A socially oriented non-financial development institution and a major organizer of nationwide and international conventions; exhibitions; and business, public, youth, sporting, and cultural events.

The Roscongress Foundation is a socially oriented non-financial development institution and a major organizer of nationwide and international conventions; exhibitions; and business, public, youth, sporting, and cultural events. It was established in pursuance of a decision by the President of the Russian Federation.

The Foundation was established in 2007 with the aim of facilitating the development of Russia’s economic potential, promoting its national interests, and strengthening the country’s image. One of the roles of the Foundation is to comprehensively evaluate, analyse, and cover issues on the Russian and global economic agendas. It also offers administrative services, provides promotional support for business projects and attracting investment, helps foster social entrepreneurship and charitable initiatives.

Each year, the Foundation’s events draw participants from 209 countries and territories, with more than 15,000 media representatives working on-site at Roscongress’ various venues. The Foundation benefits from analytical and professional expertise provided by 5,000 people working in Russia and abroad.

The Foundation works alongside various UN departments and other international organizations, and is building multi-format cooperation with 212 economic partners, including industrialists’ and entrepreneurs’ unions, financial, trade, and business associations from 86 countries worldwide, and 293 Russian public organizations, federal and regional executive and legislative bodies of the Russian Federation.

The Roscongress Foundation has Telegram channels in Russian t.me/Roscongress, English – t.me/RoscongressDirect, Spanish – t.me/RoscongressEsp and Arabic t.me/RosCongressArabic. Official website and Information and Analytical System of the Roscongress Foundation:roscongress.org.

