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Recap of SPIEF 2024

Recap of SPIEF 2024

For the 27th time, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) brought together leaders of major Russian and foreign companies, as well as representatives of government agencies and the political and scientific community in an effort to establish business contacts, find new partners, discuss promising projects, and exchange views on current trends in politics and economics on global and regional markets.

The Forum continues to steadily enhance its prestige as one of the most important business events in the world. It is becoming more and more action-oriented and dynamic: decisions are made quickly and new projects are launched and practical solutions are found based on the results of discussions.

Adviser to the Russian President and Executive Secretary of the SPIEF Organizing Committee Anton Kobyakov noted: “This year, 21,800 people from 139 countries and territories took part in the Forum’s events. Such a substantial presence of numerous foreign delegations and business representatives once again confirmed that there can be no talk of any international isolation of Russia. The Forum brought together representatives of countries that wish to develop their economies in the paradigm of a fair and multipolar world.”

The slogan of SPIEF 2024 confirms the freedom of various world powers to choose their own political and economic direction: ‘The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World’.

 

PARTICIPANTS

Despite sanctions, the Forum was attended by a record number of participants in 2024, which exceeded similar figures in recent years. Guests and participants came together to discuss international trade and cooperation, sales markets, technology leadership, and investment.

The leaders of four states travelled to St. Petersburg for the Forum: President of Bolivia Luis Alberto Arce Catacora; President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa; President of the Republic of Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania; and President of Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Milorad Dodik.

The Forum’s guests also included members of the royal families of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Abdullah Khalifa Salman Al Khalifa and Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud).

The events were attended by more than 120 high-ranking foreign officials, including heads of international organizations and associations, ministers of foreign affairs, heads of diplomatic missions, and the leaders of foreign cities and regions. The largest delegations came from China – 192 participants, UAE – 105, Zimbabwe – 86, Kazakhstan – 84, India – 80, and Oman – 75.

From the Russian side, the Forum was attended by 40 high-ranking officials, 30 heads of federal services and agencies, and 81 heads of Russia’s regions.

More than 8,300 representatives of Russian and foreign business took part in the Forum. Foreign businesses were represented at the Forum by more than 480 companies from 94 countries and territories, while Russian businesses were represented by more than 3,300 companies.

For the first time, the Forum was attended by representatives of key companies and organizations in the diamond (mining) industry from African and South Asian countries.

Leading automotive corporations in China and their Russian divisions were widely represented among the SPIEF 2024 participants.

The unprecedented interest in the Forum on the part of domestic and foreign media outlets is evidenced by the number of journalists who covered the Forum events: more than 4,216 people from 34 countries.

 

GUEST COUNTRY

This year, the Sultanate of Oman received the honorary status of the SPIEF guest country. The country’s delegation was headed by Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment Promotion Qais bin Mohammed Al Youssef. Oman took part in the Forum with the aim of exploring opportunities for joint projects in promising areas of interstate cooperation: industry, energy, tourism, science and technology, logistics, and food security. The National Pavilion of the Sultanate of Oman, along with is jam-packed business programme, gave SPIEF participants the unique opportunity to establish direct contacts with Omani companies and government officials and learn more about the country’s trade and investment potential. Members of the impressive Omani delegation, which included businessmen, diplomats, and officials, confirmed their desire to “cooperate with Russian enterprises and see more tourists in their country.”

 

AGREEMENTS

The Forum resulted in the signing of 1,073 agreements for a total of RUB 6.492 trillion (only including agreements whose amount does not constitute a commercial secret), including 55 with representatives of foreign companies.

