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On April 8, 2014 Moscow hosted  the VIth Forum of Russian Regions dedicated to elaboration of proposals on key issues of the Russian regions’ innovative development.   The Forum has gained a strong reputation  of a popular venue for  discussions on methods for regional innovations’ management, efficient modernization mechanisms, alignment of different regions’ economies and creation of universal development models.   

Over 60 Russian regions take part in the annual forum. The list of attendees includes heads of federal ministries and agencies, international innovative development   experts. Alexey Laptev, First deputy Governor of Kaluga Region, took part in a plenary session named Region’s Competitiveness: Import Substitution  and Innovative Policy.

The forum attendees raised questions regarding the substitution of foreign technologies in strategic sectors of economy and reviewed new opportunities for the domestic market as well as top priorities for the real economy taking into consideration the revised Strategy for Innovative Development  of the Russian Federation by 2020. Apart from that, they spoke of industrial parks as a tool for innovative territories’ development.  

In the course of the discussion Alexey Laptev noted that the regional economic model as well as diversification helped Kaluga Region maintaining its stable development under the current market conditions.  Economy diversification, hi-tech industries development, business support as well as expansion of internal financial resources are the key elements of the Kaluga Region development strategy foundation.   He said: “Today the competitive ability of regions to a great extent depends on their potential in the field of import substitution.  It becomes virtually impossible to attain the objective without relevant  infrastructural support and institutional environment.   There are 10 industrial parks in the region where 89 hi-tech projects are being implemented. 77 production facilities have already been commissioned.  There are over 10 modern industrial clusters, including automotive, pharmaceutical, transport & logistics, agro-industrial clusters, a construction materials cluster and a metalwork cluster. We have introduced relevant processes for creation of supply chains and cooperation ties. As a result we managed to increase the degree of localization and strengthened positions in the Russian market”.

Initiatives and recommendations elaborated within the framework of the forum will be put into a relevant document.