Anton Alikhanov

Anton Alikhanov

Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Quotes
20.02.2025
2025
Prospects for the New Materials Industry: Product–Manufacturing–Sale
There have been ongoing discussions recently about the concepts of technological sovereignty and leadership. Clearly, these concepts do not always align in terms of scope and ultimate objectives. However, unless we attain technological sovereignty and open up a whole range of value chains in chemistry and materials, we will not have the foundation to move on to the next stage
06.06.2024
SPIEF 2024
Dialogue between Government and Business: How Labelling Strengthens Domestic Business Potential
The marking system allows for a very detailed market analysis. <…> Our colleagues from the Eurasian Union, together with us, are building a unified marking system based on Russian technological solutions
06.06.2024
SPIEF 2024
Dialogue between Government and Business: How Labelling Strengthens Domestic Business Potential
The introduction of marking is a consumer protection measure, reducing the circulation of expired or counterfeit products. <…> For example, the number of expired medicines sold has decreased threefold. The volume of counterfeit cancer drugs has decreased approximately tenfold. <…> Naturally, this benefits our manufacturers: reducing illegal turnover increases the demand for products from our honest manufacturers
07.06.2024
SPIEF 2024
Technological Entrepreneurship: The Basis of Russia’s Economic Development
The regions are playing an active role in the development of universities and university teams. [...] Now we have regions creating separate funds, developing technologies, university startups.  This is a great mechanism, and it could help supplement the instruments we have to re-engineer, to develop engineering centres, for SME programmes from the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Industry Development Fund. It would complement this line and help distribute loans instead of grants, on favorable terms, but nevertheless to be returned
07.06.2024
SPIEF 2024
Technological Entrepreneurship: The Basis of Russia’s Economic Development
The automation of transport holds promise. [...] In my opinion, it is a very good way to make up for the lack of people in industry. We estimate it to be somewhere between 240,000 and 250,000 people.  [...] This is probably the industry where we see the most interest in terms of artificial intelligence and new developments – Deep Tech
07.06.2024
SPIEF 2024
Technological Entrepreneurship: The Basis of Russia’s Economic Development
Our ministry is now undertaking a very big task... the production of iron, microelectronics. Because we have made good progress in terms of software. [...] I think we need to set a task... not in the number of UAVs produced or something like that. We have to bring our companies to international markets. Our six-year task is... to help these companies
07.06.2024
SPIEF 2024
Technological Ecosystem of the Future: for the Benefit of People and Planet
I still don’t think there is any need to contrast the issue of ecology with the need and potential of technology. We need to answer the question: ‘Why does a person or humanity need this?’ That is, we need to ask a humanistic question. If we follow the path that humans are not important and only nature is important, then we can reach the most unexpected conclusions. So, it is more like an isosceles triangle [the relationship between humans, nature, and technology] that serves as the basis for building the proper foundation, including a technological one
16.06.2023
SPIEF 2023
The Role of the Nuclear Industry in Achieving Technological Sovereignty and Technology of the Future
Our flagship, our leader was for many years Avtotor, often criticized <...> for not having a very high level of localization. <...> Now, thanks to Rosatom’s lithium battery project, we are moving to a completely new level, including the localization of Avtotor, which, I very much hope, will also produce electric motors together with the state corporation
15.06.2023
SPIEF 2023
A Russian Fleet for New Maritime Transport Corridors
Now about 40% of our trade is transported by sea. 40% of our total turnover is quite a lot, I think. <...> Of course, the specifics of our business, the way they [business, – Ed.] treat shipping – it is very big. We underuse containers. We have a very large share of ro-ro [vertical method of loading, – Ed.]. We certainly need new ferries
14.06.2023
SPIEF 2023
Returning to Russia: The Potential of Compatriots for Regional Development
We suggested implementing the idea of a Russian Card. <...> We would like to support all compatriots who are experiencing certain difficulties in the countries they are currently residing. What does a card like this do? It allows you to come without obtaining citizenship. You can get a free multi-year, multiple-entry visa, come to the country, and get a job. <...> Afterwards, you can decide whether to bring your family over. This allows people to test the waters before opting for repatriation. <...> They would have access to state services, and some electronic services
14.06.2023
SPIEF 2023
Returning to Russia: The Potential of Compatriots for Regional Development
Clearly, we are entering an era characterized by a personnel shortage. Who will fill this gap? I believe there is great potential when it comes to bringing Russian people back to the country. We should act quickly and as a matter of urgency – this is not something which requires years of debate. We must leverage this potential
04.06.2021
SPIEF 2021
Tackling Offshoring: Combatting Capital Flight and Improving Russia’s Investment Climate
Special administrative regions have also been earning, albeit not a huge amount, but, nevertheless, a noticeable one. During this period, a total of RUB 790 million has made its way into the budgetary system of the Russian Federation, of which I think RUB 276 million is our interregional budget, i.e., about 35%. And, of course, we are very pleased with this fact [...] Several iterations of amendments to this law on special administrative regions have already been introduced, and it’s actually being adopted very promptly due to [...] a number of sanctions-related decisions from the United States and other states. But after that, of course, it has been seriously revised, improved, and modernized, and this has produced results
02.06.2021
SPIEF 2021
Digital Services for Businesses
In our opinion, it would be correct to introduce a digital reputation or integrity institution. The more you open up, the more the government knows you, including through these electronic services, and the lower your risk profile is. And the inspectors simply come to you less often or don’t at all
