The IT community and regulators put forward initiatives to develop IT in Moscow. Most of them are connected with school and university IT programs.

Human resources training for the IT industry was the focus of presentations by Communications Minister Nikolay Nikiforov, Runa Capital and Almaz Capital venture funds co-founder Alexander Galitsky, Russian Venture Company CEO Igor Agamirzyan, Infowatch CEO Natalia Kasperskaya et al. Meeting participants stressed that professional development of future IT professionals should start at school.

"Specialized schools should be a priority", said Nikiforov. "Today, IT is not getting promoted enough". Nikiforov suggested among other things headhunting and training potential IT experts at school.

Agamirzyan said that higher education alone is not enough, professional training and diversification schemes should become operational.

"Since we are all concerned with the state of education, especially IT training, in Moscow, let us come forward and say, there is a school that we, the IT companies, will back financially, send our experts there", said Sobyanin. "The Moscow City Hall will back you on a 1:3 co-financing ratio for schools, and a 1:2 ratio for univerities".

Apart from HR training, IT business is concerned with keeping professionals and companies in Russia and Moscow. "There is a problem with constructing convenient housing for rent", says Galitsky. "We also need to stimulate IT professionals moving to Moscow".

The Communications Minister is of a similar opinion, suggesting the construction of a fully-functional IT neighbourhood in Moscow to initially house 10,000 residents.

"Another reason IT companies leave Moscow is high HR and rental costs", says Kasperskaya. "We need a temporary tax benefit program for start-ups".

Moscow`s Innovative Development Center CEO Konstantin Fokin also points out that ambitious innovative companies leave Moscow due to their separation from the global market. "IT companies are highly mobile, therefore if there is no local incentive, they leave for the USA and Asia", he said.

IDC and Digital October Center suggest retaining IT companies by implementing Moscow Tech Incubator Program, with a meta-accelerator based at Digital October. This base will accumulate Moscow and foreign accelerators and investment companies to expedite the development of potentially successful IT startups.

The accelerator will only accept startups that have been granted financing by angel venture funds or have won major international startup competitions.

The program needs indirect financial support from the Moscow City Hall (mostly for the renovation of premises) and integrating the program with existing Moscow innovation support initiatives. IDC is willing to cover 50% of partners` expenses.

The accelerator business cycle is 6 months. Within two cycles, the accelerator will process some 100 companies with globally competitive products or services.

Digital October estimates the initial accelerator costs (4 months preparation stage) at roughly RUB 41mn. Following that period, annual expenses for each 100 processed companies will amount to almost RUB 71mn.

The program is expected to be launched this February, with the first companies joining the accelerator in July.

Project Group №6