2019 Forum highlights


Over 8,000 leading economists and entrepreneurs, experts and consultants, journalists and exhibitors, executives of large domestic and foreign companies, and representatives of federal and regional executive bodies took part in the Russian Investment Forum, which was held at the Olympic Park Main Media Centre in Sochi 13–15 February. 

Business Programme

In his address during the Plenary session, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev touched on the theme of the forum, ‘National Projects: from Strategy to Action.’ The Prime Minister stated: "The national projects serve as a unified matrix into which we tried to fit the lives of the entire country. Never in the history of modern Russia have we seen such complex, overarching and ambitious changes. Everything we need to do to improve the quality of life for the people and to ensure the country’s strategic growth and development in the next six years has been formulated as national projects. This is what we will discuss at this forum."

On the last day, during a meeting with heads of regions, the Prime Minister announced that he signed a federal order to create 14 Territories of Advanced Socioeconomic Development: 11 in mono-sectoral cities and three in closed cities. "This is particularly important now, when you and I are starting to work on the national projects," stressed the Prime Minister.

The business Programme included 71 events, which, according to Chairman of the Forum Organizing Committee Dmitry Kozak, covered "all of the areas related to the national projects, from supporting industry to social issues." At the sessions, roundtables, business breakfasts, and in the Case Zone, attendees discussed the key indicators of the National Projects and how the projects' realization will affect the development of the Russian economy and the standards of living for Russians in 2018–2024. More than 530 speakers, experts, and moderators took part in the professional discussions during the panel sessions and roundtables.

In addition to the traditional Russian Investment Forum discussions on regional development, the extensive Programme also touched on new topics, such as social entrepreneurship, innovations in philanthropy, healthy life expectancies, and best practices for socioeconomic development.

Social Agenda

The Roscongress Social Platform saw lively discussions on socially important issues. The Social Impact Lounge stand hosted expert discussions and a series of interviews with Russian business leaders, public figures, and government officials in the interest of promoting the modern social agenda. The stand was also the location of the awards ceremony for the winners of the Roscongress Foundation charity event. The foundation gave 2.5 million roubles to five social projects that had participated in the charity event.

A ceremony was held to mark the establishment of the INNOSOCIUM Foundation for the Promotion of Social Development. The Foundation’s main objectives are to provide practical support for priority areas of social development, create and promote the social agenda at the communication platforms of the Roscongress Foundation, implement socially significant and charitable initiatives, facilitate the development and enhance the effectiveness of NPOs and corporate social responsibility in addition to international cooperation within the sustainable development agenda, and strengthen the positive image of Russia. The key focuses of INNOSOCIUM are social issues, culture, education, the environment, social communications, and women’s leadership. The foundation’s establishment was preceded by a year of successful work by the Roscongress Foundation’s Social Platform.

"This platform has given us the opportunity to exchange opinions not just within the country, but with our foreign partners as well. It gives us the opportunity to engage businesses, it works very well in engaging non-profit organizations and the public in those social initiatives that are supported by Roscongress, the government, and Roscongress partners. I think that today's announcement of the formation of the INNOSOCIUM Foundation will create new opportunities and potential for this work. Essentially, this means that social issues have become an integral part of the work of the forum and the Roscongress Foundation. And that these issues will unite a large portion of the participants and partners," said Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova.

Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Mikhail Kotyukov presented awards to the winners of the INNOSOCIUM Russian Social Projects Contest, who will receive funding to implement their social projects and will also be able to present their projects to the business community at SPIEF 2019 in St. Petersburg. 

The Social Impact Lounge was also host to a unique art project – an exhibition of art by people with learning disabilities called 'The Inalienable.' The exhibition was opened by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova.

One of the main events of the social agenda at the Russian Investment Forum in Sochi was the meeting of the Council on Social Welfare of the Government of the Russian Federation, which was led by Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova. The theme of the meeting was ‘Medical support for and social adaptation of children with diabetes mellitus and creating public awareness of the symptoms of diabetes.’

Investment Project Exhibition

The exhibition area of the forum continued its work in the Investment Project Exhibition. The stands of 43 exhibitors evoked genuine interest from the guests, participants, and investors. An interactive presentation zone equipped with modern digital tools (multimedia pylons, 3D holograms, investment calculators) allowed visitors to get information about the investment potential of an exhibitor, economic growth trends, infrastructure, and social and industrial infrastructure.

For example, at the interactive stand of the city of Moscow, investors were presented with the city's infrastructure and financial opportunities: urban development, public-private partnership mechanisms, new platforms for business localization, and industrial complexes and technoparks for creating high-tech enterprises.

