The Baltic Region Investment Forum took place on 30 September 2020. BRIEF’20 gathered together more than 700 participants from 10 countries to discuss new investment opportunities, it was organized both online and offline.
Representatives of business, authorities, expert communities and leading development institutions discussed consequences of the pandemic for the economy, new trends in attraction of investments and development of export activity.
“Leningrad region attracts investors by its common borders with the European Union, close proximity to labour and consumer markets of Saint Petersburg and developed infrastructure. More than one quarter of the total Russian foreign trade cargo passes through our region. Investors’ experience proves that localization in Leningrad region allows them to both work at the Russian market and focus on export, integrating into global value chains,” said the Governor of Leningrad region Alexander Drozdenko during a public talk.
Speakers of the plenary discussion also included Matthias Schepp – Representative of the German economy in the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Board at the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce, Mikhail Kosarev – Chair of the Board of Leningrad Region Department of the All-Russia Public Organization Business Russia, Director General of M10 Regional Development Agency, Nikita Gusakov – Director General of the Russian Agency for Insurance Export credits and Investments (EXIAR), Maxim Bouev – Vice-Rector for Strategic Development of the New Economic School, Yuri Simachev – Director for Economic Policy of National Research University Higher School of Economics. Sergey Slipchenko – Vice President for External Affairs of the affiliated companies Philip Morris International in Russia and Belarus also gave a welcome speech.
Minister of Energy, Infrastructure and Digitalization of the Federal State Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Christian Pegel in his video message to the participants of BRIEF’20 noted the importance of long-term cooperation between the twin regions and emphasized that the seaports connecting our countries are the channels for trade and cultural ties, and a new impetus can contribute to development of new business and start-ups.
During the Baltic Region Investment Forum investments were declared in food, medical industry, production of automotive components, construction of commercial real estate and agreements with the total investments exceeding 10 billion rubles were signed with Philip Morris Izhora, DRB Rus, TRIER-SPB, BioVitrum, Trading House Baltiyskiy Bereg, TRK Murino.
“Our decision about further investments in the region is based, to a great extent, on the confidence of PMI in the future of the Russian economy and investment attractiveness of the Russian market. Successful implementation of the first and the second phases of the project indicates favourable investment climate of the region as the result of efficient and open policy of the Government of Leningrad Region. Together with development of export potential of the region, implementation of this investment project will contribute to expansion of advanced technologies, preservation of highly skilled jobs,” commented Sergey Slipchenko – Vice President for External Affairs of the affiliated companies Philip Morris International in Russia and Belarus.
Besides, cooperation agreements with the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce and Saint Petersburg State Institution Investment Management were signed in order to attract investments and improve investment attractiveness of Leningrad region.
The practical session in the format of public talk “Regional fragments of value chains in Leningrad region. Successful cases of localization” was dedicated to the experience of localization in Leningrad region. A report on adaptation of business supporting measures to the new economic realities was made by Anastasia Mikhalchenko – Director of Economic Development Agency of Leningrad Region. Vladimir Nikitenko – Deputy Representative of the German economy in the Russian Federation, Head of the North-West branch office of the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce told about the experience of German business in localization in the Baltic region of Northwestern federal district. The participants of the public talk included Dmitry Yalov – Deputy Chairman of the Government of Leningrad Region – Chairman of the Committee for Economic Development and Investment Activity, Vitaly Kochurov – Head of Supplier Audit and Import Substitution Department of United Shipbuilding Corporation, Andrey Ponomarev – Director General of MW Kingisepp, Irina Zhukova – Director for Sustainable Development and Corporate Programs of affiliated companies Philip Morris International in Russia, Sergey Demenok – Director General of Eco Resource, Mikhail Kosarev – Chair of the Board of Leningrad Region Department of the All-Russia Public Organization Business Russia, Director General of M10 Regional Development Agency, Vladimir Zolotarev – Director General of SEW-EURODRIVE.
The session “Export in new realities” included an interesting discussion between operating exporters and export support institutions about new challenges and opportunities at foreign markets, it was moderated by Maria Chernobrovkina – Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in St. Petersburg. Olga Skorokhodova – Head of Export Support Center of Leningrad Region told about measures of support for exporters and success stories of transforming the companies of Leningrad region to exporters during the pandemic. The participants of the discussion included Veronika Luebke, Director General of Bridge-One-Seven GmbH, Alisa Melkonyan – Head of Tax Regional Development of KPMG in Russia and the CIS, Mikhail Sakhnov – Integrated Supply Chain Director of Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa of JACOBS DOUWE EGBERTS RUS, Ruslan Vasyutin – Partner, Co-head of Tax Practice of DLA Piper Rus Limited in Russia, Sergey Almazov – CEO of Delasia, Ekaterina Surushkina – Head of Business Development of Tosnensky Mixed Feed Factory, Alexey Lysenko – Corporate Communication Director of Thermex Corporation.
During the Baltic Region Investment Forum the Governor of Leningrad region Alexander Drozdenko presented commendations to 20 regional companies which provided charity support to medical and volunteer organizations of Leningrad region during COVID-19. Russian and foreign companies, in their turn, expressed their gratitude to the regional authorities for the opportunity to continue working and for being in touch with business 24/7.
The Baltic Region Investment Forum BRIEF’20 was organized by Economic Development Agency of Leningrad Region and Industry Development Centre of Leningrad Region, co-organizer – Russian-German Chamber of Commerce. The partners of BRIEF’20 – Philip Morris Izhora and Leningrad Region Department of Business Russia.
