The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) carried the slogan “Building a Trust Economy” this year. The forum reached new heights, both in terms of its scale and its results.

“In spite of the sanctions imposed by a number of countries, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum demonstrated that Russia is a land of opportunity. The forum’s 17,000-plus participants arriving from 143 countries is testament to that fact. Over the past few years, SPIEF has become an international platform where the spirit of trust prevails. Trust is a key asset in the business world, and discussions at the forum focused on this crucial aspect,” said the advisor to the Russian President and the executive secretary of the SPIEF organizing committee Anton Kobyakov at the event’s closing press conference. Guests from every continent and representatives from international organizations, including the U.N., the IMF, OPEC, and others, spoke at length on the need to operate in a single economic space and find new areas of common ground in a changing world. The President of France Emmanuel Macron was one of the honored guests at the forum. He commented that “Russia must have a leading voice in the Council of Europe.” He also expressed the belief that Russia and the E.U.’s united approach to the inviolability of underlying multilateral agreements in international politics was a key stabilizing factor for the world today.

The Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe noted, “The slogan of our forum this year is ‘Building a Trust Economy.’ It is my belief that we can deem Japan and Russia as together engaged in building this economy of trust... We now stand at a historical turning point; the path we should take and the efforts we should make are all entirely clear. It is working for the future generations in Japan and Russia. It is Japan and Russia becoming a major force for safeguarding and fostering regional and global prosperity for the Japanese and the Russian peoples, further deepening their relationship, mutual trust, concluding the peace treaty and building up lasting peace and stability between our two nations.”

Speaking at the forum’s plenary session, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, noted that “Russia has put in place an admirable macroeconomic framework – saving for a rainy day, letting the exchange rate float, introducing inflation targeting, and shoring up the banking system.”

“This year, the forum has come to resemble a crossroads of civilization. Only at SPIEF has everything been put in place to ensure that discussions are open, as opposed to politically-charged. It is where participants from various countries and growing economies discuss economic issues. There is no place in the world other than SPIEF that provides such an opportunity, which is why we have seen the numbers of participants grow from year to year,” said Anton Kobyakov.

During this year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, over 3,000 flights arrived at and departed from Pulkovo Airport, including over 800 private flights. By way of comparison, SPIEF 2017 saw over 2,500 flights, including over 700 private flights.

Business program

The main program incorporated over 150 business events across the forum’s numerous venues. These events were split into four distinct themes: “Technology for Leadership,” “Harnessing Russia’s Growth Potential,” “Human Capital in the Digital Economy,” and “The Global Economy in an Era of Change.”

The forum’s central event was the plenary session that featured the Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his remarks, the Russian leader said, “Today what we need are not trade wars, or even temporary trade armistices, but rather a fully-fledged trading world. The slogan of this year’s forum in St. Petersburg is ‘Building a Trust Economy.’ I am convinced – and experience bears this out – that the role of trust as a factor affecting development will grow further.”

The SPIEF 2018 plenary session was broadcast by 74 members and associate members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Together, these television channels cover the whole of Europe, as well as countries in Africa. Television companies from the U.S., China, and Japan also covered the event. Twenty-nine crews from leading international television channels did live broadcasts from St. Petersburg.

Over a period of four days, more than 1,000 moderators and speakers, including international experts, took the floor to talk on socio-economic development, SMEs, transportation, the environment, healthcare, culture, tourism, education, and science.

Events held on the eve of SPIEF

In the run-up to the FIFA World Cup, SPIEF held a special event entitled “From the First to the Twenty-First” for officials and business figures from Latin America and the Caribbean. In a ceremony broadcast live on Russia 24, television presenter Sergey Brilev handed a capsule of earth from the Estadio Centenario to the government of St. Petersburg. The Estadio Centenario in Montevideo (Uruguay) has a special place in world football history as the stadium that hosted the first World Cup in 1930.

On May 23, the “Australia-Russia Business Re-connection: How and Why?” business breakfast took place for the first time. The event was organized by the Roscongress Foundation’s partners in Australia, the Australia-Russia Dialogue Forum, and the ADC Forum. Later on, a business lunch took place entitled “Development of Trade and Economic Cooperation between the EAEU and ASEAN. Russia’s Role in the Process.” The event was attended by business representatives from EAEU and ASEAN.

The discussion platform at the Russian Small and Medium-size Enterprises Forum (SME Forum), organized by the Roscongress Foundation together with the All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium Business OPORA ROSSII and the SME Forum partner Russian Small and Medium Business Corporation, saw lively debates on business practices, some of which were held in an interactive format. The topic of small and medium enterprises continued as part of the main SPIEF 2018 business program.

