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Dear Anastasia Viktorovna! Please accept our sincere and warm congratulations on your birthday! All your thoughts, feelings and souls' wonderful impulses are aimed at making the Leningrad Region a leader in investment development, and in this, AERLO under your leadership is a reliable support and help to the Governor and the entire economic block. We wish you to preserve your energy, business drive, creativity, enterprise, consistency and firmness in achieving your goals for many years to come! And may luck, prosperity and love accompany you! From the AERLO team

The latest issue of the National Association of Investment and Development Agencies (NAAIR) Newsletter has been published with interviews of the winners of the National Award "Leaders of Investment Development-2024". Let us remind you that our region won in 2024 in the following nominations: "Development Agency of the Year", "Best Scalable Practice", "Best Investment Portal", "Best Municipal Investment Commissioner". Director of the State Institution AERLO Anastasia Mikhalchenko shares the secrets of success in her answers to the publication's questions. Among the achievements: implementation of the client-centric system "Green Corridor for Investors"; creation of the first CRM system in the Russian Federation to support investment projects - the Investor's Personal Account; development of a strategy for the development of the region's tourism infrastructure. You can also read the text of the interview with the Director of the Agency, published on pages 27-29 of the publication, at the link.

An Open Day for RANEPA students was held in the Nevskaya Town Hall. Representatives of the authorities and business of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region spoke to the students, including the Director of the St. Petersburg State Budgetary Institution "Investment Management" Anna Isakova, Deputy Chairperson of the Property Relations Committee of St. Petersburg Irina Shchukina, Director of the State Institution "Agency for Economic Development of the Leningrad Region" Anastasia Mikhalchenko. Each of the speakers painted vivid pictures of successful and promising employment of students in various structures of the city and region, in the civil service and in business. And, although in the investment field the neighboring regions are traditionally competitors, in matters of personnel selection Anna Isakova and Anastasia Mikhalchenko were united: it is worth hiring only those young people whose eyes are burning with the desire to work, to master new knowledge and skills, to show interest in what you do. Anastasia Mikhalchenko presented the most striking investment projects of AERLO implemented in the Leningrad Region, listing a number of well-known brands. The agency director told how the work on supporting and promoting investment projects in the region is carried out, what are the functions of personal managers, who are mostly recent university graduates. The young audience was greatly impressed by the rapid career growth of AERLO employees, current deputy directors, who were chief specialists just two years ago. The Agency has created all the conditions for quickly becoming a highly qualified specialist supervising large-scale investment projects. It is not surprising that, captivated by the speech of the AERLO director, the students attacked Anastasia Mikhalchenko with questions about the working conditions at the Agency and the opportunities for internship here. And their eyes were shining. For employment questions, please contact the Agency by email: aerlo@lenoblinvest.ru

Federal experts from RIA Rating assessed the regions based on a number of indicators, including: income level of the population, housing conditions, environmental well-being, provision of social infrastructure facilities, safety, transport, demography, health, development of the economy and labor market, the state of small and medium-sized businesses, etc. “We assess all planned investment projects, management initiatives and support measures based on how they will improve the lives of Leningrad residents,” emphasizes the region’s Governor Alexander Drozdenko.

During the work of the Council, representatives of the St. Petersburg Technopark told entrepreneurs engaged in the development and production of domestic components about the existing support measures. Entrepreneurs of the Leningrad Region can take advantage of all of the listed support measures, including reengineering. The grants are aimed at stimulating innovation, increasing the import substitution coefficient and the production of critical components. The financing system predicts an increase in the profitability of grant recipient companies up to 5 times. ANO "Agency for Technological Development" as the operator of the subsidy under RF PP No. 208 dated 02/18/2022 provides grants for the reengineering of critical components. The grant recipients include: an engineering center that will conduct reengineering an organization that will manufacture critical components based on the developed design documentation. The design documentation development period is up to 2 years, the grant amount is up to 100 million rubles. ANO "Engineering and Innovation Support Center" provides grants within the framework of RF Government Resolution No. 392 of 17.03.2022 under the program for "growing up" technology companies to meet the requirements of large Russian corporations. The goal of the program is to support projects related to the development or creation of production of new products to meet the requirements of Russian corporations. The funding period is up to 3 years, the grant amount is from 25 to 250 million rubles. The National Technology Initiative Fund provides grants to residents of the St. Petersburg Technopark for the development of unmanned aircraft systems based on the research and production center: for the development of a prototype, the funding amount is up to 30 million rubles. for development of prototypes - up to 70 million rubles. for development of serial production - up to 300 million rubles. For questions on the provision of additional support measures and for consultations, please call the contact phone number of Technopark St. Petersburg: +7 (812) 670-10-85, e-mail: referent@spbtech.ru

