Second Russian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Forum

St. Petersburg, ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre, Congress Centre

June 15, 2016

PROGRAMME

For more information about the programme, please visit the official website of the second Russian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Forum. (click here)

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08:00—10:00 —  Welcome coffee

 

10:00–11:45               Congress Centre, Conference Hall D1

Panel Session 1.1: Working with Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Providing SMEs with access to state and municipal purchasing requirements and to the supply chain for major companies is of vital importance in ensuring sales opportunities for the output from SMEs. The issue which must be addressed is the integration of SMEs into the economy so that they can become part of a larger industrial chain. Such a mechanism would provide the necessary support. Questions relating to the regulation of this process, and of raising and maintaining the quality of products and services from SMEs must also be resolved.

 

Key issues:

·        ensuring access to purchasing

·        integration of SMEs into the industrial chain

·        purchasing requirements of large-scale businesses, plans for purchasing products and services from SMEs

·        state protectionist measures

 

Moderator:

Dmitry Sazonov, Chair, Commission on the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation

 

Speakers:

1.    Iliia Dimitrov, Executive Director, Association of Electronic Trading Platforms

2.    Nikolai Dunayev, Member of the Presidium, OPORA Russia; Director General, Energoservice

3.    Natalia Korotchenkova, Deputy Director General, Federal Corporation for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

4.    Аnatoliy Meshheryakov, State Secretary, Vice President, Russian Railways

5.    Andrey Shpilenko, Director, Association of Clusters and Technoparks

6.    Victor Stepanov, Vice President, OPORA Russia; Director General, RTS-Tender

7.    Andrei Tsarikovsky, State Secretary, Deputy Head, Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service

8.    Yuriy Zafesov, Director of the Purchasing Department, Rosseti

 

Experts:

·        Konstantin Guselnikov, General Director, Fininvestconsulting

·        Alexander Karelin, Factoring Managing Director, Promsvyazbank, General Director, Promsvyazfactoring

·        Alexander Mulyakaev, General Director, Glass Design

 

10:00–11: 45             Congress Centre, Conference Hall D2

Panel Session 1.2: Reducing Administrative Barriers to Business

The administrative and legal regulatory systems in some sectors and areas remain unfriendly to smaller businesses and do not take into account the specifics of how smaller economic units operate. The cost of adhering to regulatory requirements is rising continually. Reporting requirements for businesses are also increasing. In his Address to the Federal Assembly, the Russian President set the task of eliminating superfluity and duplication in the functions of the supervisory and regulatory organs. This will require, among other things, that all administrative barriers be listed and that all electronic services be unified into one system. The successful completion of the task set depends to a large degree on how effectively this is carried out. Frequent changes to legislation also have a negative effect on doing business.

 

Key issues:

·        improving tax legislation

·        legal support for entrepreneurs

·        a single legislative base for SMEs

·        elimination of superfluity and duplication in the functions of the supervisory and regulatory organs

 

Moderator:

Alexander Kalinin, President, OPORA Russia

 

Speakers:

1.      Anastasia Alekhnovich, Head, Expert Centre under the Presidential Ombudsman for the Protection of Entrepreneurs’ Rights

2.      Leonid Aronov, Vice-President, St.Petersburg Union of Entrepreneurs

3.      Andrey Bastrakov, lawyer, Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners

4.      Alexander Bragin, Executive Director, Forum Analytical Centre

5.      Vladimir Gruzdev, Chairman Russian Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance

6.      Vladislav Korochkin, First Vice President, OPORA Russia

7.      Alina Lavrentieva, Partner, Private Company Services Leader, PwC

8.      Dmitry Satin, Deputy Head, Federal Tax Service of Russia

 

Experts:

·        Vitaly Fateichev, Chairman of St. Petersburg Regional Branch, All-Russia Public Organization “Business Russia”

·        Sergey Fedorov, Chairman of the Management Board, Association of Industrialists and Businessmen

·        Nikolay Tsiganov, President, Premier Holding

·        Vyacheslav Traktovenko, Vice President, Bankers House St. Petersburg

 

10:00–11: 45             Congress Centre, Conference Hall D4

Panel Session 1.3: Educational Projects for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

There is a shortage of both qualified and unqualified staff in many business sectors, including SMEs. This calls for a development of methods used to train and retrain staff, and for close cooperation between educational institutions and business, and for a breakthrough in entrepreneurial potential. Today only 4.7% of Russians of working age are starting a business of their own (data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for Russia 2014).

