Tatarstan Deputy Prime Minister Albert Karimov dreamed of becoming a helicopter pilot as a child

Photo: kazan.bezformata

Thirst for technology — since childhood

Albert Karimov was born on 23 January, 1976. His father, Anvar Zakievich Karimov, came from a working-class family, by that time he had graduated from the Kazan Aviation School, and later — the Kazan Aviation Institute, later he worked his way up from a technician to a senior engineer at the Radiopribor plant in Kazan. Anvar Karimov, as an active young specialist, was offered first to take komsomol work and then — party administrational work. Until 1990, he was an instructor at the defence industry department at the Tatar Regional Committee.

In 1997, when the future head of the ministry of industry and trade of Tatarstan, Albert Karimov, graduated from the Kazan State Finance and Economics Institute, with a degree in Economic Theory (a diploma with honours, he enrolled in graduate school and in 2000 defended his Ph.D. thesis — editor's note), Anvar Karimov was appointed director general of the department of industry — first deputy chairperson of the state property committee of Tatarstan. In fact, he headed the first specialised structure overseeing the development of industry in post-Soviet Tatarstan. Later, Anvar Karimov became the first deputy minister of economy and industry of the Republic of Tatarstan, and in 2001 — adviser to the minister, simultaneously heading the boards of directors of two Kazan enterprises — Kazancompressormash and Radiopribor.

In January 2005, Anvar Karimov passed away. Only 3 months he did not live to see his 55th birthday, but he managed to pass on to his son his best qualities — loyalty to the republic and willingness to take on new, most difficult tasks, relying only on his own knowledge and strength. Those who know the Karimovs intimately say that Anvar Karimov did not help his son in principle in climbing the career ladder, being fully convinced that everyone should go through the path of mistakes and success on their own.

In September 2019, in an interview, Albert Karimov admitted that he did not even think about a career as a politician or official as a child. He had a fascination with rotorcraft.

“My greatest desire was to become a pilot. A helicopter pilot. I saw it once, and it made a big impression on me. Since then, I still have this desire. Which, by the way, today, on an amateur basis, I am slowly trying to implement," the deputy prime minister told our colleagues.

Today, the minister does not miss the opportunity to be at the helm of other aircraft. In the summer of 2018, during the visit of the Tatarstan delegation to the Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA), the head of the delegation, Albert Karimov, examined carefully the nuances of aircraft construction technology, got acquainted with the company's line of 19-seat aircraft designed for regional communication and tested the pilot's seat of one of them.

Working as a student

Albert Karimov started his career as a student of the Finance and Economics Institute. A year before graduation, in 1996, he headed Bill Circulation Group at TDT-Invest Investment Company. In 1998, he became the executive director of the company and worked in that position until 2001. At the same time, in 1999, he was among the first to enter the presidential programme for training senior management personnel.

In 2001, Karimov left the business in connection with the appointment to the post of aide to the first deputy prime minister of the Republic of Tatarstan (then — Ravil Muratov). In 2002, when the Tatarstan Entrepreneurship Development Agency was established on the initiative of the Cabinet of Ministers, Albert Karimov became the deputy director general of the newly formed structure, which was also engaged in working out the idea of creating the first technopark in the republic. The decision to create the Idea innovation and production technopark was made by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan in November 2002. Idea became a kind of pilot platform on a national scale, which was originally built as a commercial structure, involving building relationships with partners on a business basis.

In 2004, with the start of the project, Albert Karimov completely switched to its development, becoming the first deputy chairperson of the management board — director for economics and finance at Idea Innovation and Production Technopark JSC.

In the spring of 2007, Idea refused subsidies from the republican budget. By 2010, it fully justified all the funds invested in it by Tatarstan. Over 550 companies have grown at the technopark site during its operation. The total number of jobs created at Idea by the current residents exceeds 8,500. Annual tax deductions to the budget of the republic — about 400 million rubles.