The Russian economy showed high growth rates – 4.1%. The growth was ensured, on the one hand, by an increase in consumer and investment demand, and on the other, by the flexibility of the labor market, increased productivity, and decreased unemployment. The growth drivers were the manufacturing industry, construction, trade, and IT. This year, the Government is solving three main blocks of tasks: ensuring macro stability mitigating risks in individual industries building up the potential of the economy. The growth points of the economy are: investment inflow regional development labor market development technological development removal of infrastructure restrictions in transport, logistics, and energy foreign economic activity. The President of the Russian Federation instructed to increase the rate of investment by 60% by 2030. To this end, the limits of the Project Finance Factory instrument have been increased, and the procedure for reimbursing expenses within the framework of the SPPC has been simplified for businesses. More details about this in the post and in the materials for the final Collegium.

The Vesti channel on RTR SPb aired a story about the industrial tourism program in the Leningrad Region, where this sphere is actively developing. Guests are welcome in the workshops and laboratories of the largest plants in the region. In February, the excursion route was tested in Volkhov - at the giant enterprise AO Apatit, which produces fertilizers in demand all over the world. “Young people have the opportunity to immerse themselves in their future for one day. Imagine - who would I like to be in five years? And here - I am already a site manager or a manager. I live in decent conditions, I know what will happen and I understand that my profession is in demand,” said the founder of the travel agency Natalya Galka. In the Leningrad Region, the program is aimed at developing unique tourist routes related to industry, the agro-industrial complex, and maritime logistics of the 47th region. The routes around the region's locations will include visits to enterprises, inspection of cultural and historical sites, natural attractions, ecological trails, and introduction to local gastronomy. The most important goals of the program include: increasing the number of tourists coming to the region; increasing the number of schoolchildren and students visiting enterprises for career guidance; increasing the number of enterprises interested in participating in industrial tourism. "The industrial tourism program is important to demonstrate what it means to work at an industrial enterprise. While you are studying, you understand it only from a picture, but the opportunity to come, look, touch with your own hands, see something, it really does change the perception in part. Maybe someone will make the right choice, adjust their training track and come to work for us," shared his opinion Artem Krutov, Executive Director of the Volkhov branch of JSC "Apatit". Let us recall that the industrial tourism development program is being developed within the framework of the ASI Accelerator "Open Industry" with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. The goal of the program is to promote the human resources and technological potential of Russian manufacturers, and the expected result is to increase the number of visits to enterprises to 2 million Russians in 2025.

The 11th annual international conference "Downstream Russia and CIS 2025", which will be held on March 19-20 in St. Petersburg, will bring together more than 150 heads of leading oil, gas and petrochemical enterprises in Russia and the CIS. This is a unique platform for discussing industry prospects, presenting major investment projects and searching for strategic partners. Program features in 2025: 150+ participants: commercial and technical managers, representatives of regulators and technology companies. 30+ investment projects: construction and modernization of oil refineries, gas processing plants and petrochemical plants. 40+ exclusive speeches by industry leaders. Innovations and import substitution: steps towards technological sovereignty. Production design and investment management. Integration of automation and digitalization: challenges and solutions. 2 days of business communication: one-on-one meetings, lunches, cocktail receptions. Key topics of the conference: Analysis of the current state of the industry and strategies for overcoming challenges. Import substitution and technological sovereignty. Integration of petrochemicals and oil refining. Modern approaches to production modernization. Financial stability and risk management. Leading companies in the industry, such as Lukoil, Gazprom, Tatneft, Novatek and many others, will take part in the event. Representatives of the State Institution "Agency for Economic Development of the Leningrad Region" will also take part in the event. Registration contacts: email Events@vostockcapital.ru, contact phone number: +7 495 109 9 509.