 

Below is a recap of the most significant agreements:

·     VEB.RF and RusHydro signed a cooperation agreement to implement thermal generation modernization projects in the Far East. An estimated RUB 650 billion were raised from VEB.RF and its partner banks. A major programme to build and renovate energy infrastructure in the Far East will be implemented using the Project Financing Factory mechanism with financing for a total of six projects: the expansion of the Partizanskaya State District Power Plant, the construction of the second stage of the Neryungrinskaya State District Power Plant, the reconstruction of the Vladivostok Combined Heat and Power Plant-2, as well as the construction of the Artyomovskaya Combined Heat and Power Plant-2, the Khabarovsk Combined Heat and Power Plant-4, and the Yakutskaya State District Power Plant-2 (second stage). The new and modernized energy facilities will have total electrical capacity of 2.1 GW and thermal capacity of more than 2,500 Gcal/h.

·     The Tomsk Region and SIBAGRO signed a cooperation agreement. Investment in the project, which will create 10,000 new jobs, will amount to RUB 500 billion over 10 years. The agreement aims to implement the Eleanor Emerald Smart City investment project, which involves the construction of a new modern area that has all the necessary engineering and social infrastructure. The project will use advanced technologies, take into account environmental aspects, and use innovative approaches to creating a comfortable environment for people. Residential, commercial, educational, sports, cultural, and other facilities are to be built in the new area. The agreement signed at SPIEF 2024 envisages cooperation in planning, financing, construction, and project management. The parties to the agreement noted at the signing that Eleanor Emerald Smart City will become a major project for the region.

·     The City of Moscow signed an agreement on the reorganization of the site of the former Southern Port industrial zone with the site’s owner, Aeon Development. Investment in the reorganization of the site will amount to almost RUB 360 billion. The city concluded an agreement with the investor on the comprehensive development of the ​​39.7-hectare site. Within 17 years, a modern neighbourhood will appear on part of the former Southern Port industrial zone, where roughly 1.5 million square metres of various real estate will be built. The project will result in the creation of almost 9,300 jobs in the Pechatniki District.

·     En+ and the Irkutsk Region signed an agreement formalizing the plans of En+ plans to build new generating facilities in the region. Per the document, the company intends to build three new power units with combined capacity of up to 690 MW and total investment of up to RUB 331 billion. The new facilities are needed to cover the power and energy deficit in the southeast part of the Unified Energy System of Siberia.

·     The Kursk Region and Metalloinvest concluded a cooperation agreement on the construction of a factory that will process oxidized ferruginous quartzite at the Andrey Varichev Mikhailovsky Mining and Processing Plant. Metalloinvest plans to invest more than RUB 210 billion in the project. If implemented, the project will create jobs for at least 900 skilled professionals in Zheleznogorsk. The new facility is scheduled to open in 2028. The plant has design capacity of more than 7 million tonnes of premium quality iron ore concentrate per year with the ability to further increase capacity to 11 million tonnes.

·     The Kemerovo Region-Kuzbass and Azot signed an agreement to launch the production of granulated urea and ammonia in the Kuzbass Industrial Special Economic Zone in 2032 with total investment of RUB 200 billion.

·     PhosAgro will invest at least RUB 160 billion in the development of production in the Murmansk Region until 2033. The investment project includes capital investments by Apatit in the development of the ore and raw material base of the company’s Kirov branch. Per the agreement, the company guarantees that its enterprises in the Murmansk Region will maintain the current level of employment, while the regional authorities will consider the feasibility of state support for the company’s investment activities.

·     The Samolet Group will invest more than RUB 101 billion in the construction of a 650,000-square metre residential area in Rostov-on-Don (creation of a residential area on Poymennaya Street). The project implementation period is 2024-2042. Over the course of 18 years, the Samolet Group plans to build 650,000 square metres of housing and create residential, social, and transport infrastructure as part of the project.

·     The City of Moscow signed an agreement with Development and Retail Group, which is part of the BMS Development Group, on the integrated development of undeveloped territory on Starovolynskaya Street. Almost RUB 100 billion will be invested in the reorganization of the site. Over the course of six years, the company will build a modern residential area with accompanying business infrastructure on a site of almost eight hectares. The project will result in the creation of at least 4,000 jobs.

