Microsoft to invest millions in Russian Hi-Tech Hub

U.S. software giant Microsoft intends to invest several dozen million U.S. dollars in R&D projects at Russia’s Skolkovo hi-tech hub, Microsoft and Skolkovo officials announced on Monday. The agreement on the Microsoft R&D center in Skolkovo was signed by Skolkovo Vice-President for Work with International Partners Conor Lenihan and Microsoft Business Solutions President Kirill Tatarinov. Lenihan said Microsoft was set to expand cooperation with Skolkovo in the next few years. Microsoft and Skolkovo started cooperation in November 2010, when Microsoft head Steve Ballmer announced the establishment of a joint development center. Microsoft was one of the first large companies to announce plans to participate in the Skolkovo project. Cooperation between Microsoft and Skolkovo has resulted in the creation of Cloud Numerics, a software product released in Russia in the spring of 2012, which offers users access to an extensive NET library of numerical algorithms ranging from basic mathematics to advanced statistics to linear algebra. Skolkovo resident companies have gained access to the library on easy terms. A key part of the Russian government’s drive to modernize Russia's commodity-dependent economy, Skolkovo is intended to be an ultra-modern science community for the development and commercialization of new technologies. The hub, being set up just outside Moscow, will focus on research in five priority spheres: energy, information technology, communications, bio-medical research and nuclear technology.