November 6, 2012. The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (SkolTech) signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of education, science, and technological developments with three large corporations: Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation, Oboronprom Defense & Industrial Corporation, and Intel Corporation. The documents were signed at Open Innovations Moscow International Forum, Uralvagonzavod’s press service reports. These agreements provide for joint development of new materials and structures, of biomedical, IT & Communications, and energy technologies,

November 6, 2012. The public prosecution authorities of Novouralsk checked the compliance with the federal law of Evgeny Fedotovskikh, who was AMUR Car Factory’s trustee in bankruptcy in January-September 2012. The inspection revealed violations of the norms stated in the Federal Insolvency (Bankruptcy) Act, the spokesperson for Sverdlovsk Region public prosecution authorities says. It was detected that trustee in bankruptcy Fedotovskikh violated the norms of the said law in that he used not only the primary account of the bankrupt company but also a number of accounts opened in other banks.

November 6, 2012. Russian Railways and STM-Service (a part of Sinara – Transport Machines) signed a contract in October 2011 that entitled the latter to providing O&M services to Sinara’s 2ES6 freight locomotives. STM-Service received the first loco to be dealt with one year ago on November 1, 2012, Sinara Group’s PR Center reports. STM-Service currently handles over 220 vehicles in Sverdlovsk, South-Ural, and West-Siberian Railways. The operation and maintenance of 2ES6 locos is done on 10 service sites: Sverdlovsk Service Centers (based on the premises of Sverdlovsk-Sortirovochny depot)

November 6, 2012. Sverdlovsk Region intends to decrease its enterprises’ energy consumption by 20% by 2020, the region’s Minister for Energy & Communal Housing Services said at a press conference today. The Ural enterprises will receive about 300m RUR worth of budget money to launch energy-saving programs at their facilities. ‘In terms of energy efficiency, some companies’ produce is already comparable with its European counterparts. Among such companies are our Automotive Plant, our steel-smelting enterprises, and Uralvagonzavod,’ Minister Nikolai Smirnov said.

November 6, 2012. The Director-General of UVZ Corporation Oleg Sienko congratulated the residents of Nizhniy Tagil on the National Unity Day November 4th. He took part in the solemn ceremony dedicated to one of today’s Russia’s most important public holidays, the corporation’s press service reports. Sienko also congratulated Sergey Nosov on being elected Mayor of Nizhniy Tagil. He pointed out that the latter’s landslide victory was a sign that people want some change and are ready for it. ‘The people of Nizhniy Tagil deserve better, that is, clean streets and yards and a comfortable urban

November 2, 2012. Uralvagonzavod hosted a scheduled municipal seminar on civil defense on its premises. Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation’s head office proved it had a very good material resource base for dealing with emergencies and could create, store, and use these resources properly, the corporation’s press service reports. The seminar, dedicated to the material resource reserves needed to deal with an emergency and to their function, legal regulations, and procedures for creating, storing, and using these resources, was attended by chairmen of Nizhniy Tagil

November 2, 2012. The Russian-Algerian Business Council’s first meeting took place in the Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The Director-General of Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation Oleg Sienko was unanimously voted for as the new Chairman of the Russian part of the Council, the corporation’s press service reports. The Chamber’s Vice President Georgi Petrov, the Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to the Russian Federation Smail Chergui, and Director of the Russian-Algerian Business Council

November 2, 2012. Russian Vice Premier Arkady Dvorkovitch expects Russia’s application for the world fair EXPO 2020 (to be hosted in Yekaterinburg) to win, Prime reports. Russia submitted the application featuring Yekaterinburg as the host city for EXPO 2020 in October. Among other candidate cities are Izmir (Turkey), Ayuthaya (Thailand), and So Paulo (Brazil). The decision on where to hold the exhibition will be voted on in the course of the BIE General Assembly in late 2013. ‘At the moment, we are working on one of the decisive presentations for the BIE Paris bureau. At this stage, we want

November 2, 2012. Sverdlovsk Region Energy Committee’s Board meeting resulted in the adoption of the price rates for 2013, Sverdlovsk Region Government’s Press Service & Information Administration reports. According to the forecasts, rates are expected to remain the same in the first half of 2013, so the end user prices will remain the same as in December 2012. On July 1, 2013, the rates will be adjusted in accordance with the economically justified expenses of the energy sector enterprises – within the maximum rate growth indices set for Sverdlovsk Region by the Federal Tariff Service.