·     Promsvyazbank and DOM.RF signed a memorandum of mutual interest concerning the placement of up to RUB 100 billion in mortgage bonds in the period until 2028.

·     Promsvyazbank will finance new projects by Element Development worth more than RUB 100 billion. The agreement aims to increase the scope of interaction and financing for the construction of residential and commercial real estate.

·     VTB will provide RUB 100 billion in financing to Monolithholding Group, a major regional developer in Krasnoyarsk, for the integrated development of land plots in the city’s Oktyabrsky District.

·     The Tomsk Region signed a ten-year cooperation agreement with the Samolet Group to implement projects as part of a mechanism for the integrated development of territories and major investment projects that aim to provide affordable housing for all groups of citizens. Investment in the residential development projects is estimated at RUB 97.3 billion, and at least 700,000 square metres of housing are to be built.

·     The Krasnodar Territory and SSK Group signed an agreement as part of which the latter will invest more than RUB 84 billion in the construction of three hotels in Tuapse, Anapa, and Novorossiysk: the Anapa hotel complex will consist of multiple buildings with more than 2,500 rooms as well as spa facilities and swimming pools covering an area of ​​almost 2,800 square metres, restaurants, a fitness area, and a children’s centre; the Novorossiysk multifunctional complex will have a hotel with 3,000 rooms, medical and shopping centres, a children’s club, and restaurants; the hotel complex in Tuapse will include a social and business centre and a hotel with 2,500 rooms, which has its own nearby beach and bathing area. A plot of 21.3 hectares has been allocated for construction in a village near the Vesna resort in the Tuapsinsky District.

·     The government of the Kaliningrad Region concluded an agreement with the company Volna to build the Aquapolis tourist cluster valued at RUB 77 billion near the Zelenogradsky District village of Sokolniki.

·     The Krasnodar Territory and the developer Astrum Group signed agreements to invest RUB 65 billion in the construction of hotels and an agricultural complex: roughly RUB 15 billion will be invested in the Psebay four-star resort and health complex, which will be located on a ​​60-hectare site in the mountains and will be able to accommodate roughly 3,000 guests at a time. The resort is scheduled to be completed by 2028. Another RUB 15 billion will be allocated for another project – the four-star Chemitokvadzhe hotel in the Lazarevsky District, which will take up almost 13 hectares of land and include a hotel with 1,400 rooms and a complex of four villas. The project is also scheduled to be completed by 2028. Astrum will allocate approximately RUB 33 billion for the development of the Alean Family Resort all-season hotel complex on the Black Sea coast in Golovinka. The new hotel with 2,500 rooms at full capacity will be able to accommodate 7,300 guests. In addition, the company will invest RUB 2 billion in an agricultural complex in the Lazarevsky District, which is being built on the premises of the Soviet agricultural holding Pobeda.

·     The Moscow government and Kamaz signed an agreement to build Russia’s first robotic plant for the production of medium-duty and heavy trucks in Moscow. Total investment will amount to RUB 50.2 billion. The Moscow government will allocate a land plot of 60 hectares to the investor to build the plant in 2024-2026 as part of a large-scale investment project. The production facility will be built on an area of more than 200,000 square metres and will create 1,400 jobs.

·     Atomenergoprom (an enterprise of the Rosatom State Corporation) and VTB signed a loan agreement for RUB 50 billion. The money will be used to develop the Northern Sea Route and projects for the construction of nuclear power plants.

·     The Samolet Group will invest RUB 50 billion in construction as part of integrated territorial development projects in the Trans-Baikal Territory by 2035.

·     The Moscow government and Rossium Bio signed an agreement on the construction of a plant that will produce drugs for the treatment of orphan, genetic, and oncological diseases in Zelenograd (at the Alabushevo site of the Technopolis Moscow Special Economic Zone). The biotechnological complex will be able to produce medicines under 13 generic names, including on the basis of monoclonal antibodies, antibody connectors, and gene therapy drugs. Investment in the project will amount to RUB 43.7 billion. The facility is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2028, and production will begin no later than the second quarter of 2028.