This was the third year that issues related to women in business took center stage on the eve of SPIEF 2018. An international forum entitled “Increasing the Contribution of Women to Economic Growth and Prosperity: Creating an Enabling Environment” brought together around 200 female participants representing the Russian regions.

Elsewhere, the “Women as Leaders” conference put together by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Leningrad region saw animated discussions on the role of women in a changing economy. The initial discussions on these topics will continue in just a few months’ time, as St. Petersburg hosts the Second Eurasian Women’s Forum on September 21-22.

Official SPIEF program

The official opening ceremony took place on May 24, 2018, which was the first day of the forum. The forum’s participants heard welcoming addresses from the Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko and the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Achim Steiner. Governor Poltavchenko made assurances to forum participants that Russia has been and will always remain a reliable partner.

In total, 68 business events took place that day in various formats. Topics under discussion included digitalization, the future of the labor market, energy, and breakthrough in the Far East. Participants at the Valdai Discussion Club session focused on the effect the crisis in international relations is having on the global economy, and the possible ways to resolve the standoff between Russia and the West. The first day ended with a discussion on smart cities.

Issues concerning international cooperation took center stage on the forum’s second day, which also saw a number of business dialogues between countries take place. Participants identified new opportunities for implementing joint projects, modern mechanisms by which to promote exports to overseas markets, and ways to cooperate on removing administrative barriers. The business program for May 25 included 51 events. The highlight was the plenary session, featuring the Russian President Vladimir Putin, the French President Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, the Vice President of the People’s Republic of China Wang Qishan, and the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde. The leaders of the different countries had a chance to speak again during the Russia-France and the Russia-Japan bilateral dialogues. Additionally, Vladimir Putin met with the heads of the world’s news agencies and held a meeting with the leaders of international companies.

Events at SPIEF took the form of panel sessions, roundtables, and business dialogues. They provided a platform through which leading experts and politicians could discuss the salient issues of the day, such as the resources of the world’s oceans, the potential of the Arctic, and the in-demand technologies of the future.

Some 41 events took place on the closing day of the forum, including 22 events held as part of the International Youth Economic Forum, a component of SPIEF for the younger generation. The day began with a business breakfast for representatives of the IT industry. According to those present, as much as 20 percent of the global GDP today is tied to the digital transformation, making it perilous to underestimate its impact. On the same day, the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia and EY unveiled the results of a joint study on trade and economic ties between Russia and the U.S.

The B20 Regional Consultation Forum was a special event at SPIEF 2018. The forum saw participants discuss recommendations for G20 leaders for the forthcoming summit in Buenos Aires, which will take place this year from November 30 to December 1.

In what has now become a tradition, SPIEF hosted the presentation of the results of the Russian Regional Investment Climate Index for the fourth time. The Tyumen region climbed five places to convincingly take the first position. Completing the top five were Moscow, Tatarstan, the Leningrad region, and the Tula region.

The Roscongress Foundation is a socially-oriented non-for-profit development institution that puts a special emphasis on healthcare in Russia, including improving the quality of life (creating the system of long-term care for senior citizens, developing palliative care in Russia, promoting a healthy lifestyle, etc.).

SPIEF 2018 held a number of sessions and interviews on increasing life expectancy that brought in representatives of the Russian government, as well as Russian and foreign experts.

The Roscongress Foundation strives to become the leading single platform for discussing national goals, objectives and priorities to improve the quality of life in Russia.

Guest countries

France and Japan took part in SPIEF 2018 as guest countries. This was not only reflected in the size of their delegations – with Japan sending 350 official representatives and 150 business representatives, and France 177 official representatives and 200 business representatives – but also in their special business and cultural programs. The business program included the traditional Russia-Japan business dialogue. A discussion on developing Russian-Japanese cooperation in the SME segment also took place. The Russia-France business program included the “City of the Future” Trianon dialogue session and the “Industry of the Future” roundtable.

A Japanese pavilion was set up at the SPIEF venue, which hosted seminars on the country’s achievements in economics, science and technology, its regions, and national cuisine. A French pavilion was also open to visitors; it presented key areas of investment for developing business in Europe.

Forum participants

The forum’s honored guests were the President of France Emmanuel Macron and the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe.

