International business conference InRussia-2016 took place with a great success 14 October in Swissotel Krasnye Holmy. The event, held with the active involvement and support of The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and The Industry Development fund, was an unique platform for communication between Russian infrastructure business, foreign companies and the authorities.

Among invited guests, participants and speakers there were representatives of international corporations and Russian business, heads of business-associations, representatives of the authorities, development corporations and expertise agencies.

Among guests were: Director of the Department for Investment Policy and Development of Private/Public Partnership of the Russian Ministry of Economic development Igor Koval, Deputy director of Industrial Development Fund Sergey Vologodskiy,  Deputy Chairman of the Government of Stavropol region Andrey Murga, Director of  Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, Oleg Prozorov, Advisor of the Governor of the Sverdlovsk region Vadim Tretyakov,  CEO of the Ulyanovsk Region Development Corporation Sergey Vasin,  General Director of production holding GS DoorHan Dmitriy Khanin, President of Confindustria Russia Ernesto Ferlenghi, Chairman of the Board of Russian-German Chamber of Commerce Matthias Sсhepp, President of Alstom Russia and a Board member of AEB Philippe Pegorier,  CEO of "Monocrystall" production Oleg Kachalov, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Region Government - Minister of Investments and Innovations Moscow region  DenisButsaev,  Schneider Electric, President Russia and CIS / First Vice-president of Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce  Johan Vanderplaetse, Director of Depatment for regional industry policy, Ministry of Industry
and Trade of Russia Alexey Besprozvannykh, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Georgiy Kalamanov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of «Interskol»  Sergey Nazarov, President of American Chamber of Commerce in Russia Alexis Rodzianko,  Vice-president of All-Russia Business Association “Delovaya Rossiya”  Tatiana Mineeva,  and other leading figures both of international and Russian business as well as representatives of the authorities and business communities.

During plenary session «How you trade in Russia» and panel discussions «How you make in Russia» and «How you create in Russia» participants of the conference raised issues of modification of the system of governmental control and supervision in industrial sector, terms of participation in public and corporate procurement,  non-finance support measures for industrial projects  R&D activity in Russia, regulation in the field of R&D and protection of intellectual property.

Of particular interest for participants was a matter of localization of production within the territory of the Russian Federation. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Georgiy Kalamanov also paid attention to the fact that international business demonstrates high interest not only in maintaining positions in Russia, but also in increasing their presence around the country. At least 530 projects of foreign investors aimed at creating production plants within territory of Russia have been realized since 1991, 298 of them are situated in industrial parks and special economic zones. 

“It is necessary to understand that rules of games and economic conditions are changing. In the context of economic turbulence and the sanctions regime international companies are looking for new formats of localization – more complicated than constructing a plant in an open field. Under these conditions Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation creates additional stimuli and tools for supporting high-tech enterprises, in particular, special investment contracts and industrial parks, - said Georgiy Kalamanov.

Chairman of the Board of Russian-German Chamber of Commerce  Matthias Sсhepp shared a research on opinion of German companies, according to which, 25% of  companies, which yet have not localized production in Russia, intend doing it. 55% of those who have already invested want to continue increase localization.

As President Russia and CIS at Schneider Electric Johan Vanderplaetse noticed, for his company the cost of production in Russia and in China is now equal. Trading all over the world, Schneider Electric has already begun export items, produced in Russia and aimed at selling in countries outside CIS and, according to the Head of the company, perspectives of export increasing are extremely high.

Despite quite positive reviews, the main topic of the discussion was about obstacles which are necessary to overcome in order to support localization. CEO at Association of European Businesses Frank Schauff, recalling opinion of members of the Chamber, emphasized the necessity of cessation of parallel import. The topic was about removing barriers and simplification of the control system. International companies are beware of unequal access of Russian and international companies to procurement, including the rule «the third wheel» recently introduced by the government, according to which, provided having two applications from domestic companies, requests from foreign ones are not considered. Many participants also spoke out about a lack or low quality of   domestically produced components, what do not allow quickly and at targeted by the government dates replace import without losses in quality.

During special session of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation the participants discussed the issues of non-finance support measures for industrial projects, highlighted by Director of Depatment for regional industry policy, Ministry of Industry
and Trade of Russia Alexey Besprozvannykh. A presentation of Geo-information System of the Industrial Parks of the Russian Federation was a special part of the session. Today Geographic Information System of the Industrial Parks of the Russian Federation contains information about all Industrial parks and SEZ within the territory of Russia, qualified by AIP and Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia for compliance with the National standard of the Russian Federation in order to become an effective tool of choosing a platform for localization of production in Russia.

During B2B Networking, apart from organized operation of B2B zone, where were presented such companies as ARCO, ASTRON, Knight Frank, Tebodin, YIT, PNK Group, Development Corporation of Middle Ural and SEZ, several agreements have been signed, in particular: an agreement on organising the VIth International Forum of Industrial-parks projects «InPark – 2016», an agreement between the Association of Industrial Parks of Russia and Astron on special offer for companies localised production in Industrial parks – AIP Members and an agreement between the CCBLR and JSC «Development Corporation of the Vologda Region». Moreover, awarding Industrial parks with Certificates of compliance with National standard also took place during that session.

Association of industrial parks (AIP) during the event presented very new and unique materials, which were published specially for the conference participants. Among them:  an investment guide on localization of production in Russia (an updated edition in English), a review of the best practices of industrial construction in Russia and a branch review «Localization opportunities in Russia" – a new English-language edition based on the annual survey «Industrial parks of Russia 2016».