·     The Omsk Region and the Airports of the Regions Management Company signed a concession agreement on the construction and operation of infrastructure facilities at the Omsk-Fedorovka International Airport to serve international and domestic airlines. The agreement was concluded for a period of 49 years. The airport construction project has a total price tag of more than RUB 43 billion.

·     The Kemerovo Region-Kuzbass signed an agreement with SIBAGRO on the implementation of an investment project in Kuzbass to build a deep grain processing plant. The company plans to invest up to RUB 42.5 billion into the Kuzbass production facility and create up to 560 jobs.

·     The Kirov Region and T Plus signed two agreements worth RUB 42 billion: one for the supply of coal in the event of a possible emergency and the second to provide the region with high-quality and reliable heat supply.

·     The Moscow Region signed an agreement with Gormash Global to invest a total of RUB 42 billion in a project to build two plants that will produce mining equipment for underground work. By 2027, the two plants in Solnechnogorsk will be able to produce more than 500 machines per year: mine dump trucks with carrying capacity of up to 50 tonnes, drilling rigs, load-and-haul vehicles (up to 20 tonnes), as well as various auxiliary equipment for mining work. Almost 2,000 jobs will be created as a result of the project.

·     The Republic of Crimea signed memorandums on the implementation of investment projects in Kerch, Yalta, Feodosia, and Yevpatoria, as well as the Bakhchysarai District for a total of more than RUB 41.4 billion. In particular, the major City of Ancient Traditions residential complex will be built on an area of 50 hectares in the Bakhchysarai District with investment of RUB 28 billion. The project involves the construction of a kindergarten, secondary school, mosque, shopping and office centre, historical market, and green area. In Kerch, the investor will build a micro-district with developed infrastructure, which will consist of several multi-storey buildings with high-quality finishing, and the area will have parking lots, children’s and sports grounds, and entertainment areas. Total investment will amount to RUB 7.5 billion. In Koktebel, the RUB 500 million investment project will result in the construction of a new housing and recreational complex. In addition to apartments, the project envisages the construction of a modern parking lot and a green area. As part of two other memorandums that were signed, an investment project will be implemented in Yalta to build a residential complex with total investment of RUB 1.5 billion, while in Yevpatoria, a multifunctional complex will be built with investment of RUB 3.9 billion.

·     Gazprombank plans to provide Rusal with up to RUB 40 billion in financing for up to 10 years to introduce the best available technologies at the Krasnoyarsk and Bratsk aluminium smelters.

 

Leaders among Russia’s regions in terms of the value of agreements signed:

1.               St. Petersburg – 69 agreements valued at RUB 1.227 trillion

2.               Tomsk Region – 10 agreements valued at RUB 600 billion

3.               Moscow – 19 agreements valued at RUB 572 billion

4.               Irkutsk Region – 14 agreements valued at RUB 380 billion

5.               Kemerovo RegionKuzbass – 16 agreements valued at RUB 294 billion

 

Most agreements by industry:

1.               Social and economic development of regions – 251

2.               Industry and construction – 241

3.               High technologies and telecommunications – 106

4.               Education and science – 95

5.               Investment and banking – 82

6.               International and interregional cooperation – 74

7.               Transport and logistics – 50

8.               Agriculture – 43

9.               Scientific and technical cooperation – 38

10.           Medicine and pharmaceuticals – 26

 

PLENARY SESSION

The key event of the Forum was the plenary session, which includes speeches by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of foreign states: Luis Alberto Arce Catacora of Bolivia and Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe.

In his speech, Vladimir Putin outlined structural changes that the government will actively support, noted the achievements of the Russian economy and existing problems in the country and around the world, and also spoke about a wide range of geopolitical issues, including cooperation as part of BRICS.

