President Medvedev Points to IT as Priority Area

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last week conducted the first session of Russia’s Commission for Modernisation and Technological Development of the Economy at the office of the renowned anti-virus software developer Kaspersky Lab in Moscow.

“The commission will be run with the participation of government, citizens, specialist associations and, I hope, the Russian business community,” Mr. Medvedev said. The President pointed to five priority areas under the commission’s remit “where signs of competitive ability are very much alive,” and which, in his opinion, must be developed to achieve valuable technological breakthroughs. Alongside advances in energy efficiency, nuclear technology, space and communications technology, and medical technology, he emphasised the strategic role information technology has to play, particularly software development and computer production. The IT services outsourcing industry, worth nearly $2.5bn in 2008, is today one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Russian IT market, and is likely to benefit from this government initiative and contribute to its success.