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Each year, agreements are signed between the participating companies and the regional government. Systematic collaboration with businesses and maintaining a favorable investment climate are key tasks for the Leningrad Region government. We take pride in the trust investors place in our region and strive to provide them with the most accessible resources and all available forms of state support. Last year, during BRIEF’23, four agreements were signed totaling 8.4 billion rubles. Over the previous five forums, a total of 16 investment agreements amounting to 22 billion rubles were signed. Many of these projects are being implemented in complex, high-tech sectors that demand advanced developments and modern technologies. For BRIEF24, it is planned to sign five more investment agreements totaling nearly 14 billion rubles. Some of these will involve the expansion of existing enterprises in the region, while others will focus on new projects, including the construction of production and warehouse complexes and the creation of road materials manufacturing.

Asia is emerging as a promising market for Russian goods, and both sides are taking steps to strengthen their relations. Today, exporting companies from the Leningrad Region participated in a meeting with the director of the "Termez" transport and logistics hub, located near Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The event was organized under the auspices of the national project "International Cooperation and Export" by the Committee for Economic Development and Investment Activity, held at the Leningrad Region Center for Industrial Development. The meeting was initiated by the Consulate General of Uzbekistan. During the presentation, the region's business community was introduced to the advantages of the trading platform: - Acceptance of the Russian ruble alongside other currencies for wholesale and retail trade - Functioning customs checkpoint - Storage facilities for import-export and transit goods - Convenient geographical location Business representatives from the Leningrad Region were invited to participate in a roundtable discussion, scheduled for September 11 in the city of Termez, where the prospects for increasing trade turnover among friendly countries will be discussed.

"The first meeting of the Maritime Board, which was held today in Moscow by Nikolai Patrushev, focused on ensuring the safety and development of sea routes, port capacities, and the construction of new vessels. The Northern Sea Route, which can have its starting points at ports in the Leningrad region on the Baltic Sea, is gaining particular importance for the economy," reported the region's head, Alexander Drozdenko. He noted that the Northern Sea Route is a unique logistical corridor ready for operation. Basic port facilities have already been established along the route, along with a fleet of ice-class vessels and icebreakers. The construction of strategic industries on the northern coast is also nearing completion. The cargo volume transported via the Northern Sea Route in 2023 amounted to over 36.254 million tons, which is 250,000 tons more than the target figure. Compared to the 2022 figure, the cargo volume increased by almost 5.6%. It's expected that in 2024, the cargo volume will reach 72 million tons, and by 2030, around 193 million tons.

Representatives from regional investment agencies and development corporations, members of the NAAIR, participated in an external internship and industrial tour in the Tula region. Nelly Mayer, Head of the Investment Infrastructure Development Department of AERLO, together with colleagues from other regions of the country, studied tools for business support and promotion of investment potential. Special attention during the internship was given to the implementation of the regional investment standard, the effectiveness of the public-private partnership mechanism, and comprehensive support for investment projects. In addition to the lecture and practical sessions, the internship participants visited the enterprises of the AO "Plastik" industrial park and the Tula Dairy Plant. They also shared experiences in attracting investments in their regions and exchanged business contacts.

This was stated by Vladimir Putin during a meeting with members of the Government. "The gross domestic product increased by 4.6%, and industrial production volume grew by 4.4%," noted the President of Russia. According to the Ministry of Economic Development's forecast, the Russian economy may grow by 2.3% in 2024 in the baseline scenario and by 1.4% in the conservative scenario. The International Monetary Fund has forecasted growth of up to 2.6%, while the World Bank predicts up to 2.9%. The highest GDP growth in 10 years was recorded in Russia in 2021, at 5.87%, according to data from Rosstat.

The meeting of the Council for Improving the Investment Climate in the Leningrad Region at BRIEF'24 will be opened by the speech of Dmitry Anatolyevich Yalov, Deputy Chairman of the Government and curator of the region's economic sector, Chairman of the Committee for Economic Development and Investment Activities. Dmitry Anatolyevich is an expert at the Institute for Socio-Economic and Political Studies. He was recently awarded the "For Services to the Leningrad Region" medal, and in 2018, he became the winner of the "Leaders of Russia" competition. Additionally, he has held various positions in the Department of Priority National Projects and the Government Apparatus of the Russian Federation, and from 2009-2010, he served as the Acting Minister of Economic Development, Labor, Science, and Higher Education of the Irkutsk Region. How is the economy of the Leningrad Region adapting to new challenges? What are the expectations for increased investment activity based on? Can we expect an increase in real income and wages? Prospects for our region amidst growing talent shortages and other topics are covered in the introductory report "Strategy for Socio-Economic Development 2030."

In the Leningrad region, resource supply organizations respond to investors six times faster, and the Economic Development Agency of the Leningrad Region accompanies twice as many investment projects. Anastasia Mikhalchenko, director of AERLO and public representative of ASI in the Leningrad region, spoke about these and other results of the implementation of the priority project “Green Corridor for Investors” at the Organizational Headquarters for Project Management under the regional governor. “There has been a real digital transformation of an important area of work,” Deputy Chairman for Economics Dmitry Yalov assessed the results of the project at the meeting. Over the course of 2.5 years, the system of interaction between business and government acquired a transparent and understandable appearance for registered users, which significantly simplified the implementation of investment projects. The system fully complies with the Regional Investment Standard 2.0 and also includes additional options. For example, an already created network of investment commissioners in municipal areas. The practice was recognized by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives as one of the best in the country and recommended for replication on the Smarteka platform. Currently, the Economic Development Agency of the Leningrad Region is supporting 262 projects in the active stage worth 6.5 trillion rubles.

9 billion rubles of investment and 7,500 jobs, 154 thousand sq. m. m. - this is data on the investment project of the first distribution center of the Wildberries company in the Leningrad region. The agreement on this project was signed today by the Governor of the Leningrad Region, Alexander Drozdenko, and the head of the online platform, Tatyana Bakalchuk. To implement the project, the company chose a site in the M10 industrial park in Krasny Bor. Project implementation timeframe: 4th quarter. 2023 – Q4 2025 The company plans to reach full capacity in 2025. “We prepared today’s agreement a long time ago; the company spent a long time carefully selecting a site for implementation. We looked at transport placement and, of course, technical and engineering networks. And it was no coincidence that the choice fell on the M-10 industrial park,” commented the Governor of the Leningrad Region, Alexander Drozdenko. The project is supported by the Leningrad Region Economic Development Agency under the Green Corridor for Investor support system. Tatyana Bakalchuk especially thanked AERLO for their assistance in selecting a site and in preparing all the necessary documents for the implementation of the project.

According to the investment and analytical group PKR, 12 investment projects with a total investment volume of 31.5 billion rubles are already being implemented in the region. This allowed the Leningrad region to take 17th place in the ranking. At the same time, we note that the figure can be adjusted upward, since the Economic Development Agency of the Leningrad Region is supporting 23 active projects worth 25 billion rubles.

From recognition to replication: Leningrad region shares the secrets of supporting investment projects The Economic Development Agency of the Leningrad Region will share its “Green Corridor for Investor” practice with the Pskov region. Previously, regional experience was noted by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and ASI as one of the best management practices. Through the Smartek platform we were able to discuss the possibilities of its use. On the Day of the Pskov Region at the #exhibitionRussia, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Economic Development Agency of the Leningrad Region and the Investment Development Fund of the Pskov Region.