Putin emphasized: “I am certain that both in the current situation and in the long term, the role, weight, and, going even further, the future of states depend on how effectively they can respond to global challenges, realize their internal potential, use their competitive advantages and neutralize weaknesses, and maintain and strengthen partnerships with other countries.”

The leaders of Bolivia and Zimbabwe gave speeches and touched upon issues on the current international agenda.

 

BUSINESS PROGRAMME

Many of the business programme’s discussions took place within four thematic pillars: ‘Goals and Objectives of Russia’s New Economic Cycle’; ‘The Transition to a Multipolar World Economy’; ‘Technologies for Leadership’; and ‘A Healthy Society, Traditional Values and Social Development: The Priority of the State’.

The main theme of this year’s programme was national sovereignty in political, economic, and cultural relations. Most of the discussions that took place focused on economic priorities; opportunities for trade, technological, scientific, and industrial cooperation; financial culture as a driver of economic development; digital e-commerce; banking services; global food security in light of the economic restrictions imposed by countries of the collective West; and other economic-related areas.

The first track featured discussions about technological sovereignty, the new trajectories of international partnership, digital trade, and preferences for payments in national currencies.

The second track focused on approaches to achieving Russia’s national development goals, key tourism development issues, the future of small towns, and infrastructure.

The third track included discussions about digital transformation, biometrics, industrial mining, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.

The fourth track touched on health protection technologies and investment in demographics, human resources, and the professions of the future. The health of the nation was chosen as one of the priority areas of domestic policy.

 

For reference:

The extensive business programme featured over 380 events on the Forum’s industry and thematic platforms. More than a thousand people served as speakers, experts, and session moderators.

 

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Active international cooperation that aims to intensify equitable interaction with developing countries was a prominent focus of the programme.

The Forum’s Russian and foreign guests were actively involved in such events as the Russian-African ConferenceWater: More Precious Than Gold’, the EAEUASEAN session, and business dialogues with representatives of Azerbaijan, Brazil, Venezuela, India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, South Africa, as well as other countries of Africa and Latin America.

The Forum participants paid particular attention to new opportunities for trade and economic cooperation between BRICS countries as part of the organization’s planned expansion. The experts noted that BRICS members already account for more than a third of the global economy. They discussed ways to build an independent system of international financial transactions, promising transport corridors, cooperation in the digital economy, and much more.

Separate discussions focused on prospects for the development of business partnerships within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, including in transport, energy, and the green economy.

 

INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC AND THEMATIC EVENTS

 

Per tradition, the SPIEF also included the following smaller forums: the B20, SME Forum, ‘Ensuring Drug Security’ Russian Pharmaceutical Forum, BRICS Creative Business Forum, and International Youth Economic Forum.

This year, a lot more social platforms and projects were presented at the Forum: Innovation Space, Healthy Life Area, VinoGrad, Russian Design Space, Governors’ Club, Roscongress Urban Hub, Roscongress Foundation Projects Lounge, Roscongress Social Platform, and Roscongress Club.

The Innovation Space, a Roscongress Foundation project dedicated to startups, science, and new technologies, was the most extensive in the Forum’s history. People came together on an area of ​​more than 1,000 square metres to discuss the future of technology, see demonstrations of advanced developments, and hear pitch sessions for young companies.

In addition, for the first time in the history of SPIEF, the Innovation Space hosted the international cyber exercise Standoff, which was organized by Positive Technologies, with the support of the Russian Ministry of Digital Development. During the exercise, information security specialists checked the security of companies in different sectors of the economy in real time using the example of a virtual city. A model of an entire city was built at the Innovation Space to visualize the damage that hacker attacks can cause.

The opening day of the SPIEF featured the Russian Pharmaceutical Forum ‘Ensuring Drug Security’, which was organized with the support of the Russian Ministry of Health, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Committee on Health Protection of the Russian State Duma. The Forum’s business programme included 14 expert discussions that were attended by more than 140 experts.