 

Key issues:

·        creating a positive image of entrepreneurs, business education

·        cooperation with higher professional educational institutions and vocational secondary schools

·        increasing qualification levels among employees

·        staff training programmes

 

Moderator:

Andrei Sharov, Vice President, Head, Small Business Development Department, Sberbank

 

Speakers:

1.        Elena Bocherova, Vice-President, Head of the Executive Committee, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia)

2.        Alexey Grigoriev, Chief Representative, METRO AG (Germany)

3.        Mikhail Fedorenko, General Director, Delovaya Sreda (Business Environment)

4.        Svetlana Kuznetsova, Advisor To the General Director, Federal Corporation for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

5.        Maxim Parshin, Director, Department for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses and Competition, Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

6.        Eugenia Shokhina, President, RSPP Business School

7.        Vyacheslav Shoptenko, Director, Institute of Organizational Development and Strategic Initiatives, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)

 

Experts:

·        Maxim Chereshnev, Chairman of the Board, Russian Trade and Economic Development Council

·        Sergey Fedorinov, CEO, Ulmart

·        Dmitry Yagodkin, General Director, DEMETRA-NOVA

 

12:00–13:15               Congress Centre, Conference Hall D1

Plenary session: Tools for Growing Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise in Latin America and the Caribbean

Cooperation between Russia and Latin American and Caribbean nations is growing confidently in the current economic climate. To strengthen this interaction, our countries must regularly share best practices and build direct relationships between our business communities.

 

Key issues:

·        the place and role of small and medium-sized businesses in national economies

·        best practices in supporting small and medium-sized enterprise developed in Latin America and the Caribbean

·        the most promising trends in cooperation between Russia and Latin American and Caribbean nations

 

Moderator:

Victor Ermakov, Special Representative of the Presidential Commission for Entrepreneurs’ Rights

 

Speakers:

1.    Siglien Burleson, Minister of Trade and Industry of Suriname

2.    Jessy Petit-Frère, Minister of Commerce and Industry of Haiti

3.    Rafael Enrique Gonzalez Alemán, General Director, Under Secretary of Commerce and Investments, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina

4.    Manuela Lima, Manager, Business Intelligence and Corporate Strategy Unit, APEX

5.    Ricardo Bosnic, Subdirector of Development, PROChile

6.    Jaime Eduardo Juarez Arias, Trade and Investment Counsellor, PROMÉXICO for Russia, Belarus & Armenia

 

12:00–13:15               Congress Centre, Conference Hall D4

Finnish-Russian Roundtable: Building a Winning Finnish-Russian Coalition in Technology Industry: How to Form an Efficient Subcontracting Chain in the New Economic Reality?

Finnish and Russian SMEs are facing a new economic reality: economic sanctions and counter sanctions, decrease in Finnish export activities in Russia, dramatic change of rouble exchange rate, activization of Russian import substitution, localization of imported goods production and support for Russian companies’ export activities, new competitive advantages of products made in Russia, switch to the perception of China as the best place for localization. Finnish SMEs want to keep or increase their presence on the Russian market and consider opening production facilities in Russia. They will bring to Russia new technologies, highly competitive products, modern equipment and business models. Russian SMEs with export potential can use new competitive advantages due to the rouble exchange rate and need reliable partners and subcontractors/contractors abroad, e.g. in Finland.

 

Key issues:

·        working in the new and rapidly changing economic reality: first results and perspectives for Finnish-Russian SME cooperation in both countries.

·        Finnish SMEs on the Russian market: export operations, import substitution and localization.

·        Russian SMEs in Finland: potential, expectations and reality.

·        sharing experience: real business cases.

 

Moderators:

Takhir Bikbaev, Board Member, OPORA Russia

Anders Blom, Board Chairman, Eurofacts Oy

 

Speakers:

1.      Vladimir Ilivitzky, CEO, RTL-Inductives

2.      Eero Kotkasaari, CEO, Joutsen Oy; Co-Chair, SME Working Group, Russian-Finnish Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation

3.      Maxim Meiksin, Chairman of the Committee on Industrial Policy and Innovation of St.Petersburg

4.      Thomas Palmgren, Head of International Affairs, Federation of Finnish Enterprises

5.      Timo Parmasuo, Board Member, Meconet Oy; Chairman, SME Group, Group of Finnish Advisers to the Government of Saint Petersburg

6.      Dmitry Petrovichev, Presidium Member, OPORA Russia

7.      Armen Sarkisyan, CEO, G-Derm

8.      Representative of Committee for Entrepreneurship and Consumer Market Development of St.Petersburg

 

Experts:

·        Maxim Balanev, Executive Director, St.Petersburg Found for Business Development

·        Victoria Boitsova, CEO, Business Incubator “REO Service”

·        Aleksei Budashkin, Director, Sample Stone

·        Vladimir Buchenko, CEO, Baltmash

·        Luydmila Karelina, Vice President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of St.Petersburg

·        Petri Vuorio, Director, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK

