VTB bank and St Petersburg University establish an innovative science and technology centre ‘The Neva Delta’

In the next five years, new buildings for laboratories and pilot-line productions will appear close to the development sites of St Petersburg University – a new University campus in Pushkin district. ‘The Neva Delta’ science and technology centre at St Petersburg University will occupy 100 hectares. However, in the future the territory could be tripled. 

The environment of ‘The Neva Delta’ will encourage development of scientific and technological cooperation of different experts both within and outside it. It is expected to engage in cooperation with lead research and educational organisations; centres that work in related fields; industrial partners; and the foreign academic community.

St Petersburg University is one of the largest research and educational centres in Europe and the world. 25,000 students study at the University, and 5,000 academics, including Nobel and Fields laureates, work here. The University scientists are annually listed among the Web of Science (WoS) Highly Cited Researchers.  The University today is an advanced research centre. It includes more than 15 large laboratories, the Institute of Translational Biomedicine, the Pirogov Clinic of High Medical Technologies, and 24 resource centres that are part of the leading Research Park in Russia. The St Petersburg University Research Park has unique technological capabilities in Russia and in a number of areas globally.

On the territory of the ‘The Neva Delta’ there will be a broad range of research and production facilities connected with ecology, power engineering, agriculture, digital modelling of complex systems, agro and biotechnologies, pharmaceutics, genetics, advanced oil and gas technologies, and new materials (including those for use in the Arctic Region).

‘The format of The Neva Delta was discussed at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2019. We are happy that, despite last year being difficult, we managed to make the proposals more specific and clearer and to adopt the work plan. Now, the implementation of the project is about to begin. VTB bank supports education in Russia and participates in creating the environment that is necessary for Russian science,’ said Andrey Kostin, President and Chairman of VTB Bank Management Board.

On the territory of ‘The Neva Delta’ – an innovative science and technology centre of St Petersburg University – young researchers will be able to develop technologies, conduct research in actual areas, including agriculture, oil and gas production, power engineering, digitalisation and modelling of complex systems.

Andrey Kostin, President and Chairman of VTB Bank Management Board

‘The innovative science and technology centre of St Petersburg University ‘The Neva Delta’ will help to create in the University a unique ecosystem. It will encourage development in the area of research and technology which is a mutual goal of the state and business. ‘The Neva Delta’ will become the centre on the basis of which scientific breakthrough results and hi-tech developments of the University will be put into production by partner companies. Also, there will be pilot-line production, and certification and testing of new developments. Such a comprehensive approach will allow scientific discoveries of the University laboratories to turn into knowledge-intensive, innovative and commercially successful business projects,’ said Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University.

Within the framework of the programme ‘Educated country’, VTB bank carries out long-term support of the leading educational institutions of the country. The aim is to align their educational and research programmes with the actual demands of society as well as promising tasks of development of the Russian economics. The main areas of work are cooperation with the largest Russian universities in Moscow and the regions, including Moscow State University, St Petersburg University, MGIMO University, Northern (Arctic) Federal University, and others. A strategic partner of VTB bank is the Business School of the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University. Also, the bank has become a cofounder of the foundation ‘Vega Institute’ that focuses on reviving the school of financial mathematics in Russia. VTB Bank supports educational projects for children and talented high school students by donating money to Olympiads and professional competitions, and financing grants and stipends. Apart from this, VTB Bank takes part in arranging training for clients in the VTB Investors School.