The thematic Healthy Life Area was also organized on the sidelines of the Forum per tradition. This year, the stand was designed in the format of a single innovative digital space that combines advanced healthcare technologies, digital solutions, as well as achievements in artificial intelligence, medical science, and active longevity technologies. The Healthy Life ecosystem organized 18 panel discussions, in which more than 100 industry experts took part.

The Roscongress Medicine project, which combines best practices and promising technologies in healthcare with the aim of further promoting them in Russia and abroad, was presented at the SPIEF 2024.

The Roscongress Foundation Projects Lounge special thematic platform made its debut at the SPIEF in 2024 and served as a hub for the presentation of key projects of the Foundation and its partners. Visitors to the site learned about the International City Forum (ICF), which the Roscongress Foundation intends to hold in early 2025 on the Sirius Federal Territory.

The BRICS Creative Business Forum, which was organized by the Roscongress Foundation’s social platform, the Innosocium Foundation, also took place at the SPIEF. Of the 19 discussions held at the Forum, 16 focused on the development of creative industries in BRICS countries, including the plenary session ‘Great Cultures: New Opportunities for Creative Interaction among BRICS Countries’.

The Innosocium Foundation held the BRICS National Brands exhibition, which is devoted to the cultural identity of BRICS countries, in the historical building of the Ilya Repin St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.

The VinoGrad space hosted the Travel Across Russia gastronomic performance for the first time.

This year, the key theme of the Urban Hub space was ‘Roscongress Urban Hub. Cities from the Future’. The business programme addressed such issues as advanced technologies in construction, ways to maximize the urban prosperity index, integrated development programmes for territories, as well as the capabilities of a digital and comfortable city.

In addition, a discussion was held about urban master plans, during which the speakers explained how an urban master plan should become a tool for attracting investment and renovating infrastructure.

During the Forum, the Roscongress Foundation presented its projects to boost the country’s human resources potential: The Country’s Potential; the School Friend social project; the RС Skills inclusive project; Hunter’s Day Career Project; The Country’s Potential. Career; and RС Commonwealth.

 

The Roscongress Foundation and the Republic of Chuvashia combined the Embroidered Map of Russia cultural heritage project and the developments of the MARMA Laboratory of Modern Technologies to create the project Interactive AR Map of Russia’s Regions, which reveals the cultural identity and investment potential of each of the country’s 89 regions.

 

For reference:

The industry-specific and thematic events dedicated to international cooperation among SMEs and drug security were attended by more than 2,100 representatives from over 45 countries and territories.

More than 4,500 people took part in the events of the International Youth Economic Forum, including students from 305 higher educational institutions.

 

SPIEF Investment & Business Expo

The Expo featured the presentation of achievements by 49 regions of Russia (both at individual stands and as part of joint stands), five Russian ministries and agencies (the Prosecutor General’s Office, Ministry for the Development of the Far East, Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Energy, and the Russian Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare), and more than 50 companies. They demonstrated their projects, investment ideas, latest technologies, solutions, and products at a site of more than 100,000 square metres.

The stands and pavilions not only impressed visitors with their diversity, but also with their vivid and informative presentations.

One of the overriding themes of the expo was the development of technology. The City of Chelyabinsk presented a fully Russian-made industrial robot as an image of the economy of the future. The Moscow stand showed off a model of a high-speed train that can reach speeds of 400 km/h. The Moscow region’s giant transformer announced the launch of the mass production of electric vehicles in the region. The expo also offered visitors an opportunity to get acquainted with the housing and utilities robot Yevgeny, a robot dog, and a robot chocolatier.

Gazprom Neft surprised visitors with an unusual art installation devoted to the fragility of the Arctic ecosystem and the beauty of indigenous peoples. The new art project introduced guests to a spectacular view of the real world of the tundra, depicting it in constant movement, flowering, and with the interweaving of incredible colours and plots.

Sber’s stand allowed visitors to look into a smart AI mirror to see different images of themselves generated by the Kandinsky neural network.

