Matviyenko, speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Friday, also said she had no desire to succeed President Vladimir Putin in elections next year.
"We have a new automotive cluster, and we think that the next cluster in St. Petersburg will be high technology," Matviyenko said.
Matviyenko said the creation of a free economic zone and IT parks were aimed at winning over large foreign IT companies. Some are already coming, including Hewlett-Packard, which said just last week that it would open a research and development facility with dozens of staff.
High technology "will tap into the huge intellectual potential that the city has today," Matviyenko said. "We have 300,000 scientists. We have a great number of scientific and economic schools."
Ford, General Motors, Toyota and Nissan have built or are building car assembly plants in St. Petersburg, and other car giants are believed to be on the way. Matviyenko said she had focused on foreign carmakers first because they not only brought jobs and investment, but also management expertise that she said was rubbing off on local companies.
The country's northern capital received nearly $3 billion in foreign investment last year and was looking forward to matching or exceeding that amount this year, Matviyenko said.
She dismissed the suggestion of a slowdown in investment ahead of State Duma elections in December and the presidential vote in early 2008. "We don't have that problem in St. Petersburg because St. Petersburg has a stable political situation," she said.
Russian media have suggested that Matviyenko might be a candidate for Putin's blessing as his successor, and her appearance at the forum of world business and political leaders at Davos did little to dampen the speculation.
Asked whether she wanted to become president, Matviyenko said: "No I don't want to." She paused and then added with a throaty laugh: "And don't plan to."
She insisted that her task at hand was to develop St. Petersburg and its economy, and that was all she wanted to focus on these days.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.