The birth of Khimgrad

In 2006, the new structure was created — Idea Capital Management Company JSC, the key task of which was to create and develop the new project: it was decided to launch Khimgrad Technopolis on the territory of the dying enterprise of Tasma. Continuing to work on the development of Idea, Albert Karimov headed the company.

“The project (Khimgrad — editor's note) began in 2006. We started preparing it when we were still working on the development of the Idea innovation and production technopark. At the same time, the leadership of the republic set the task of creating such industrial sites as Khimgrad. At the same time, we were actively engaged in the development of the Alabuga special economic zone, Master Kama industrial park, Idea South-East technopark began its work. There had been no such industrial sites in Kazan," Albert Karimov, the chairperson of the board of directors of Khimgrad JSC, said in an interview with one of the Tatarstan online publications in the summer of 2014.

The need for such production site was also due to that projects that had grown out of the framework of “business incubators” and technology parks needed a larger territory to establish mass production. The technopolis actually started operating in 2008 and became the first certified industrial park in Russia.

“We started filling the technopolis right away, but it was hard to find so many residents. We had to convince people that very soon there would be a 'garden city' on this site, but it was hard to believe. Tasma had not made any investments in infrastructure and networks in the past 15 years. They were in a terrible condition... We had a large construction site, at the same time, we were engaged in attracting residents, and this was the most difficult and challenging stage of our activity," recalls Albert Karimov.

The crisis of 2009 and the sanctions standoff with a number of states around the world added to the difficulties. But things went on, and by 2014, the occupancy of Khimgrad (and this is 131 hectares, with a total area of buildings over 500 thousand square metres), had approached 70%. This led to a more careful approach to the selection of applicants for the right to become residents of the technopolis.

“We worked with our infrastructure elements in conjunction with Idea technopark, with other industrial parks. My colleagues and I have a certain division by sectors, by the size of projects. Therefore, we exchange information and help each other. We looked with other sites, how and from where it would be possible to attract residents. We have certain profile: we work with the processing of polymers and with low-tonnage chemicals, and our main task is to provide the republic with additional processing of chemical products. Therefore, we worked with specialised enterprises, with our large companies," Albert Karimov explained 7 years ago.

The technopolis and its residents closely cooperate with the largest oil and gas processors of the republic, manufacturers of chemical and petrochemical products, primarily such as the companies of TAIF Group.

The effectiveness of the work of Albert Karimov was evaluated by the leadership of Tatarstan. In February 2014, he was awarded the title of Honoured Economist of the Republic of Tatarstan. The experience gained at the sites of Idea technopark and Khimgrad technopolis is now being transferred to other projects being created both in Tatarstan and abroad.

From first days — in active work

On 22 November, 2015, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov signed the decree on the change of leadership in one of the ministries of the Republic of Tatarstan. The post of deputy prime minister of the Republic of Tatarstan — minister of industry and trade (with the prefix acting) was taken by 39-year-old Albert Karimov. On November 24, he was introduced to the staff of the ministry of industry and trade.

“We evaluate people based on their experience. It was very difficult to develop a project like Khimgrad. Everything is intertwined there: industry, organisational issues, and contacts with Moscow — all that is necessary for the minister of industry," stressed the then prime minister of the republic, Ildar Khalikov, handing the young minister a symbolic portfolio.

“Albert Karimov is a prepared specialist," said Chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan Shamil Ageev. He stressed that it would not be easy for the new minister, who takes over the affairs of experienced production worker Ravil Zaripov (appointed as aide to the President of the Republic of Tatarstan for the development of the aircraft industry — editor's note). “Today, import substitution is not so important as it is necessary to modernise production facilities and preserve markets," Ageev added.

Albert Karimov has been successfully coping with the tasks assigned to him for the past six years. On December 7, 2015, as part of a delegation led by President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, he went on an official two-day visit to Turkmenistan, where he took part in a meeting with the president, and from there, as part of the delegation that also included the heads of major companies of the republic, such as KAMAZ and TAIF Group, to Qatar, where a number of official meetings with the country's leadership took place.