The Rosatom State Corporation’s stand depicted the image of a wonderful future for humanity. The main art installation of the City of the Future stand showed that there is no alternative to the use of nuclear energy as the basis for a sustainable future.

Alfa-Bank’s stand served as an actual cultural and business space dedicated to relations between Russia and China, attracting thousands of foreign guests with eight-metre red dragons and symbols of China.

The VEB.RF Group’s stand was dedicated to the latest Russian technologies and featured the presentation of projects by the group’s development organizations: the Skolkovo Foundation, Skoltech University, the Russian Foundation for the Development of Information Technology, the Agency for Technological Development, and the Innovation Promotion Foundation.

 

CULTURAL PROGRAMME

 

The programme of the St. Petersburg Seasons festival included more than 40 events. Leading cultural institutions of St. Petersburg prepared exciting programmes, unique excursions, film screenings, and exhibitions specially for SPIEF guests and participants.

The participants attended a gala concert by opera and ballet stars featuring leading soloists from the Mikhailovsky Theatre and world-class guest stars, the 1703 St. Petersburg Art Fair at the Manege Central Exhibition Hall, the Evening VinoGrad programme, where a prize was presented for contribution to achieving Russia’s national goals (ECG rating of responsible business), a fashion show by Russian designers, a performance by the Uma2rman group, open readings of Pushkinian for the 225th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Pushkin, and the ‘Eugene Onegin. Pages of a Novel’ musical and poetic performance on Palace Square.

A unique exhibition was held at the ExpoForum, the SPIEF venue, to mark the 225th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Pushkin. The Forum’s participants and guests viewed the poet’s drawings and handwritten lines from the poem “The Miserly Knight.”

The main event of the Cultural Festival was a concert for the city’s residents, guests, and Forum participants on 7 June on Palace Square. There was a flash mob with the theme ‘Time to Live in Russia’ during the concert. The flash mob combined a colourful flag show and Tatyana Kurtukova’s composition “Mother Earth”.

The concert kicked off with a performance by the Youth Choir of St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Nikita Lovich and Vitaly Gogunsky also performed for the audience. The concert was headlined by Vyacheslav Butusov.

This year, the concert was not only a memorable event in the life of the city, but also a symbol of the unity of all of Russia.

On 8 June, Igor Butman attended a unique master class to support talented children at the Bortniansky St. Petersburg Children’s Music School of Arts. The talented young people not only gained invaluable experience, but also had a chance to ask a maestro questions and receive inspiration.

With the support of the Roscongress Foundation and the SPIEF strategic multimedia partner Right Outdoor Media, the SPIEF venue hosted the first performance of the Youth Choir of St. Isaac’s Cathedral on the final day of the Forum following the conclusion of the business programme. The choir, which was created on 14 October 2021 with the blessing of Metropolitan Barsanuphius of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, has a repertoire of sacred, classical, folk, and modern music, and includes young men and women aged 18 to 35. It regularly participates in services at St. Isaac’s Cathedral and is actively engaged in concert activities. The artistic director and conductor of the Youth Choir is Larisa Khristich.

 

 

SPORTS PROGRAMME

 

The SPIEF Sport Games featured more than 20 events in 18 different types of sports. Athletes from ten countries took part in tournaments held under the Forum’s auspices.

The international format included the Igor Chentsov Sailing Regatta, the Gold of Ladoga Multi-Day Cycling Race, and the Loko Cup Judo Club Tournament. The country’s best boxers took part in the super final of the Victory Cup boxing tournament.

Roughly 1,600 people, including representatives of the UAE delegation led by Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, toed the starting line at the Towards the Friendship Games run. Two-time rally-raid world champion Anastasia Nifontova led a team of athletes from the Russian Special Olympics, which took part in the run with the support of G-Drive. The race was broadcast online for the first time using Avito’s resources on the VKontakte network.

