By August 2012, Sverdlovsk Region’s industrial production index has already exceeded the figures for the seven months of 2011 by 12%, while the volume of shipped industrial goods and services rendered amounted to 787bn RUR. At the same time, about 50% of the industrial turnover falls into the metallurgical goods sector, Sverdlovsk Region Industry & Science Minister Vladislav Pinayev said at a meeting of Sverdlovsk Region Union of Industrialists & Employers’ Industry & Natural Monopolies Interaction Committee.

Pinayev feels the region’s industrial development is hindered by the inflexible economic structure where the primary sectors prevail, the share of the value-added goods is small, the companies’ innovative activity is only moderate, the system for the commercialization and production launch of Russian scientific finds is missing, the technology lacks behind, and the primary assets are terribly worn out in all the processing industry segments except for the metallurgical one.

What is more, the region is suffering from the shortage of professionals, and the need for technical experts is particularly keenly felt.

‘The technical and the humanities majors ratio is currently 40/60, which is unacceptable for an industrially advanced region. This is why the Industry & Science Ministry and the Education Ministry are considering adopting a special program for training industrial workers who would meet the economy’s actual needs,’ he added.