Albert Karimov pays considerable attention to the development of the oil and gas processing and petrochemical industries as the main ones in the industrial production and economy of the republic. For example, on the joint board meeting of the ministry of industry and trade and ministry of economy on the results of 2015, he spoke about the need in a greater support to export-oriented enterprises of the republic during the crisis, including oil and gas refining and petrochemical sector.

In March 2016, Albert Karimov presented the deputies of Tatarstan State Council the draft bill 'On industrial policy of the Republic of Tatarstan'. Developed on the basis of the federal law, it determined the vector of further development of the industrial complex of the republic. The draft bill included not only existing support measures, but also a number of new ones, including the creation of a regional industrial development fund for concessional lending to enterprises and a special investment contract on behalf of Tatarstan.

“It is intended to become the basis for the implementation of key instruments of the industrial policy of the Republic of Tatarstan," said the minister of industry and trade of the Republic of Tatarstan.

A little later, in mid-March 2016, Albert Karimov cited the success of TAIF Group as an example of the success of implementing programmes in the field of energy and resource conservation.

Albert Karimov personally visits the construction sites of newly implemented projects in the republic. At the end of December 2020, he visited Nizhnekamsk on a working trip, where he devoted a significant part of his time to Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC (part of TAIF Group). He paid special attention to the EP-600 olefin complex under construction.

“The investments made, the development that we see today on the site, will create new added value, new products, doubling the facilities of Nizhnekamskneftekhim. The republic will provide all possible support in the implementation of this important project for the economy of the republic. The project should be implemented as planned. This is extremely important for the economy of the Republic of Tatarstan," said the head of the ministry of industry and trade during the inspection of the ethylene complex under construction.

In the last few years, the defence component of the industry has also significantly increased its production volumes. Every year, new vessels built in Tatarstan, intended for the needs of the Russian Navy, come off the slipways.

New ships are being laid. Not only of sea, but also air ones. By the instructions of Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu, the construction of strategic bombers Tu-160 got a new impetus in the development. Albert Karimov is actively interested in innovations in the field of technologies intended for the Armed Forces.

Actively supporting the introduction of innovations and effective technologies on the territory of the republic, Albert Karimov is engaged in building effective international business relations and promoting the products of Tatarstan enterprises to world markets with no less passion than participation in the development of production facilities. Bright presentations are often followed by an exchange of delegations of representatives of the business community, the signing of memoranda, agreements, and contracts.

In leisure time

Albert Karimov prefers to spend his free time actively. As it became known to Realnoe Vremya, the minister is a fan of extreme hobbies. So, he was very seriously engaged in diving. Later, he became interested in sailing — he has an international certificate. By the way, he loves yachting to this day.

From 2017, Albert Karimov was the head of the Republican Sailing Federation. Under him, the traditional national competition Kama Sea reached a new level. In 2018, an agreement was signed on cooperation in the further development of sailing in Tatarstan between the Russian Sailing Federation, National Sailing League, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sport of Tatarstan, as well as the Sailing Federation of Tatarstan.

In 2019, Tatarstan hosted the final stage of the National Sailing League for the first time. In February 2020, Kazan welcomed participants of the Russian Methodological Seminar of Sailing Specialists. This was the first such seminar. Moreover, it was held on the initiative and proposal of the Tatarstan Federation.

Another hobby of the deputy prime minister is mountaineering. In 2013, as chairperson of the board of directors of Khimgrad JSC, Albert Karimov conquered Elbrus. He dedicated his ascent to the highest point in Europe to the 7th anniversary of the technopolis. The example was so contagious that in 2015 the flag of Khimgrad was raised over the top of Kilimanjaro. The ascent to the peak was made by Roman Kropachev, the director of one of the residents of the technopolis. In 2016, in honour of the 10th anniversary of Khimgrad, Albert Karimov's successor as CEO of the technopolis, Ayrat Gizzatulin, climbed to the top of Elbrus. As for the deputy prime minister's less extreme hobbies, volleyball and fishing are among them.