Among the high-ranking foreign politicians attending the forum were President of the Central African Republic Faustin Archange Touadera, President of Moldova Igor Dodon, President of South Ossetia Anatoly Bibilov, Prime Minister of South Ossetia Erik Pukhaev, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China Wang Qishan, Vice President for the Economy of Venezuela Wilmar Alfredo Castro Soteldo, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Economy, Minister of Internal Security, and Minister of Defense of Luxembourg Etienne Schneider, Under-Secretary General of the United Nations Achim Steiner, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of the Economy and Planning of Cuba Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, and the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Van Binh.

SPIEF also saw numerous representatives of international organizations take part in its business events. These included Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde, Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Rashid Alimov, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Tigran Sargsyan, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Olga Algayerova, Deputy Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Hiroshi Kuniyoshi, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Shamshad Akhtar; Secretary General of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Michael Christides, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum Yury Sentyurin, President of the New Development Bank Kundapur Vaman Kamath, and Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System.

Over 40 international investors managing the cumulative capital of over 20 percent of the global GDP took part in this year’s forum. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin awarded the Order of Friendship to two investors from Bahrain and Kuwait at the event. This was also the first year that the heads of all the Big Four accounting firms were in attendance.

As in the previous year, the largest delegation at SPIEF 2018 was from the U.S., with over 550 participants. Japan and France had the next largest delegations. There were also a number of major business missions from the U.K., China, Germany, and Switzerland. More than 200 heads of major international corporations and 700 heads of Russian companies visited the forum.

In addition, the forum welcomed parliamentary delegations from 19 countries, and parliamentary heads from Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and the Maldives.

In addition to President Putin, all members of the new Russian government and the heads of 75 regions of Russia attended the forum.

Media interest toward the forum reached unprecedented levels this year. A total of 4,081 media representatives were registered to cover events at SPIEF, a substantial increase from around three thousand seen in 2017.

The Roscongress Foundation’s international partners, which included the Japanese Association for Trade with Russia and the Newly Independent States, the French-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Conoscere Eurasia Association, the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce, the Bering Bellingshausen Institute for the Americas, the Confederation of Indian Industry, and others, supported a number of business dialogues that featured the participants from Finland, Germany, Italy, Israel, Sweden, India, Greece, the U.S., France, Africa, and Japan. Additional events included conferences, roundtables, meetings, and signing ceremonies. The foreign business associations’ involvement helps strengthen international ties, both among government bodies and business communities.

Agreements

SPIEF’s global dimension was made even more apparent – and the communication platform even more attractive for talks – by the number of major projects and agreements that were made at the forum. As of May 30, 593 agreements had been signed at SPIEF, worth a total of RUB2.625 trillion (USD41.7 billion).

The biggest contracts signed include a strategic cooperation agreement between Rosneft, Vnesheconombank, and VEB Leasing worth up to RUB400 billion for financing projects and providing leasing services. A memorandum of intent was also signed between the Eurasian Development Bank and Belkomur Interregional Company to form a syndicated loan of up to RUB278 billion to fund the construction of the Belkomur railway line. Rosneft company representatives signed several long-term contracts with a total value of USD2.1 billion with 12 importing companies based in Mongolia for the supply of petrol and diesel fuel. An agreement worth USD1.5 billion to construct a natural gas processing plant in the town of Ust-Luga (Leningrad region) was signed by the Russian Direct Investment Fund, the Japanese company Marubeni Corporation, the Baltic Gas Chemical Company, and Invasta Capital. The plant, which will convert natural gas to methanol, will have a capacity of 1.7 million tons per year. The forum also paved the way for Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Deutsche Bank to sign an agreement for a EUR807-million credit line to be provided by a consortium of five European banks.

In addition, the Roscongress Foundation signed cooperation agreements with the Association of Lawyers of Russia and 21 Russian federal subjects: the Leningrad, the Kaliningrad, the Kirov, the Murmansk, the Novgorod, the Penza, the Pskov, the Rostov, the Ryazan, the Samara, the Saratov, the Sverdlovsk, the Tver, the Tomsk, and the Chelyabinsk regions, as well as the republics of Adygea, Altai, Buryatia, Karachaevo-Cherkess, Crimea, and Khakassia. The agreements’ goal is to build up cooperation between the parties on raising the investment attractiveness and the export potential of the Russian regions.

The Roscongress Foundation’s international partner network is continuing to increase. SPIEF 2018 saw the signing of agreements between Roscongress and the Association of European Businesses, the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry, the Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia, the ASEAN Business Club, the Norwegian-Russian Chamber of Commerce, the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment, and Technology (COMCE), the General Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Argentina, the Croatian Chamber of Economy, the Israeli-Russian Business Council, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, the Ladies in the Frontline business association, MEDEF International, the Boao Forum for Asia, the Moscow Center for International Cooperation, and the Center for the Development of Women’s Entrepreneurship.

