- SEZ «Alabuga» has signed a multilateral agreement at the international forum Kazan Digital Week 2023 22.09.2023
- SEZ Novgorodskaya and Sber have signed a loan agreement to finance the construction of a modern university campus in Veliky Novgorod. 21.09.2023
- «Alabuga Polytech is an innovative project with a great future!»: Minister of Employment of the Republic of Uzbekistan 19.09.2023
- Rustam Minnikhanov to the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan: «Alabuga Polytech is not a showroom; it is real guys doing work» 18.09.2023
- «There will be 10 thousand people at Alabuga Polytech in three years»: Minnikhanov - during his address to the State Council 14.09.2023
- Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais (Head) of Tatarstan and Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development of Russia, highly appreciated the work of SEZ Alabuga and the success of Alabuga Polytech 08.09.2023
- SEZ «Alabuga» and the Chinese company CC7 signed a memorandum of understanding within the framework of the international forum «ROSTKI» 07.09.2023
- The Chinese companies visited SEZ «Alabuga» within the framework of the business forum «ROSTKI» 06.09.2023
- «Alabuga Polytech: «We improve our skills in terms of training for tech entrepreneurs every year» 01.09.2023
- «We are educating children ready to change lives on a global level for the benefit of humanity»: Alabuga International School has started a new academic year 01.09.2023
- SEZ «Alabuga» has presented the master plan of the industrial park «Ethylene 600» 31.08.2023
- «Coşkunoz Alabuga» has launched production of chassis parts for Lada Vesta cars 29.08.2023
- Alabuga Polytech student took silver at the National Professional Skills Championship 07.08.2023
- «Made in Russia»: how the SEZ «Alabuga» replaces imported production and trains human resources 02.08.2023
- Kastamonu products have been recognized as the best in Tatarstan 31.07.2023
- Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais of Tatarstan, highly appreciated the contribution of SEZ «Alabuga» to the Human Resource Development of the region 24.07.2023
- «I am impressed with Alabuga» the chairman of the board of «RSD» met with the participants of the Interregional student building «Alabuga-2023» 24.07.2023
- Rustam Minnikhanov: «The aims are significant - 10 thousand people a year at Alabuga Polytech» 21.07.2023
- Herman Gref: «Alabuga is the most successful and efficient special economic zone in Russia» 11.07.2023
- Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation: «Alabuga» is the most efficient SEZ in Russia according to the results of 2022 07.07.2023
- Danaflex has won the PART Award at RosUpack-2023 30.06.2023
- Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Rais Rustam Minnikhanov highly appreciated the training of skilled workers at Alabuga Polytech 22.06.2023
- Ethylene 600 Industrial Park confirmed compliance with federal specifications 22.06.2023
- Alabuga Polytech is our serious project : Rustam Minnikhanov at SPIEF 16.06.2023
- In the framework of SPIEF SEZ «Novgorodskaya» and Sber have signed an agreement on long-term cooperation. 15.06.2023
- SEZ Alabuga and VTB Bank have signed a cooperation agreement during SPIEF, launching the construction of the Deng Xiaoping Logistic Center 14.06.2023
- «Fantastic project! And we will think about creating something similar in our country»: Ambassador of Brazil - about «Alabuga Polytech» 09.06.2023
- More than 800 million investments with the creation of 311 jobs: the results of the Supervisory Board of SEZ «Novgorodskaya» 07.06.2023
- «Alabuga» and Russian Railways have signed an agreement for the infrastructure development on the territory of the industrial park «Ethylene 600» 25.05.2023
- Head of the Ministry of Labor of the Kyrgyz Republic: «Alabuga is becoming a point of reference for Russia and other countries» 23.05.2023
Huhtamäki to expand production in Alabuga SEZ and switch to paper from plastic in catering
The Forum was opened by Finnish Ambassador to Russia Mikko Hautala and President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. During his welcome address, the president praised the potential for the development of trade and economic relations between Finland and Tatarstan and noted some of the major production projects that are being implemented in the republic. These include the Huhtamäki disposable tableware and paper packaging factory located in the Alabuga SEZ.
Alabuga SEZ General Director Timur Shagivaleyev gave a presentation to the Forum participants about the conditions that the SEZ is offering to investors to establish and develop production facilities. Alabuga has set up world-class infrastructure, and a free customs zone regime enables major companies to import equipment on an advantageous basis. Companies in the SEZ are exempt from paying property, land, and transport taxes, and the profit tax amounts to only 2% starting from the first profitable quarter for a period of 5 years. Residents have invested a total of more than USD 5 billion in projects in the SEZ. “The companies that come to Tatarstan invest initially and then continue their investments and create new projects because Tatarstan has an excellent business environment”, Shagivaleyev said.
Alabuga offers fully prepared world-class engineering infrastructure: from power supplies to high-speed Internet. There is a Ramada hotel for guests of the SEZ and the city of Elabugi, and the Three Bears modern cottage settlement has been established for employees who permanently reside in the SEZ. The Alabuga International School is the first school accredited according to the international baccalaureate system in the Volga region.
Yevgeny Osipenko, the general director of Huhtamäki Foodservice Alabuga, a resident of the Alabuga SEZ, spoke during the Forum. Huhtamäki is one of Finland’s oldest companies and has a presence all over the world with 78 factories and 17,000 employees. The company’s business exceeds EUR 3 billion annually. In 2020, Huhtamäki will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
The company decided to set up production at the Alabuga SEZ due to its need for logistical proximity to its anchor customers. When McDonald’s, one of Huhtamäki’s key customers, announced plans to build a large logistics centre in the Alabuga SEZ, the company realized that it would have to consider setting up production at the same site.
Osipenko reaffirmed all the infrastructural and logistics advantages of Alabuga and offered high praise for the quality of the work of the SEZ management company. “The SEZ helped us organize a business plan, and we successfully go through two stages: at the level of the republic and at the level of the Ministry of Economic Development. In 2014, we launched construction on a 3-hectare plot with utilities that were already connected and with a free electricity connection. The [companies] that have built in Russia understand what it’s all about – it’s a truly unique opportunity!” Osipenko said.
The factory in Alabuga opened in June 2015. It now has 12 production lines that operate around the clock. Huhtamäki already has plans to expand production at Alabuga. Osipenko said the second stage has already been designed and the company plans to put it into operation in 2020. Serious steps have been projected for the distribution of environmentally friendly products. “We have our own technological response to all the world’s calls and concerns about plastic. First, the products that are being produced in Alabuga today are environmentally friendly. We are ready to take further steps. In particular, we are currently working on the capability of switching the entire catering market industry from plastic straws to paper and from plastic lids to vegetable fibre-based lids. You can rest assured that we will only be bringing the latest green technologies to Tatarstan”, Osipenko said, concluding his speech.
The ‘Finnish Business goes Kazan’ Forum is a major annual business event for Finnish-Russian business in Russia. The Forum has been held since 2011 and has already established itself as an effective platform for discussing issues concerning Finnish-Russian cooperation and the implementation of joint projects.
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