmitry Gudimenko, Eco Center of Renewable Resources, e-mail: neecenter@gmail.com; web: www.neecenter.com

Conference “Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013: new partnership opportunities for Russian and Belarusian regions”

On 16-17 April 2008 the conference “Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013: new partnership opportunities for Russian and Belarusian regions” took place in St. Petersburg, attracting some 500 representatives from national, regional and local authorities, educational institutions, and NGO’s from Russia, Belarus, Norway, and the European Union. The Conference offered the opportunity to take a closer look at projects implemented under the Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B Neighbourhood Programme. The agenda included plenary sessions, parallel workshops on priorities of the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013, a partner search cafй (where project developers had a chance to present their project ideas and attract new partners to their projects) and individual project consultations. There also was a project exhibition of the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013.

Contact person: Elena Belova, Leontief Centre, e-mail: belova@leontief.spb.su

St. Petersburg Office Market

The St. Petersburg office space market is far from being saturated – about 250 sq. metres per 1 thousand citizens. This level is twice as low as in Moscow and considerably lower than in major European cities. The demand for A-class office spaces in St. Petersburg is not satisfied: the first rate business centres are completely filled. According to Praktis CB, the office spaces of up to 50 sq. metres are most popular, having 35% of the demand structure. The demand for office spaces of more than 1000 sq. metres is considered to be the lowest one, yet it is constantly growing. The share of C-class has been decreasing year over year: in 2007 it reached 44% as compared to 52% in 2006. According to Praktis CB the share of A- and B-class has grown over the past two years: A-class from 8% in 2006 to 12% in 2007; B-class from 40% to 44% accordingly.

In 2008 around 350.8 thousand sq. metres of office space is expected to be taken into use in St. Petersburg, and the overall market volume will total 1450 sq. metres.

According to Colliers International, in 2007 the rent rates in A-class amounted to USD 540-1100 per sq. metre a year; in B-class – USD 300-670; in C – USD 200-390. As compared to 2004 the average rent rate in A-class has grown by 72%, in B-class by 47%, in C by 31%. Source: Delovoy Peterburg newspaper, February 2008, www.dpgazeta.ru

Office Space Taken into Use in St. Office Space per 1 Thousand Citizens (sq. metres)

Petersburg in 2005-2007 010002000300040005000600070008000St.

PetersburgMoscowBudapestWarsawPragueMadridMilanLondonParisBerlinStockholmAmsterdamBrussels168133,2234,5in 2005in 2006in 2007

Northwest Russia: Facts and Events, Issue 96, 2008, week 16

Support of Innovative Enterprises

In mid 2008 the St. Petersburg Committee on Economic Development, Industrial Police and Trade will hold a number of tenders on granting innovative enterprises. In 2008 RUR 10 million (app. EUR 270 thousand) will be allocated to reimburse rent costs. RUR 9 million will be granted to companies, producing and exporting innovative products, and taking part in national and international fairs. RUR 1.5 million will be allocated to reimburse intellectual property protection costs.

Source: Delovoy Peterburg newspaper, April 2008, www.dpgazeta.ru

NORDIC LOOK Project

On 11-13 September 2008 the Nordic Council of Ministers Information Office in St. Petersburg will organize its annual project NORDIC LOOK. The aim of the project is to promote Nordic fashion in St. Petersburg and to create basis for professional cooperation between Nordic countries and Russia in the field of fashion design. The project will bring fashion designers from five Nordic countries to St. Petersburg. The NORDIC LOOK event will include a Nordic fashion design exhibition at the Museum of Anna Akhmatova in the Fountain House and a seminar with participation of fashion professionals and students of fashion schools. Contact person: Alla Nielsen, Nordic Council of Ministers Information Office in St. Petersburg, e-mail: an@norden.ru Prize: Best Restaurant of St. Petersburg 2007

On 10 April the Internet portal www.menu.ru held it’s annual ceremony “Best Restaurant of St. Petersburg”. The prize was awarded in several nominations, namely “best cuisine”, “best national cuisine”, “best fish restaurant”, “best pub”, “best bar”, “best coffee house”, “best affordable restaurant”, “best chain restaurant”, “best country restaurant”, “best interior”, “best service”, “opening of the year”. The winner in each nomination was chosen on-line by the visitors of the website and via SMS. Now many Petersburg chain restaurants intend to enter the European market. A good example is Eurasia restaurant chain, which has already got restaurants in London and Prague.

Contact person: Alexandra Alexeenko, Development Director, E-House Holding St. Petersburg, sasha@inout.ru

The archive of the newsletters can be found at http://www.stockholmregion.org/website1/sd_page/16/1/index.php

STOCKHOLM REGION OFFICE in ST PETERSBURG

Northwest Russia: Facts and Events, Issue 96, 2008, week 16

Visiting address: Nevsky 1, St. Petersburg Postal address: BOX 1005, 190000, St. Petersburg tel.: +7-812-314 68 18, fax: +7-812-314 68 53

e-mail: stockholm.office@stockholm.spb.ru