2013 SU Update: 2013 Universiade in Kazan named Best Modernization Project in Russia

KAZAN – The attribution of the 27th Summer Universiade to Kazan and the establishment of the Skolkovo Innovation Centre were named among the most investment attractive and feasible modernization projects.

The conclusion follows from the Investments in Russia’s Future expert ratings compiled by the Centre for Political Technologies.

Investments in Russia’s Future research aims to analyze and assess modernization projects and their prospects. The research included interviews with 30 respondents: 10 representatives of the expert community, 10 representatives of Russian business and 10 foreign entrepreneurs.

9 projects were selected for the research: the 2013 Summer Universiade, the Skolkovo Innovation Centre, four innovative special economic zones, seven federal universities and many others. The major assessment criteria were modernization orientation, scale, social significance, investment attractiveness and social responsibility.

‘In terms of financial, image-building and social dividends, the respondents consider the Skolkovo Centre and the 2013 University Games the leaders. The Universiade stands out thanks to its good marketing positioning as an internationally significant project and its focus on active young people’, the Centre’s First Vice-President Alexey Makarkin said. He added that ‘the projects’ feasibility is beyond any doubt.’

‘The 2013 Universiade is managed by the Tatarstan authorities who have solid managerial skills, are interested in achieving results and see these Games as an opportunity to show not just their ability to tackle the fuel and energy complex and economy but to run socially valuable projects as well’, Makarkin noted.

According to the Deputy Director of the Centre for Political Technologies Grigory Dobromelov, the leading projects are ‘projects of hope’. ‘The Universiade Project is a project of hope because it involves students. These are sportspeople who will represent a certain side of Russia’s image in future as sports achievements are one of the major indicators of the nation’s achievements’, Dobromelov said.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Committee & RIA Novosti)