Investment project of the Leningrad Region in the #investmentswithNAAIR Ministry of Economic Development section. We are talking about the project of Artbiography LLC. The company plans to build a complex for the production of PVC-coated fabric and textile materials in the Kingiseppsky District of the Leningrad Region. The volume of investments in the project will amount to 450 million rubles. The enterprise will employ up to 100 people. When an ambitious business idea is born, the question immediately arises: where to find a site for production? In the Leningrad Region, AERLO helped a company get land for 1 ruble for rent without bidding!

Clothing, stationery, food, pet products, home and garden, sports and leisure products made in the Leningrad Region can now be found in the special section “Made in Leningrad Region” on Ozon. Any entrepreneur whose production is located in the Leningrad Region can place their products on the electronic showcase for free and start promoting them. To do this, you need to contact the regional Fund for Support of Entrepreneurship and Industry. “We are interested in both popularizing local brands outside the region and developing production. The presence of goods on electronic platforms has become an integral stage in scaling any entrepreneurial activity. We widely use support measures that help prepare product offers, create high-quality content for marketplaces and teach the principles of e-commerce,” said Dmitry Yalov, head of the economic block.

The general director of the National Priorities ANO, Sofia Malyavina, presented a summary report on the results of the 2024 expert sessions dedicated to the personnel tasks of the Russian economy. By 2030, the Russian economy will require 73.6 million specialists. The report defines priorities in such areas as mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, aircraft manufacturing, new energy and bioeconomy, outlining the image of the future and the role of professionals. The National Project "Personnel" will create coordinated work of educational institutions and employers, updating the employment service network. By 2029, this will allow for the prompt preparation of specialists for the needs of the labor market. Primary source of data: Digital platform "Investment Projects".

Yesterday, a working meeting of the Agency and the Leningrad Region Committee for Economic Development and Investment Activities employees was held at the AERLO site, where they discussed: changes in the procedure for passing the IDC (obtaining a land plot for lease without bidding) and the project approval procedure regional investment map (IRIS) and plans to connect other OIVs to it differences between industrial parks, technology parks and high-tech parks, as well as requirements for them and support measures At the end of the meeting, Anastasia Mikhalchenko presented Tatyana Gennadyevna Alimpieva, head of the investment infrastructure development department of the Leningrad Region Committee for Economic Development and Investment Activities, with a letter of gratitude for her effective work in the “Investor’s Personal Account” CRM system.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation is holding the All-Russian Award "Young Industrialist of the Year" again. Today it became known that within the framework of the award, ASI has created a special nomination "Industrial Tourism". Participation criteria: founders, managers and chief engineers of companies under 40 years old with an annual turnover of 120 million to 2 billion rubles. Awards: valuable prizes, membership in the Young Industrialists Club and the opportunity to do an internship at the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. Let us remind you that in 2024, Tatyana Osipenko, Deputy General Director - Executive Director, member of the Board of Directors of JSC Hakel (Lomonosov District), was among the winners of the III All-Russian Award "Young Industrialist of the Year". She received the award in the nomination "For Contribution to the Production of Her Region". Participation is free, the application deadline is February 15, 2025.

The special issue of the NAAIR Newsletter published an analytical review of investment projects in the cargo terminal industry. The largest capital investments in active projects are in the Leningrad Region, their volume is 345.3 billion rubles, or 21.3% of the total industry financial volume. “The interest of investors in the development of port logistics infrastructure projects in the Leningrad Region is obvious and there are grounds for this. The North-West is absolutely competitive as a direction for shipment to Latin America, India, North and East Africa. The route of cargo, for example, metallurgical coal from Kuzbass, to India is no longer through our ports than through the Far East. If you look at the main markets for fertilizers, the number one consumer is Brazil, Argentina, and here it is also obvious that shippers choose the North-West. In terms of non-energy cargo, it is Central Russia that is the location of the cargo base, from where it is also close to our port capacities. In addition, decisions were made in a timely manner to build new specialized terminals, and at the time when operations in the Baltics or through other unfriendly countries fell under sanctions, the port capacities of the Leningrad Region and St. Petersburg picked up the volume of cargo that used to go through other countries,” commented Dmitry Yalov, Deputy Chairman of the Leningrad Region Government for Economy. Recall that the following projects are planned to be launched in the Leningrad Region: Universal terminal of the Novotrans company in the port of Ust-Luga; Modernization of the Vysotsky port Port Favor mineral fertilizer terminal in Ust-Luga Expansion of the Ultramar terminal Planned for implementation: LUKOIL project in Vysotsk Global Ports project with the modernization of the container terminal in Ust-Luga. Primary data source: Digital platform "Investment projects".