A number of agreements with charity and socially-oriented organizations have been signed as part of a plan to develop the social platform launched by the Roscongress Foundation.

Additionally, agreements have been signed with sports organizations, such as the Russian Golf Association and the Golf Estate Management Company. This cooperation will focus on running sporting programs for economic forums, including golf tournaments held at the Peterhof Golf Club under the aegis of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to promote sports, both in the corporate sector and among the general public.

As agreed to at SPIEF 2018, Russia will host the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit (GMIS) in 2019 under the auspices of the United Nations. The event will take place at the INNOPROM venue in Yekaterinburg.

Importantly, SPIEF was the venue where the management of the “Made in Russia” national brand and the Novgorod region made an agreement to work together on promoting the Novgorod Rus regional brand. An agreement with Zenden Group will result in establishing the first regional office of the “Made in Russia” brand in the Novgorod region.

International Youth Economic Forum

SPIEF hosted the International Youth Economic Forum (IYEF), organized by the Roscongress Foundation and the Federal Agency on Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh). During the event, young leaders from Russia-based and international educational establishments and businesses discussed contemporary challenges. The winners of the all-Russian competition “My Country – My Russia” were also announced.

IYEF brought together graduate and post-graduate students from more than 15 Russian universities, including the St. Petersburg State University, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, the Higher School of Economics, the National University of Science and Technology MISIS, the Russian Social University, the People’s Friendship University of Russia, and the St. Petersburg State University of Economics.

The youth platform created by the Roscongress Foundation together with partners allows future managers to take part in the forum at no cost. They get a chance to network with big business representatives and hear their success stories. Direct communication between different generations helps raise future entrepreneurs, foster international relations, and helps the young people to get acquainted with potential employers. Within the next five to 10 years, the young entrepreneurs return to the forum as new participants, ready to share their experience, to represent their company at the international level, and to take part in global processes.

SPIEF 2018 featured the participation of opinion leaders from academic, business, and media circles from the G20, the BRICS, and the EEU, invited by the Russian Center for Promoting Internal Initiatives supported by the Roscongress Foundation and the St. Petersburg government. Among this year’s participants was a group of G20 youth leaders who met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin at SPIEF 2013. During the five-year period from their last forum, these people managed to find their way in politics and business, coming to occupy leading positions in various youth, research, and civic organizations. Five years later, the young leaders met again in St. Petersburg.

The youth agenda at SPIEF 2018 included meetings with officials, representatives of international companies, members of business communities, and experts. Young leaders of G20 and EEU held a series of brainstorms discussing the place that the Russian economy occupies in the global world and about the future of the digital economy. Additionally, they discussed creating a youth entrepreneurial network that would help develop horizontal interaction of G20 and EEU young leaders, as well promote business projects among the SME participants.

Cultural program

The cultural program at SPIEF 2018 was truly vibrant and diverse: it offered over 60 versatile events for the guests and the participants of the forum. Notably, many of them were charity events, including a gala concert at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in support of cancer treatment, a charitable evening at the Faberge Museum featuring Mira Yevtich (piano) and the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra conducted by maestro Valery Gergiev, as well as a gala concert at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library featuring Vladimir Galouzine, the principal performer of the Mariinksy Theatre and a People’s Artist of Russia, the winners of the Elena Obraztsova International Competition of Young Vocalists, and Sergey Roldugin, a famous cello player and a People’s Artist of Russia.

Over 20 museums and exhibition halls in St. Petersburg and its surroundings welcomed the forum’s participants, including the Russian Museum and the legendary Krassin ice-breaker.

The leading theatres of St. Petersburg held repertoire music programs, as well as special events dedicated to SPIEF 2018. The Mariinsky Theatre premiered shows from the guest countries of the forum, namely France and Japan, as well as shows from Italy.

The Roscongress Foundation and Rosconcert signed a cooperation agreement. The Mikhailovsky Theatre hosted a concert featuring a famous piano player Boris Berezovsky as part of the Russian Seasons project.

Besides, the forum’s participants got a unique opportunity to play the intellectual quiz game of “What? Where? When?” hosted by Alexander Drouz.

A special three-day tour program was prepared for persons accompanying the forum’s participants, as well as Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund.

