Penza Region
The current boundaries of the Penza Region were established on February 4, 1939. The region is located in the middle of the European part of Russia and is a part of the Volga Federal District.
The region has an area of 43,200 square kilometres and a population of 1,386,000 people.
The Penza Region is an industrial, agricultural and cultural centre with high investment potential. The leading economic sectors are manufacturing, agriculture, transport and communications, wholesale and retail trade, real estate operations, leasing and provision of services.
Engineering is a well-developed industry in the region. In particular, Penzkhimmash produces equipment for oil and gas extraction, transportation and processing. The Tyazhpromarmatura plant produces pipes, pipeline and isolation valves. Penzdizelmash produces diesel engines and diesel powered generators.Since 2000, the output of the agricultural industry in the Penza Region has surpassed the average index in Russia. The volume of gross agricultural production at current prices amounts to 56.1 billion roubles. In 2011 agricultural producers, belonging to different property types, have produced a total of 169,000 tonnes of meat, 485,600 tonnes of milk and 343,700,000 eggs. Damate company is implementing the largest investment project in the Penza Regionproject to construct a turkey farming and processing complex.
The region is actively developing its innovation system in order to meet the strategic aim of the region's development, which is to introduce innovative economics. In 2010, a new law on innovation activity in the Penza Region was introduced. Financial support is provided to innovative projects. Professional training and retraining is offered to people working in the innovation sphere. Support for innovation activity in the region is provided through business incubator networks, including 11 regional and 23 municipal business incubators, technoparks and an industrial park which is now at the final stage of construction. Development institutions, like venture funds and centres for commercialising technologies are also available in the region.
The key spheres in the Penza region are instrument engineering, information technologies, creation of new materials, and development and production of high-tech medical products.
The Penza Federal Centre for Cardiovascular Surgery is the first to be constructed in Russia as part of implementing the national project, Health. For five years, over 17,000 surgeries have been conducted at the centre for citizens of Penza as well as nearby areas.
