Technological Sovereignty in Agribusiness: Challenges and Opportunities
Agribusiness is a fundamental sector of the Russian economy that not only works to ensure the country’s food security, but also provides a large amount of raw agricultural materials and food to the global market. However, even in 2023, Russia remains highly dependent on foreign means of production for agribusiness, such as biotechnological developments, planting materials, genetics for livestock production, and other technologies. For some positions, imports of foreign technologies are as high as 100%. This situation is an Achilles’ heel in ensuring the country’s global competitiveness and the independence of the entire industry. This is why strengthening technological sovereignty in agribusiness is one of the priorities of the state’s policy as well as agricultural research centres, universities, and leading agricultural holdings. Technological sovereignty in agribusiness: where is the weak spot? What agribusiness technologies have the potential to be replaced in Russia? What role could the development of a talent pool play in boosting technological independence in agribusiness? How can science, government, and business enhance collaboration to create new technologies? What is the best way to establish cooperation in breeding and genetics?