This year SPIEF took place during the celebration of St. Petersburg’s 315th anniversary, which made its way into the forum’s cultural program. Together with the locals, the forum’s participants attended a number of celebratory events. A true gem of this program was a concert called Classics at Palace Square, as well as the Singing Bridges music show.

The evening program of the forum, sponsored by partner companies, was colorful and eventful, including the official reception on behalf of the organizing committee.

Sporting program

The forum featured a diverse sporting program that combined competitions in 10 athletic disciplines, as well as traditional corporate games under the Roscongress Sport Club brand.

The key event of the SPIEF 2018 sporting program was a friendly match between women’s sabre fencing teams from Russia and France. Alisher Usmanov, the president of the International Fencing Federation, and Pavel Kolobkov, the Russian Minister of Sport, opened the tournament. Exciting competitions of the world’s best sabre fencers took place in the Russian Ethnography Museum, followed by a meeting with the leaders of the two countries, which only punched up the main program of the forum.

SPIEF 2018 participants took part in Roscongress gala matches and tournaments in golf, football, ice-hockey, basketball, and padel.

The residents of St. Petersburg had a chance to participate in the games organized as part of SPIEF 2018. These sporting events brought together 37 teams in 12 athletic disciplines from local, state, and corporate entities, including the local offices of the Russian Railways, Sberbank, Gazprom Neft and its subsidiaries, Transneft, Rosseti, Rosatom, and Rosselkhozbank. The residents of St. Petersburg enjoyed the opportunity to attend the launches of the Ladoga Trophy Raid race with 197 cars from 18 countries and the second leg of the International Peace Rally from St. Petersburg to Monaco, both of which took place at St. Isaac’s Square.

Social agenda

An important innovation at SPIEF this year was the inclusion of a social agenda in the forum’s program. The launch of the Roscongress Foundation’s social platform is in line with national policy priorities to raise the quality of life, develop Russia’s regions, build modern education and healthcare systems, support cultural initiatives and the environment, meet the demands of a modern society, and strengthen the foundation’s social focus.

The NPO LAB is a new project that served as the main platform for discussing the social agenda. In attendance at the opening ceremony was Tatyana Golikova, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister for Social Policy. “In order for social problems to be solved quickly and systemically, we need government, business, and the relevant non-commercial organizations and development institutions, such as Roscongress, to join forces. If a space such as the NPO LAB can facilitate dialogue between these parties and the creation of new partnerships, if it can help bring resources to socially significant projects and replicate them, then success awaits us, as we work to fulfil these priority social development objectives across the entire country,” she said. Around 100 charitable foundations and non-commercial organizations presented their projects at the NPO LAB, and over 20 sessions and discussions took place on a range of topics, including the environment, education, territorial development, female entrepreneurship, and improving inclusivity levels in the society. Eight collaboration agreements were signed between the Roscongress Foundation and NPO LAB participants, covering various social issues. Partnership agreements between the corporate supporters and the social organizations were also signed, serving as further confirmation of the platform’s effectiveness.

The NPO LAB stand hosted a number of agreement signing ceremonies, including those between the Ozero Baikal Foundation and the republic of Buryatia, between the Memory of Generations charitable foundation and the Association of Volunteer Centers, as well as between the Podari Zhizn Charity Foundation and International Paper.

In order to promote the social agenda, improve the interaction efficiency between the various branches of the social sector, and create a world-level information outlet, the Roscongress Foundation Social Platform in partnership with the Arts, Science, and Sport Charity Foundation announced the launch of the Center for Social Communications project. One of the key activities of the new entity will be running an all-Russia creative competition on key aspects of social development, such as family and children, culture, education, the elderly, the environment, inclusivity, and new technology.

The Roscongress Foundation social platform will continue integrating the social agenda into the programs of various forums it conducts, expanding the geography of social partnerships, as well as developing socially-oriented initiatives and projects on the regional level.

The final day of the forum saw a group of talented children from Sosnovy Bor, the winners of competitions In the Arms of the Nature, NucKids2017, and Glory to the Creators take a tour around the exhibition areas. “We invited 19 talented children to the SPIEF venue, so that they could see the success of Russia’s leading companies for themselves. Without a doubt, it helps to engage active young people with the technological advancement of Russia,” said Roscongress’s chairman of the board and CEO Alexander Stuglev.

Business services

SPIEF Investment & Business Expo exhibition gave Russian regions and international companies an opportunity to present their investment projects. This networking area consisted of 32 stands, where potential business partners learned about investment opportunities in Russia’s regions, as well as projects developed by Russian companies.