More than 20 winners and medallists from the Olympic Games as well as World and European championships took part in the Forum.

The Politics team, featuring hockey legend Vyacheslav Fetisov, Russian Deputy Minister of Agriculture Andrey Razin, Head of the Republic of Kalmykia Batu Khasikov, Bryansk Region Governor Alexander Bogomaz, and Acting Kaliningrad Region Governor Alexey Besprozvannykh, won the Roscongress Cup Liga Stavok hockey tournament.

Former Russian national football team players Alexey Berezutsky, Vladimir Gabulov, and Pavel Pogrebnyak bolstered the Forum team in a gala match against the Russian media team.

Olympic bronze medallists in basketball Sergey Karasev and Sergey Monya took part in the Roscongress Basketball Cup. SPIEF participants were also able to take part in chess, padel, squash, tennis, table tennis, and golf tournaments, as well as the Vedomosti business regatta, and sail on SUP boards along the canals of St. Petersburg.

Russian Minister of Sport Mikhail Degtyarev, International Boxing Association President Umar Kremlev, and Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation President Irina Viner took part in the session ‘Global Projects of Russian Sport’.

The SPIEF also hosted the second Champion award ceremony, during which leading companies received awards for their support of sports.

The Forum expo featured pavilions of the Russian Ministry of Sports, the World Friendship Games, the Russian Boxing Federation, and the Russian Football Union.

 

EXPERT AND ANALYTICAL SUPPORT

A total of 115 analytical summaries were prepared based on the results of the SPIEF 2024. Most of the materials was prepared using artificial intelligence.

The report ‘Results of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2024’ will be prepared upon conclusion of the Forum and will be available in electronic form on the event’s official website forumspb.com and in the Roscongress Foundation’s Information and Analytical System roscongress.org.

More than 100 experts from leading Russian universities and scientific institutions provided expert and analytical support for the Forum.

The Roscongress Foundation, along with its analytical partners, specially prepared exclusive materials for the Forum devoted to significant issues on the event’s agenda: ‘Russia and Oman: Prospects for Partnership’, ‘NorthSouth Corridor: New Opportunities for Russian Foreign Trade’, and ‘Economy of Proposals: Conditions and Factors’. All the studies have been published in the ROSCONGRESS.ORG Information and Analytical System.

The Roscongress Foundation and the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre organized sociological support for the Forum.

SPIEF 2024 participants also took a survey about their perception of the Forum’s topics.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum became the largest carbon-neutral business event in Russia with confirmed international verification thanks to climate projects implemented by the petrochemical company SIBUR, which donated carbon units to compensate for the Forum’s carbon footprint.

The Forum’s carbon footprint amounted to 5,304 tonnes of CO2 equivalent and was offset by SIBUR’s climate project at its Zapsibneftekhim enterprise.

 

 

PARTNERS

More than 100 organizations and companies served as Forum partners this year. The title partners were: VEB.RF State Development Corporation and Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation. The general sponsor was VTB Bank. The general partners were Gazprom, Gazprombank, Gazprom Neft, NOVATEK, Natsproektstroy, PSB, and Sberbank. The strategic partner was Rosseti. The official airline of the Forum was Aeroflot. The official Forum car was HONGQI. The official transport partner was Russian Railways.

Information support for the Forum was provided by: general media partner Gazprom-Media Holding, general television partner Russia 24 Information Channel, general international news partner Russia Today TV channel, general multimedia partner Izvestia, general business news partner RBC, general Internet partners Gazeta.ru, Lenta.ru, and Sekret Firmy, and international information partner China Media Group.

The information partners were: NTV and 360 TV channels, TASS, RIA-Novosti, Interfax, Business FM radio station, Kommersant Publishing House, Vedomosti and Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspapers, Komsomolskaya Pravda Publishing House, Shkulev Media Holding, Argumenty i Fakty newspaper, Expert magazine, 1MI Holding, News Media Holding, VK Media, RUTUBE, and Global Times (China).

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