At the North Caucasus Development Corporation stand (which includes the Republic of Dagestan, the Republic of Ingushetia, the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, the Karachayevo-Cherkessian Republic, the Republic of North Ossetia – Alania, the Stavropol Territory, and the Republic of Chechnya), visitors could get to know the economic potential and resorts of the North Caucasus Federal District, view a presentation on the national cable car, and receive free ski passes to the Arkhyz, Elbrus, Veduchi resorts.

The Republic of Udmurtia presented unique medical equipment designs from the Axion Holding motor plant, the modern achievements of Udmurt craftsmen, and marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian weapons designer Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov.

At the forum stands, guests had the opportunity to taste national dishes from various regions of Russia: traditional Caucasian dishes, the cuisine of Krasnodar Region, Udmurt perepechi (a type of pastry), and much more.

The Development Award

The forum also hosted the honours ceremony for 'The Development Award,' organized by VEB.RF state corporation and gave a prize to the best investment project. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev presented the winners with their awards for their significant contribution to social economic development in Russia.

Governors’ Club

The Governors’ Club made its second appearance at the forum in Sochi. This format has been successful across a number of forums organized by the Roscongress Foundation. This year, the Governors’ Club hosted a total of 120 meetings – three times more than last year.  

Case Zone

For the second year in a row, the Russian Investment Forum hosted the Case Zone, an additional platform for participants who want to present their projects to investment experts. 

The Case Zone saw the presentation of 11 investment projects in economic sectors such as the fuel and energy industry, manufacturing, infrastructure, high-tech medicine, public-private partnerships, and tourism, open dialogue meetings with the heads of federal subjects, as well as a debate between investment community leaders on 2019 trends.

Expert Analytical Support for the Forum

During the forum, the Roscongress Information and Analysis System debuted a new Summary service, a joint effort by the of the Roscongress Foundation and the Russian News Agency TASS, which provides readers with a condensed version of key discussions, describing the conclusions, problems, and solutions mentioned therein. By the end of the Russian Investment Forum, a total of 80 summaries were prepared, 30 of which were released in real time, presenting the primary analytical results of the forum.

The summary booklet ‘Results of the Russian Investment Forum 2019’ will also be prepared, with its electronic version to be available on the portal.

The expert and analytical support of the Forum was provided by a group of experts in the area of political and economic sciences from among the employees of Kuban State University, including the members of the expert board of the Research and Educational Centre ‘North Caucasus Centre of Strategic Studies’ at Kuban State University, as well as the employees of the Institute for the Problems of the Regional Economy at the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the North-West Institute of Management at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. They will prepare a number of proposals reflecting the results of discussions. 

Starting Day Event

The ‘Healthy Life: Towards 80+’ Forum

For the first time, the Russian Investment Forum Starting Day featured the ‘Healthy Life: Towards 80+’ Forum, which brought together representatives of government bodies, the expert community, and heads of relevant ministries and agencies to discuss comprehensive approaches to improving the country's health care system and demographic policy.

“Promoting the health of our people, extending life expectancy, and improving the quality of life for the older generation are important national goals and a priority for government agencies at all levels," said President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin during his message of greetings to the participants, organizers, and guests of the forum.

The forum Programme included over 30 events dedicated to the issues of implementing national projects in the areas of healthcare, demography, science, and education. The forum was attended by approximately 3,000 people, including delegates from 21 countries: Argentina, Armenia, United Kingdom of Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kazakhstan, Canada, China, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Belarus, Serbia, Slovakia, USA, Ukraine.

"This forum, organized by the Roscongress Foundation in the interest of helping implement the Healthcare National Project, lays the foundation for holding analogous events related to other National Projects," noted Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov.

One of the main events of the forum was the plenary session titled 'Towards Life Expectancy of 80 Years in Russia: Challenges and Solutions,' which was attended by: Minister of Health of the Russian Federation Veronika Skvortsova, Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation Maxim Topilin, Director of the Bakulev National Medical Research Centre of Cardiovascular Surgery of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation Leo Bokeria, Governor of Novgorod Region Andrey Nikitin, Head of the Talent and Success Foundation and Member of the Presidential Council for Science and Education Elena Shmeleva, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Sergeyev, three-time Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling champion Aleksander Karelin, and other public figures.

The concluding event of the ‘Healthy Life: Towards 80+’ Forum was the panel session 'Healthy Life Expectancy: the Foundation of Social Development' with the participation of Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev. During this event, participants discussed Russia's strategic goal of increasing the life expectancy to 78 years by 2024, of which 67 years should be healthy. They also wrapped up the successful work of the forum, which had gathered leading figures in healthcare, demography, science, and education in one place.

Young Enterprise Day

As is tradition, the Russian Investment Forum hosted a Young Enterprise Day. The event was organized by the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs and the Russian Centre for Youth Entrepreneurship.

