A series of modernization projects, approved by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, will cost Russia 800 billion rubles ($26 billion), a Russian business daily said on Tuesday.
Vedomosti said Medvedev had outlined 38 crucial modernization projects in five priority spheres: nuclear and information technologies, space, biomedical research and energy efficiency. The construction of a high-tech business park in Skolkovo near Moscow, another of Medvedev's innovation projects, is already underway.
The modernization of the energy sector is the most expensive of Medvedev's projects. The Count, Save and Pay project, for installing electricity meters, demands more than half of the 800 billion - about 407.26 billion rubles ($13.40 billion).
The second most expensive project, demanding 124.88 billion rubles ($4.13 billion), is the New Light project, which aims to bring in energy saving light bulbs within the next three years.
The strategic information technology and software project comes in third place at 69.53 billion rubles ($2.29 billion.)
Vedomosti quoted a communications ministry spokesman as saying that the cheapest project will be the implementation of a test zone for a digital high capacity network testing zone.
Russia considers the development of the high-tech and innovation sector its top priority and hopes investments will end the country's dependence on raw material exports.
MOSCOW, May 18 (RIA Novosti)