Yuri Simachev, Director of Economic Policy at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, presented estimates of the factors limiting the growth of the manufacturing industry in Russia from March 2021 to December 2024. According to him, since mid-2024, a "new uncertainty" has formed due to the impact of secondary sanctions, changes in monetary policy, a possible adjustment of the US foreign economic course under the Donald Trump administration, as well as the return of a number of foreign companies to the Russian market. The speaker noted that among the key challenges is the accelerated growth in the significance of the problem of a shortage of skilled workers. In addition, the impact of seizures in the financial sector has increased: companies are faced with an increase in the tax burden and high interest rates on loans, which significantly constrains their investment opportunities.

The Russian-German Chamber of Commerce held an anniversary conference dedicated to the results and forecasts of foreign business in the North-West Federal District. Director of AERLO Anastasia Mikhalchenko told the participants about the industrial potential of the Leningrad Region and the investment climate, and also presented the region's personnel capabilities. For 11 months of 2024, the industrial production index in the region was 109.2%. According to experts, investments in fixed assets will exceed 880 billion rubles, and the growth of GRP will be 103.6%. The Agency for Economic Development helps businesses implement their most ambitious ideas. The developed client-centric system "Green Corridor" supports the investor at any stage of the project implementation. And the feedback mechanism, which was launched on the "Personal Account of the Investor" platform, speeds up the resolution of issues up to 7 working days. Since October last year, AERLO specialists have processed 210 requests! A separate section of the speech was devoted to the interaction of AERLO with the VTP RG. “This year, the organization turns 30 years old. We value our interaction, strengthening relations with foreign businesses, discussing joint initiatives, and working to support regional investors. We congratulate the VTP RG on its anniversary and wish it new achievements aimed at developing the economy of the Leningrad Region!”, noted Anastasia Mikhalchenko. Yuri Simachev, Director of the Center for Structural Policy Research at the Higher School of Economics, spoke about trends in Russian and foreign business in 2025. The main conclusions from his speech: today, economic shifts are observed during the period of tough sanctions, new priorities of state policy have been set growth leaders are finished metal products, computers, transport the leading partners of the Russian manufacturers market are changing the uncertainty of the economic situation is the main restraining factor for growth in manufacturing SMEs are characterized by high investment activity and rapid growth in capacity utilization there will be an increase in the globalization of companies. The results of the work of the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce on the eve of the organization's anniversary were presented by Executive Director Ruslan Kokarev.

In 40% of the country's regions, enterprises were opened more often than they were liquidated. The largest increase was recorded in Moscow (+24.9 thousand), the DPR (+1.2 thousand), the Moscow Region (+1 thousand), and the Leningrad Region (+913). This was reported by analysts at Finexpertiza. In 2024, the number of liquidated commercial enterprises decreased by 20% compared to 2023, to 203 thousand. This is a record low since 2010! In total, 215.9 thousand commercial organizations were opened in the country during the year, taking into account new regions. “Despite the sanctions and the generally difficult economic situation, companies in the Leningrad Region continue to operate steadily - they are expanding production, increasing the number of jobs, increasing labor productivity, and building cooperation chains for the sale of products both within the country and abroad. The region uses maximum tools to maintain a comfortable investment climate," commented Dmitry Yalov, Deputy Chairman of the Leningrad Region Government for Economics. Today, the Leningrad Region Economic Development Agency is supporting about 340 projects with a total investment volume of over 7 trillion rubles! The main volume is provided by megaprojects in the field of gas chemistry, as well as large and medium-sized companies in the food industry, mechanical engineering and metalworking, tourism and commercial real estate.

The world's largest oatmeal cookie manufacturer "Lyubimy Kray" opened its doors to a working group on the preparation of an industrial tourism development program. It consists of regional committees, municipalities, enterprises, LOTPP and a tour operator. The plant entered the pilot project together with 5 other industrial sites of the Leningrad Region. After the excursion, the industrial tourism team gathered to discuss the roadmap and excursions around the Leningrad Region. Work continues on the development program for this area in the 47th region.