·        Jaana Rekolainen, CEO, Finnish-Russian Chamber of Commerce

·        Tomi Taipale, CEO, Kaarjoki Oy

·        Pekka Takala, Senior Advisor, Eurofacts Oy 

·        Martti Huttunen, Head, Helsinki Centre in St. Petersburg

·        Anton Tsvetikov, CEO, steel mill “Metallist”

 

13:1514:00 Lunch

 

14:00–15:45               Congress Centre, Conference Hall D2

Panel Session 2.1: Industry-Specific Aspects of Development for SMEs. Key Trends: Domestic Tourism

An important niche market traditionally occupied by SMEs is the provision of consumer services to the market, including in the tourist sector. Taking the country’s current geopolitical and economic circumstances into account, the primary focus for tourism is domestic tourism. Developing this will create new jobs not only in travel agencies, but also in the infrastructure of Russian towns and resorts, which hold major potential for small and medium-sized businesses. Supporting and developing domestic tourism means, in the first instance, a wide range of support mechanisms for businesses in this area, which take the specific aspects of the sector into account.

 

Key issues:

·        the prerequisites for the development of domestic tourism

·        the most in-demand and promising areas of domestic tourism

·        development of the infrastructure and allied services, job creation

·        support measures for SMEs in the tourist sector

 

Moderator:

Andrey Shubin, Executive Director, OPORA Russia

 

Speakers:

1.    Daniel Bashmakov, Head, Krasnodar Territorial Division, OPORA Russia

2.    Igor Bukharov, President, Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia

3.    Alexei Kozhevnikov, General Director, GoToRus

4.    Dmitry Purim, CEO, Sovfracht

5.    Pavel Rumyantsev, Deputy Director for Communications and International Projects, Russian Union of Travel Industry

6.    Vladimir Sharov, President, Association for Domestic Tourism of Russia

7.    Andrei Suleikov, General Director, Apreal; owner, TopTripTip service

8.    Elena Tsereteli, Chairman, Public Council for Small Business Development under the Governor of St. Petersburg

 

Experts:

·        Alexander Bazykin, Managing Partner, Heads Consulting

·        Nadezhda Korotovskykh, General Director, ISGL

·        Alexei Nikitchenko, General Director, O2Consulting; Vice-President, Group of companies NISSE

·        Sergey Vasiliev, proprietor, UNO Art Centre

 

14:00–15: 45              Congress Centre, Conference Hall D1

Panel Session 2.2: Financial Instruments for Supporting Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Lending to SMEs is still one of the more risky types of lending, since small businesses are more susceptible to changes in the market and in demand for their products. Limited access to finance is, according to entrepreneurs, the main difficulty they face. This is also true of the extremely high interest rates on borrowing, the complexity in obtaining long-term loans and the impossibility of obtaining credit for development with deferred repayments. A range of questions must be resolved relating to the improvement of access to finance and to providing small businesses with information about state support measures, including developing an interactive information service about state financial support, offering educational events to improve the financial literacy of entrepreneurs and developing an investment elevator.

 

Key issues:

·        development of a loans system for small and medium-sized businesses and access to funding

·        investment and venture finance

·        financial and loans support

·        the role of commercial banks

 

Moderator:

Pavel Samiev, Managing Partner, National Agency for Financial Studies

 

Speakers:

1.        Natalia Karaseva, First Deputy CEO, Uniastrum Bank

2.        Mikhail Kopeikin, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the State Duma

3.        Maxim Lyubomudrov, Deputy Director General, Federal Corporation for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

4.        Mikhail Mamuta, Head, Service for the Protection of Financial Services Consumers and Minority Shareholders, Bank of Russia

5.        Mikhail Oseevskiy, Deputy President, Chairman of the Management Board, VTB Bank

6.        Alexei Shestoperov, Deputy Director of the Department for Development of Small and Medium Enterprises and Competition, Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

7.        Andrei Sharov, Vice President, Head, Small Business Development Department, Sberbank

8.        Kirill Tikhonov, Vice-President, Director of the Department for Development of Small and Medium Enterprises, Promsvyazbank

9.        Garegin Tosunyan, President, Association of Russian Banks (ARB)

 

Experts:

·        Alexander Lyuboserdov, General Director ALIR

·         Vladislav Mishin, CEO, Brio Finance

·         Anna Nesterova, General Director, IC Center Capital; Member of the Board, Chairman of Expert Council Stock Market Committee, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia)

·        Pavel Ponetaykin, General Director, TRANSET

 

14:00–15: 45              Congress Centre, Conference Hall D4

Panel Session 2.3: Industry-Specific Aspects of Development for SMEs. Key Trends: Production and Export Potential