07.06.2019
SPIEF 2019
Football and the Big City
Right next to the arena, we will build a culture and exhibition centre, an education cluster, a choreography academy, a branch of the Treryakov Gallery and branch of the Bolshoi Theatre. The World Cup helped such projects appear
07.06.2019
SPIEF 2019
Football and the Big City
Even the most succefull regions are nowhere near being breakeven
07.06.2019
SPIEF 2019
Football and the Big City
For us, the World Cup was a whole milestone in urban environment: 17 road infrastructure facilities, new road junctions that help us make traffic less intense. <…> We would have never made such a breakthrough without the World Cup
06.06.2019
SPIEF 2019
Russia–Baltic States: Pathways to Trust and a Beneficial Partnership
The President signed a decree implementing the electronic visa regime in our region. I will not list all the countries right now as it is being coordinated but Prime Minister should sing that list on Monday. It is an ample list and in essence the Russian Federation is making a welcome gesture. Over 50 countries are on that list, mainly European countries, whose residents will be able to visit Kaliningrad Region for 8 days on an electronic visa, received online for free
06.06.2019
SPIEF 2019
Russia–Baltic States: Pathways to Trust and a Beneficial Partnership
There are purely practical questions: we have a border running along Neman, it is a question of using the river, the Curonian Lagoon, the border. We have built a wonderful bridge and we are about to finish building a new border control point near Sovetsk. It has been two years since we sent an agreement or shared usage of this infrastructure to our Lithuanian colleagues but received no answer to this day
06.06.2019
SPIEF 2019
Russia–Baltic States: Pathways to Trust and a Beneficial Partnership
If we talk about business, about regular people – there are no barriers there. In the aforementioned Sovetsk we got Vinchunaj Rus, a major Lithuanian company. I think they take up nearly a third of the entire imitational crab meat market, among other things. There is Lithuanian interest in fertilizer production, etc. In other words, when we talk about business everything is fine, there are no barriers there. If we talk about sanctions, or anti-sanctions, then I would say that disagreements there led to Polish and Lithuanian and other foreign partners increasing their investment in Russia
07.06.2019
SPIEF 2019
The Potential and Prospects for Developing the Digital Economy in the Russian Regions
The Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Digital Development should become something like an architect or a dictator in a good way – those who will say: “This is our path forward – you do not need to come up with 10 thousand solutions. If you are a rich region, you still can come up with 10 thousand solutions – this is your right and your cost. But if you are a subsidized region, here is your solution: we are going to follow it and do the things it prescribes.” We need more direct instructions on what technologies and solutions must be applied
07.06.2019
SPIEF 2019
Investments into the Urban Environment
Electronic services and digitalization seem very important to me. It is not only about safety, surveillance systems, face recognition systems, it is also consortium of museums, unified services, when you can receive many discounts from restaurants and hotels to your gadget just walking through the city. I think there is a huge potential there
14.02.2019
Russian Investment Forum 2019
Public Financial Literacy as the Basis for Financial Stability
We started bringing aboard non-profit organizations and colleges, and at this stage we have created a grant programme. The government is not directly involved anymore. The regional financial literacy centre was launched in 2016, <…> when we selected a non-profit organization that operates this financial knowledge provider
14.02.2019
Russian Investment Forum 2019
Innovative Science and Technology Centres: What Should They Look Like?
We defined our focus as ‘humantech’ — medical technologies, biotechnologies, everyday uses for new materials
14.02.2019
Russian Investment Forum 2019
Innovative Science and Technology Centres: What Should They Look Like?
The ‘tech valley’ legislation gives us the opportunity to remove barriers in parts of the technical regulations, medical regulations, and in some places, unfortunately, ethical regulations. But it is high time that we reach this point, we can’t allow ourselves to fall behind
25.05.2018
SPIEF 2018
Presentation of the Results of the Russian Regional Investment Climate Index
I think we need to introduce a kind of a concierge service in all the regions. When a resident from another region comes to us and opens a business, they have a lot of questions: where to take the children to school, to kindergarten, where to set up his/her spouse. We help them find an office and even housing, and we help find employment for family members.
25.05.2018
SPIEF 2018
The Ecosystem of Innovative and Creative Entrepreneurship: from Education to Successful Startups
We must choose the areas where we want to seize the technological monopoly and create it. This is the only place where economic profit exists. If we keep hitting the science part or for example, subsidies for R&D again on a wide range, there’s no guarantee we will get anything at all
25.05.2018
SPIEF 2018
The Ecosystem of Innovative and Creative Entrepreneurship: from Education to Successful Startups
We do not have a huge flow of those IT people the business needs. The degree and speed at which the higher education adapts to the needs of IT is catastrophically low. Theoretically, it is possible to forgo a university altogether to be an expert in this field. Most universities that offer this major do not even meet the requirements that employers have today
25.05.2018
SPIEF 2018
The Ecosystem of Innovative and Creative Entrepreneurship: from Education to Successful Startups
Last year, the president signed a number of amendments to the legislation on the Special Economic Zone in Kaliningrad. Now, all you need is a million roubles in your pocket and you can register an IT or a scientific company and get all our benefits. <...> This gave an effect: 31 residents for 4 months - this is more than the our SEZ got annually in its best years! Among them 10 residents are IT companies with a volume of investments of 5-6 million roubles only
25.05.2018
SPIEF 2018
The Ecosystem of Innovative and Creative Entrepreneurship: from Education to Successful Startups
The Ultimate Guitar, for example, is an application created in Kaliningrad. This is the most downloaded application for guitarists in the world. Bitrix is one of the twenty best IT companies in our country