On October 3, a trilateral cooperation agreement was signed by the heads of the Norilsk city municipal authority, the Norilsk Nickel Zapolyarny branch and the Vladimir Potanin Foundation. Under the terms of the Agreement, the parties will co-found the Norilsk Development Agency. The new organization will help pool resources for Norilsk’s socio-economic development in order to foster a nurturing sociocultural environment in the city.
The Agency aims to transform the urban landscape and create a favorable investment climate, help create jobs and self-employment opportunities, and launch programs in support of small and mid-size businesses. The Agency has plans to develop tourism around natural and industrial sites in the region. It will help promote local brands and entrepreneurship by organizing training events, among others.

Alexander Rumin, the CEO of Nornickel’s Zapolyarny branch stated:

«Nornickel signed the Memorandum to create a welcoming urban environment that would provide high quality of life and numerous opportunities for professional development and creativity for the residents of Norilsk and company employees.»

Viktor Tolokonsky, the Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Region, also came out in support of the initiative.

«There are opportunities to manufacture many consumer goods in the Norilsk industrial zone. One could grow vegetables in enclosed soil to substitute imports from the mainland, or process fish from the North, or deer meat. It is important that we support small business. There is still little tourism on Taimir. We need to do much more to upgrade our infrastructure (improve housing maintenance and repair, utilities), and that will be difficult to do without fostering investment activity, without bringing in private investors.»

The Norilsk administration has allocated rooms in a multipurpose center for Agency use. There, experts will offer consulting services to entrepreneurs, residents, and everyone engaged in community development.

The Norilsk Development Agency will first focus on getting its founding documents ready, defining priority projects for 2017, and drafting a work plan and a budget.