The style used for the SPIEF venue decor, as well as outdoor advertising and printed materials was based on St. Petersburg’s architecture. Looking at the decor images, one could see the facades of the Hermitage, the Kazan Cathedral, the Chamber of Curiosities, the Peter the Great Bridge, the Singer House located on Nevsky Prospect, and many other landmarks of the city that go well with the iconic silhouettes of the Bronze Horseman, the Alexander Column, and St. Isaac’s Cathedral.

Since 2018 is the year of the ballet, the forum’s hallways were covered with imagery of renowned ballerinas dancing away and costume sketches designed for world famous ballets. The restaurant for the event’s participants was decorated with elements of this special theatrical style, which gave visitors a chance to dive into the atmosphere of classical ballet as if they were in a lobby of a theatre.

The SPIEF presentation area, sponsored by EY and FIAC, was a venue for some important discussions. This area attracted representatives of Russian and international companies, media, and government agencies. Over 2,500 people visited this area over the four days of the forum.

The Governors’ Club hosted around 150 meetings in different configurations.

The Roscongress Club made its debut at SPIEF 2018, offering presentations by the Russian Congress Bureau and new sporting projects of the Roscongress Foundation: Roscongress Sport Club (an all-year-round club that provides access to events of the Foundation’s Sporting Program), as well as the Sochi Challenge Forum.

Apart from the Social Platform, the Roscongress Foundation premiered the Territory of Innovation Startup Lounge, a special innovation-oriented area.

The lounge concept got to be popular among the guests and the participants at the forum. It offered innovative companies a chance to present new solutions for the medical industry, data processing, and information security. At the same time, promising Russian technology-based projects enjoyed the opportunity to demonstrate their achievements and discuss their further development with other participants.

The Territory of Innovation also opened a lecture hall, where a number of presenters got to show their products to a broader audience and connect to the visitors.

The opening ceremony of the Territory of Innovation featured the attendance of Russia’s Minister of Digital Development, Communications, and the Mass-Media Konstantin Noskov, Roscongress’s chairman and CEO Alexander Stuglev, the head of the Internet Initiatives Development Fund (IIDF) Kirill Varlamov, Skolkovo’s board chairman Igor Drozdov, and the president of RHANA Medical Corporation Yekaterina Dibrova.

At SPIEF 2018, the EXPO 2025 Bid Committee presented an interactive booth with the Smart City concept which will be created using advanced technologies at the expo venue.

The monorail road project was one of the highlights of the Yekaterinburg EXPO. “SPIEF 2018 guests who visited the booth found themselves in the monorail cabin on a sightseeing tour through the EXPO and witnessed life in the Smart City as a computer graphics model,” said director general of the Expo 2025 bid committee Svetlana Sagaydak.

During the final press conference, advisor to the Russian President Anton Kobyakov said, “Ideas and decisions made at the forum stimulate the development of many industries. That’s why we can rightfully say that the Roscongress Foundation has succeeded as a socially-oriented non-for-profit development institution. It remains a major organizer of international conventions, exhibitions, and public events in different areas of our economy. Joint and well-coordinated efforts of the organizing committees, the partners of the forum, and the Roscongress Foundation, as well as cooperation among all members of the organizing committees (St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Eastern Economic Forum, International Financial Congress, Forum of Innovative Financial Technologies FINOPOLIS, Russian Energy Week, Russian Investment Forum, the International Arctic Forum), coupled with a thorough compilation of programs, an appropriate display of exhibition areas, timely delivered invitations, as well as good project execution led to an admirable result. A system of forums has emerged built around the calendar year that is clear to all participants at all levels, which makes it even more interesting and attracts a bigger audience. The international format of SPIEF has become even more pronounced. This communication platform is popular for negotiating not just large international projects that involve Russia and its foreign partners, but other projects that Russia hasn’t joined yet.”

This year’s forum witnessed the launch of the Information and Analytical System of the Roscongress Foundation. This platform is actively developing and at the moment features an interactive library and a navigation system for 862 sessions, 3,685 speakers and moderators, 231 analytical pieces, and 153 issues of Russia’s development agenda that were discussed during the events of the Roscongress Foundation.

At the forum, the official mobile app for SPIEF 2018 held a survey that showed that 60 percent of the event’s participants (almost 10 thousand people from 63 countries) approved of the logo for the “Made in Russia” national brand. Importantly, this project showed incredible opportunities of the forum’s mobile app as an efficient research tool.