November 2, 2012. OOO Bank Koltso Urala’s Business Customers Department’s analysts increased the basic annual interest rates offered on business customer 32-to-62- and 63-to-92-day deposits by 1.5%, the bank reports. The bank’s analysts say the changes affected these particular term deposits because these are the two most popular deposit periods. This means that an increase in the deposit rate is a way to meet the needs of businesspeople interested in the medium-term deposit offers. They also point out that the market opportunities are going through a transition stage at the moment, with the

October 31, 2012. By order of Nezavisimaya Gazeta, the Economic News Agency came up with a rating of political influence featuring the representatives of Russian business community. Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) BOD Chairman Viktor Rashnikov was given the 17th position in the quarterly rating of Russia’s 50 Most Influential Entrepreneurs & Investors for the third quarter of 2012; his position is classed as ‘strong influence’ and is one of the highest among the Russian businesspeople in the metallurgical sector. Also, the median expert estimate has gone noticeably up in

November 1, 2012. 12 up-to-date block-modular energy efficient boiler plants were put up in Chelyabinsk Region by the experts of Development Corporation within the framework of a project targeted at enhancing the energy efficiency of the Urals. The new boilers were launched in Verkhneuralsk, Troitsk, Yasnye Polyany, Novy Mir, Goncharka, Poletayevo, Trubny, and Agapovka, Chelyabinsk Region. At the moment, the connecting networks for the boilers are being finished. The further start-up and commissioning will be heavily facilitated by the local town councils in accordance with the plan for

November 1, 2012. The workers of Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant (ChTPZ) took part in a traveling seminar coordinated by Gazprom’s daughter enterprise Gazprom Dobycha Nadym. 20 workers, whose positions in ChTPZ range from those of production department engineers to new product designers to heads of key customer liaising teams, attended the event, the plant’s press officer reports. The training program is meant to give the pipe manufacturers a very detailed idea of modern natural gas production technologies. For one, Gazprom Dobycha Nadym experts gave talks on the relevant methods of natural

November 1, 2012. On October 31, Governor Evgeny Kuivashev is going to sign an agreement with Russia’s Economic Development Ministry on support for Sverdlovsk Region’s foreign economic projects that could attract considerable investments to the area. He will also take part in the ministry panel meeting, the Governor’s Information Policies Department’s press service reports. The Russia’s Economic Development Ministry is currently trying to make the presence of Russia’s trade representations in other states more visible. The representations are supposed to focus on the promotion of specific

November 1, 2012. The number of businesses that would like to get connected to the electrical mains operated by Oblkommunenergo State Unitary Enterprise based in Sverdlovsk Region is ever-increasing. In 2012, 2,534 applications had been submitted by October 31, the company reports. Remarkably, in 2010 the figure only came to 1,271. The state communal housing services enterprise keeps making the way it works with those who want to get connected automatic. People living in as many as 19 cities and towns can already enjoy the benefits of the automated system; as recently as July, the system was

November 1, 2012. Two sections of Kamyshlov Uralisolator Plant were closed down for 60 days due to Labor Code violations, Sverdlovsk Region State Labor Inspectorate’s press service reports. A scheduled multi-faceted inspection of how the plant complied with the labor legislation requirements revealed that the emery stand in the transportation department was operating without a safety cover. What is more, the turret lathe was operated without the protective aids that shielded the operation zone at Assembly Department 5. As a result, the court ruled that Kamyshlov Uralisolator Plant was guilty

October 31, 2012. The vehicles manufactured by Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant will be supplied to Abkhazia for the first time over the last four years, Uralvagonzavod Corporation’s press service reports. The republic’s energy sector companies bought a B-10M bulldozer with a 16-ton windlass. The bulldozer will be used for working on the energy sector facilities and infrastructure, namely, for building the supporting posts for the electric mains. The vehicle is fully prepared for delivery and can be shipped any day now.

October 31, 2012. OAO Plant No. 9 (a member of Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation) celebrated its 70th anniversary recently. The festive event was attended by over a thousand workers, long-service employees, and invited guests: Sverdlovsk Region Government officials, directors of Yekaterinburg’s largest plants, and representatives of the city council and of the city’s Ordzhonikidzevsky District council as well as head of defense enterprises based in Perm, Izhevsk, and Nizhniy Novgorod. Also, workers from Uraltransmash, Uralmashzavod, Novator, and Kalinin Plant came to

October 31, 2012. Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation’s daughter company UBT-Uralvagonzavod is now sponsoring the 25th All-Russian basketball tournament dedicated to the USSR Master of Sports A.E. Kandel. The tournament is held in Nizhniy Tagil on October 27-November 2, 2012, the Corporation’s press officer reports. Ural Heavy-Duty Vehicles- Uralvagonzavod (UBT-Uralvagonzavod) donated 150,000 RUR to the Nizhniy Tagil-based basketball club Old Sable. The club offered its gym for the games and coordinated the contest. Teams of male (aged 12-11) and female (aged 14-13)

October 31, 2012. Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation has launched its annual flu shots campaign; this will last till mid-November, with 15,000 workers expected to go through immunization by that time. The company purchased Grippol+, a flu vaccine meant for adults. Uralvagonzavod has been using this vaccine for a few years now. For one, 10,000 workers got their shots last year, which resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of those who went down with flu. In 2012, the total number will be 5,000 people more. Just like before, those in the risk group – the