New Roscongress Foundation Projects

The Roscongress Foundation announced the launch of the Friends of Cities International Project. It is expected that the launch of this community will facilitate the exchange of cutting-edge experiences related to sustainable urban development, in the interest of long-term cooperation between representatives across the world. The project was formally launched at the forum in Sochi.

Agreements

The forum saw the signing of 567 agreements totalling 968.033 billion roubles (only those agreements whose monetary sum was not a trade secret were counted).

For reference: In 2016, a total of 255 agreements worth 453.3 billion roubles were signed, in 2017 – 377 agreements worth 550.3 billion roubles, in 2018 – 538 agreements worth 862 billion roubles.

 

The most notable of these:


Participants

The number of forum participants grew by 30% compared to 2018. 

The total number of forum participants across all categories (including exhibitors and media) amounted to over 8,000 delegates from more than 65 foreign countries. 

(For Reference: in 2018, the forum was attended by 6,123 participants). 

The largest delegations (officials and business representatives) came from countries such as: the United States (115), Switzerland (49), the United Kingdom (38), France (36), Germany (35), Italy (25), China (25), the Netherlands (20), and Japan (16).

Among the high-profile foreign politicians visiting the forum were:

  1. Nanba Dzhansukh Eduardovich, Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Abkhazia, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Republic of Abkhazia;

  2. Ardzinba Adgur Amiranovich, Ministry of Economy, Minister, Republic of Abkhazia;

  3. Kobe Daur Vadimovich, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister, Republic of Abkhazia;

  4. Iván Acosta Montalván, Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, minister, Nicaragua.

The Russian Investment Forum 2019 was attended not just by the heads of branches of large international companies in Russia, but also the representatives of the international business community. Business representatives came from countries such as Armenia, Belgium, Egypt, Cameroon, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, and the Republic of South Africa. 

For the first time, the forum was attended by representatives of Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa, including CEO Neville Matjie and Chairperson CM Cronje.

As is traditional, the platform was attended by executives from the subsidiaries of the largest international companies in Russia, including:

For the first time the forum was attended by heads of affiliated branches of companies such as Sanofi Russia, Boehringer Ingelheim, GE Healthcare, Ingka Centres Rus Management (IKEA); McDonald's, PepsiCo Holdings, SAP CIS, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Philips, Hawle Sevcom; Hyundai Motor CIS; Abbott Laboratories; Unilever Russia.

468 heads of Russian companies (compared to 308 last year) took part in the forum, including figures such as

  1. Vagit Alekperov, LUKOIL, President;

  2. Oleg Belozyorov, Russian Railways, CEO;

  3. Andrey Bokarev, Transmashholding, President;

  4. Viktor Vekselberg, Skolkovo Foundation, President;

  5. Hermann Gref, Sberbank, President and CEO;

  6. Kirill Dmitriev, Russian Direct Investment Fund, CEO;

  7. Alexander Dyukov, Gazprom Neft, Chairman of the Management Board, President;

  8. Igor Shuvalov, State Development Corporation VEB.RF, Chairman.

17 people from the Forbes 200 Wealthiest People list attended the forum including first visits from Roman Trotsenko, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Aeon Corporation and Viktor Kharitonin, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Pharmstandard.

75 companies (compared to 55 last year) from the RBC 500 list took part in the forum.

Among those Russian and foreign officials in attendance were: 

The forum events were attended by the heads of diplomatic missions of 19 countries: Bahrain, Bulgaria, Bolivia, Burundi, Zimbabwe, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Yemen, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Mongolia, Nicaragua, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of South Ossetia, France, and the Republic of South Africa.

Media

This year, the forum was covered by 1,326 media representatives (1,300 from Russia, 26 from abroad). (For Reference: in 2018 there were 1,080 Russian and 16 foreign media representatives)

Applications were received from 12 countries (not including Russia): Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Ghana, Iraq, Iran, Cyprus, China, the Republic of Belarus, the United States of America, Uzbekistan, France, Sweden.

Forum Partners

54 companies were forum partners.

General Sponsor – VTB Bank.

Strategic Partner – Rossiyskie Seti.

Official Partners: Post Bank; the Russian National Commercial Bank (RNCB); SME Bank; Sberbank; the Russian Export Centre; Gazprom; Gazprombank; VEB.RF; Russian Direct Investment Fund; DOM.RF.

Business Programme Partners – Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI); Nornickel; SKB Kontur; RBC; Russian Copper Company; NOVATEK.

Telecommunication Partner – Rostelecom. 