Small and medium-sized businesses can be a significant force not only in the service sector, but also in manufacturing, especially with regard to innovation. It is clear that the impetus to develop in this direction has come from the trend towards import substitution. There is no need, however, to settle for the domestic market alone. Once replacements for foreign products have been created, they must be introduced to foreign markets, improving the Russian economy’s competitive edge. The main factor in this process is state support for Russian companies working in the export sector. Today, they face a long list of systemic problems, including the difficulty of establishing partnerships abroad; insufficient information about the criteria products must meet in order to be sold on foreign markets; lack of a qualified workforce; limited access to bank financing; challenges in navigating customs procedures, etc. Other issues that must be addressed include currency control, assistance with promotion, infrastructure support for the export sector (an ‘export elevator’ system), protection of intellectual property, and technology transfer. To meet these challenges, the Russian Export Center was created in 2015 to serve as a national body designed to integrate export support programmes. In Russia’s regions, the Center will rely on the infrastructure created by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation to support export-oriented small and medium-sized companies. Successful implementation of these support tools will require two-way communication with companies, conducted effectively via public business associations.

 

Key issues:

·        creating demand for the output of SMEs

·        supporting innovation

·        import substitution as an impetus to develop manufacturing

·        developing Russian exports; support tools and mechanisms

 

Moderator:

Nikolai Dunayev, Member of the Presidium, OPORA Russia; Director General, Energoservice

 

Speakers:

1.    Nikita Bantsekin, Member of the Board, Head of PR and International Cooperation Directorate, Federal Corporation for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

2.    Kirill Emelyanov, Deputy Director of the Department for Development of Small and Medium Enterprises and Competition, Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

3.    Victor Ermakov, Special Representative of the Presidential Commission for Entrepreneurs’ Rights

4.    Nonna Kagramanyan, Vice-president, Head of International Activity Directorate, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia)

5.    Valentina Koryazina, Head of St.Petrsburg Authority, Federal Tax Service of Russia

6.    Dmitry Pishchalnikov, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rosset Industrial Frame Meshes

7.    Andrey Polyakov, Regional Development Director, Russian Export Center

8.    Dmitry Satin, Deputy Head, Federal Tax Service of Russia

9.    Maxim Tretyakov, General Director, Elkat

 

Experts:

·        Eero Kotkasaari, General Director, Joutsen Finland

·        Vasily Osmakov, Director of Strategic Development Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation

·        Timo Parmasuo, President, Meconet

·        Petr Rodionov, CEO, GEROPHARM

 

15: 4516:00 Coffee break

 

16:00–18:00               Congress Centre, Conference Hall D1

Plenary session: Small Businesses in High Demand

The agenda for the plenary session will be based on the key issues which small and medium-sized businesses face today. They will be derived from the themes discussed during the preceding sessions: broadening opportunities for the sale of SME products, improving the competitiveness of SME-produced goods, investment in SMEs, and improving state regulation with regard to small and medium-sized businesses. Solving these issues will assist in achieving the aims set out in the SME Development Strategy in the Russian Federation to 2030, which will also be presented and discussed during the session.

 

Key issues:

·      the SME Development Strategy in the Russian Federation to 2030

·      opportunities for the sale of SME products

·      improving competitiveness

·      creating growth markets

·      investment in SMEs

 

Moderators' briefing

 

Moderator:

Slava Khodko, Chairman, North-West Development and Investment Promotion Agency; Member of the Investment Council under the Chairman of the State Duma of Russia

 

Speakers:

1.    Anatoly Aksakov, Chair of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, Innovative Development, and Entrepreneurship

2.    Konstantin Basmanov, Chairman of the Management Board, Vozrozhdenie Bank; presidium member, OPORA Russia

3.    Alexander Braverman, CEO, Federal Corporation for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

4.    Elena Dybova, Vice President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation

5.    Oleg Fomichev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

6.    Alexander Kalinin, President, OPORA Russia

7.    Sergey Movchan, Vice Governor of St. Petersburg

8.    Anatoly Popov, Senior Vice-President, Curator of the Corporate Business Unit, Sberbank

9.    Alexey Repik, President, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia)

10.     Boris Titov, Presidential Commissioner for Entrepreneurs’ Rights

11.     Dmitry Tulin, First Deputy Governor, Bank of Russia

 

Experts:

·        Nikolai Belozerov, General Director, BEN

·        Alexander Fedotov, General Director, KONSTANTA

·        Anton Mamayev, General Director, Piter Trust Investment Company

 

19:00

Pavilion 6, Lenexpo Exhibition Complex

Gala dinner at the first Russia–China Business Forum

 

As part of the programme on the day before the 20th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum begins, an official dinner will be held at the Russian–Chinese Business Centre.

Russia will be represented at the event by members of the Government of St. Petersburg and heads of leading business associations and unions, including the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region. 

China will be represented by members of the Association of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (the China Chamber of International Commerce), and representatives of administrative bodies in China. 

Entry to the event is by invitation only.