Apple in Talks to Open R&D Facility in Russia's Skolkovo Innovation Centre?

[MacRumors]

Russian newspaper Izvestia reports [Google translation] that the organizers behind the Skolkovo technology park near Moscow are currently in talks with a number of high-profile companies including Apple, Google, and Facebook about locating research and development facilities in the area. Skolkovo has already landed agreements with Microsoft, IBM, General Electric, Cisco, and others, with the project's backers envisioning the region becoming Russia's version of Silicon Valley bolstered by dozens of major corporations.

According to the report, Apple officials in Moscow declined to comment on the claims, but Skolkovo executive Roman Romanovsky indicated that the two sides have expressed interest in negotiating about possibilities. No deal appears to be imminent, although Romanovsky hopes that the talks will eventually lead to an agreement.

Apple is in the process of opening up its first major international research and development center in Israel, looking to leverage its own expertise and that of Anobit, an Israeli flash memory company acquired by Apple earlier this year, to spur new innovations.

Article Link: Apple in Talks to Open R&D Facility in Russia's Skolkovo Innovation Centre?

[basesloaded190]

They've done a pretty good job keeping jobs in America. No reason not to have jobs in other places

[charlieegan3]

Originally Posted by basesloaded190

They've done a pretty good job keeping jobs in America. No reason not to have jobs in other places

Spread the love...

can't help thinking they see it as: more jobs(more work) for less of a cost...

[alex00100]

Сколоково рулит!
I'm russian and I'm really happy about it! Even if skolcovo is really a mess and noone takes it seriously. Apple certanly won't have any development here course we don't have any experts at this stuff.

Originally Posted by charlieegan3

can't help thinking they see it as: more jobs(more work) for less of a cost...

Salarys in russia are not far from the US ones. It's not Asia, it's Europe and salarys are almost as high as in the rest of Europe.

[FrizzleFryBen]

Originally Posted by charlieegan3

true, but can't help thinking they see it as: more jobs(more work) for less of a cost...

Could also be an untapped talent pool and with diversity comes new ideas.

[macbwizard]

More money spent on R&D is always a good thing.

[Small White Car]

Apple is involved in so many different technologies now. Metallurgy, batteries, displays, processors. So many things that they used to buy from other companies, they're now developing within.

The idea that you can find all of the experts in all of these fields all in one country is unrealistic. If Apple is going to keep developing their own tech, expect to see more of this. It makes sense.

[iDemiurge]

In America you use computers to run programs. In Soviet Russia computers use programs to run you!

[Laai]

Designed by Apple in Russia

[Spetsnazos]

Russians actually have qualified engineers, this should actually help Apple be successful!

[Inakto]

Originally Posted by Spetsnazos

Russians actually have qualified engineers, this should actually help Apple be successful!

Same engineers who built this plane?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...dies-retrieved

[Discoverer]

Originally Posted by Inakto

Same engineers who built this plane?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...dies-retrieved

Oh, so we already know that it was a technical issue with the plane that caused it to crash? Could you please give me a link to the official report? I'd love to read it.

[Spetsnazos]

Originally Posted by Inakto

Same engineers who built this plane?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...dies-retrieved

no the same engineers who were the FIRST in space, the FIRST to travel the planet, and the ones that defeated Nazi Germany in WW2 with superior tanks that could be built quickly and efficiently.

Yea those.

And Russia is the only country that is still going to space. Can't say the same for NASA....

[Discoverer]

Originally Posted by Spetsnazos

no the same engineers who were the FIRST in space, the FIRST to travel the planet, and the ones that defeated Nazi Germany in WW2 with superior tanks that could be built quickly and efficiently.

Yea those.

And Russia is the only country that is still going to space. Can't say the same for NASA....

It was a combined effort of all the Soviet republics that put Gagarin into space. To say it was just the Russians is not exactly correct. By the way, the quality of Roscosmos is declining. Even its officials are admitting that.

[iDemiurge]

Originally Posted by Discoverer

It was a combined effort of all the Soviet republics that put Gagarin into space. To say it was just the Russians is not exactly correct. By the way, the quality of Roscosmos is declining. Even its officials are admitting that.

Dude, can you show the Ruskies some love? They've put up with one tyrant after another, and now with a kleptocracy, and still manage to be creative hard-working folks.

Plus, they gave us Tetris! You know that Tetris song that you can't take out of your head? It's a russian folk song!

[Mattie Num Nums]

Meanwhile, back at home unemployment continues to sky rocket.

[east85]

Soon we'll have all the iVodka we need. Hell yes.

[5aga]

Originally Posted by east85

Soon we'll have all the iVodka we need. Hell yes.

sign me up

[ThunderSkunk]

Originally Posted by basesloaded190

They've done a pretty good job keeping jobs in America. No reason not to have jobs in other places

If there are roughly 300 mil people in the US, and 100mil of those are actually working age, & about 75mil of those are actually employable, then half a million of those being supported by a single company is pretty incredible. That's a damn big company. It'd be interesting to see a breakdown showing the # of 'mericans that work for the biggest companies.

On the other hand, as an Industrial Designer, seeing R&D jobs being outsourced now stings a bit. But then that's been the plan since Reagan. The US will become a gleaming city on the hill full of middle-managers with no real practical skills (but, people skills), buying and selling crap to each other at inflated margins and suing each other for their money. Awesome.

[iHEARTcartoons]

iVodka yes, iBorscht not so much.

[Thunderhawks]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

to spur new innovations.

As opposed to "old" innovation?

[ThunderSkunk]

Originally Posted by iDemiurge

Dude, can you show the Ruskies some love? They've put up with one tyrant after another, and now with a kleptocracy, and still manage to be creative hard-working folks.

If you consider what Russia had to work with, and what they've had to overcome, it's a testament to the people that they've thrived & survived at all, much less manage to put the screws to the US technologically, with all our resources, for decades. Apple working with Russian inventors and designers and engineers is an exciting development, far moreso than what Apple's taking advantage of in China.

Sure, Putins a wacko, but hey, we all get stuck with elections stealing militant psycho leaders from time to time.

And yea, their space program is still apparently cool enough for us, since ours is now based on theirs.

[Laird Knox]

Originally Posted by Inakto

Same engineers who built this plane?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...dies-retrieved

Ah yes, since engineers in other counties always build perfect products.

[Saladinos]

I seem to remember SJ mentioning how important it was to keep the innovation happening around the core in Cupertino and to keep people in Apple's cultural environment. I wonder how sure Tim Cook is that spreading people around the globe won't dilute product quality.

You don't need massive teams across the globe to make a massive global impact. Personally, I like how Apple keep everyone in product development close to home and focussed.

[Glideslope]

Originally Posted by ThunderSkunk

If you consider what Russia had to work with, and what they've had to overcome, it's a testament to the people that they've thrived & survived at all, much less manage to put the screws to the US technologically, with all our resources, for decades. Apple working with Russian inventors and designers and engineers is an exciting development, far moreso than what Apple's taking advantage of in China.

Sure, Putins a wacko, but hey, we all get stuck with elections stealing militant psycho leaders from time to time.

And yea, their space program is still apparently cool enough for us, since ours is now based on theirs.

Disagree with the Space Program view. No private sector involvement. Sure we ride up and down in a 50's design Soyuz. That is not basing anything.

Watch this Sat early A.M. It's the future.
http://www.spacex.com/

...and no bologna about the 1 Billion in federal funding. NASA is an investor. Not a design partner, other than the docking module.