Networking Area Partners – Transmashholding; Agency for Strategic Initiatives; Phillip Moris Sales and Marketing LLC; Russian Agricultural Bank; Supplier Portal (Moscow); Rosenergoatom; MOSCONGRESS/CONVENTION and EXHIBITION COMPANY; ER-Telecom Holding; Digital Podmoskovye (Moscow Region).

Governors' Club General Partner – Russian Highways.

Governors' Club Partners – Transmashholding; Cherkizovo Group; LUKOIL; Almaz-Antey Air and Space Defense Corporation; KR Properties.

Roscongress Club Partner – Atom Fund; Russian Railways.

Business Networking Platform Partner – EY.

Case Zone Knowledge Partner – Expert RA. 

Case Zone Partner – AVTOBAN Road-Building Company.

Social Track Partners –– MARS Russia; PepsiCo.

Sporting Programme Partner – The group of companies “Novotrans.”

Cultural Programme Event Organization Partner – Tube Metallurgical Company (TMK).

Organizing Partners – VSK Joint-Stock Insurance Company, Orimi Trade Group of Companies, Korenovskiy Milk Processing Factory, Philips, PepsiCo, BAIKAL PEARL, Moёt & Chandon.

General Partner of the Forum Gala Opening Reception on Behalf of the Organizing Committee – Ferro-Estate.

Partners of the Forum Gala Opening Reception on Behalf of the Organizing Committee – the Russian Brewers’ Union; Metalloinvest; Association of Lawyers of Russia.

Official Car of the Forum – Hyundai Genesis. 


Sporting and Cultural Programme

The action-packed Forum Sporting Programme Started with the Roscongress Cup Run on the Formula One race track, which was attended by over 400 people, including forum guests, participants, and Sochi residents. The race was headed by Head of the Udmurt Republic Alexander Brechalov, Acting Governor of Kursk Region Roman Starovoyt, and Acting Governor of Lipetsk Region Igor Artamonov. 

The Roscongress Cup: Chess Tournament was held. The opening of the Gala Match was hosted by First Deputy Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Alexander Zhukov and Chairman of the Committee on Budget and Taxes of the State Duma Andrei Makarov.

The Ice Hockey Gala Match pitted the Russian Government Team against the Russian Investment Forum Team and featured the participation of Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Evgeniy Ditrikh, Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East Alexander Kozlov, President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee Alexander Medvedev, CEO of Novotrans Group Konstantin Goncharov, and Rector of Russian State Social University Natalya Pochinok.

 Forum guests and participants have the opportunity to attend: 


Russian Convention Bureau (RCB) 

The RCB took part in the Russian Investment Forum Business Programme and in the signing ceremony of two agreements on strategic cooperation with representatives of Russian regions: with the Government of Saratov Region and the Ministry of Economic Development of Novosibirsk Region. The main objective of the agreements signed between RCB and the regional executive bodies is the development of regions’ potential as favourable territories for investments and centres of business and event tourism, as well as the expansion of domestic economic ties. 

The highlight of the Russian Congress Bureau’s participation in the Russian Investment Forum was a special session in the Case Zone – the ‘Good Morning, Country!’ Jam Session. RCB's special session was held in a new format, featuring a presentation of the 2018 Regional Event Potential Rating, an informal discussion between regional representatives in the top 10, jam for the guests, and a prize raffle. The rating and evaluation criteria were presented by Member of the RCB Board and General Director of the R&C Research and Exhibition Centre Daria Ostrovskaya. A number of speakers shared their know-how and life hacks for achieving high results: Krasnoyarsk Territory Development Corporation General Director Pavel Mayorov, Minister of Investment and Development of Sverdlovsk Region Victoria Kazakova, Kaliningrad Region Development Corporation General Director Andrey Tolmachyov, and CEO of the Murmansk Regional Development Corporation Anton Fyodorov. The jam session was moderated by Accord Management Group Partner Alexander Eliseev. 

The Russian Investment Forum is organized by the Roscongress Foundation

The Roscongress Foundation is a socially oriented non-financial development institution and a major organizer of international conventions, exhibitions and public events.

The Roscongress Foundation was founded in 2007 with the aim of facilitating the development of Russia’s economic potential and strengthening the country’s image by organizing international conventions, exhibitions, and public events. The Foundation develops substantive content for such events, providing companies and organizations with advice, information, and expert guidance, and offering comprehensive evaluation, analysis, and coverage of the Russian and global economic agendas. It offers administrative services and promotional support for business projects and helps attract investment, including in the form of public-private partnerships.

Today, its annual Programme includes events held from Montevideo to Vladivostok, offering an opportunity to bring together global business leaders, experts, the media, and government officials in one place, creating favourable conditions for dialogue and the promotion of new ideas and projects, and assisting in the creation of social enterprise and charity projects.