Herman Gref

17.06.2022

SPIEF 2022

The Russian Economy: How to Build the Bridge to the Future?

The most serious constraint is on logistics. There has been a drop [in volumes – Ed.] in maritime traffic, and a six-fold drop in container traffic. We can see a less rational reallocation of logistics to road transport and, of course, huge difficulties with air traffic

17.06.2022

SPIEF 2022

The Russian Economy: How to Build the Bridge to the Future?

The sanctions that have been imposed are unprecedented, and they are affecting a large part of the economy. Countries that have imposed sanctions against Russia account for 56% of exports and 15% of GDP is at risk. […] There are plans to increase sanctions even further with the EU looking to reduce the purchase of Russian oil by up to 90% by the end of 2022. The EU plans to abandon Russian gas completely by 2027. […] The enormous task of adapting the entire structure of the economy awaits us. The main challenge will be to ensure the economy is restructured, which is something we haven’t succeeded in doing for many years. […] We are now faced with this huge challenge: to finally make the transformational leap we’ve been trying to make for decades, and to do it in different macroeconomic conditions

03.09.2021

EEF 2021

Is Russia Prepared for a Global ESG Transformation?

Indeed, we started to delve very deeply into this topic after several papers were published. This is a new paper on the analysis of the trajectory of the world towards net-zero emissions 2050. We got some rather complicated results from this analysis. After the EU published another document, our key trading partner, the so-called green deal, we tried to combine both forecasts, and a rather complicated picture emerged ... We sent that forecast to the Ministry of Economic Development, to the Ministry of Energy, and then, together with our colleagues, we worked on it over the past six months and added figures ... The picture that emerged, to be honest, makes us take a serious look at what we have to do in the near future

03.09.2021

EEF 2021

Is Russia Prepared for a Global ESG Transformation?

126 Nobel laureates wrote an open letter saying that the world is too late and irreversible processes have already started. To stop (the processes – ed.) or compensate to some extent, we must reduce emissions in the next 21–30 years by a half, which, in fact, does not yet seem very realistic. But what really amazes me is the Red Cross figures. I used to think that refugees in our world were a product of all sorts of conflicts ... It turns out that the key driver that produces this problem is climate change. Today we have over 30 million refugees in the world who are climate refugees

04.06.2021

SPIEF 2021

Russia’s Economy: Modernization Strategy Reset

The number one problem is education, the second is the entrepreneurial climate, then public administration and health care. These are the four problems, the solution to which, according to those present, are the main tasks of the government

04.06.2021

SPIEF 2021

Russia’s Economy: Modernization Strategy Reset

We wondered what makes this government different from all the previous ones. We brainstormed and identified two factors that significantly set this government apart. The first factor is the client-centricity of the state. They put the slogan or technology of client-centricity in the center of all their policies. The second factor is the construction of a digital platform. Digitalization is at the heart of all the other transformations. These two things run through all the sectors: education, healthcare, the very system of public administration, infrastructure, entrepreneurship – all areas are permeated by these two themes

04.06.2021

SPIEF 2021

Russia’s Economy: Modernization Strategy Reset

The government that came in January 2020 intended to modernize both the economy and social sphere. However, these plans were significantly hampered by the coronavirus that came in around the same time. However, let us give credit where credit is due, Russia was able to get through this difficult year and a half quite effectively. Today, Russia is listed among the countries that have successfully overcome such a difficult period

03.06.2021

SPIEF 2021

The Architecture of Post-Pandemic World: Technology, Economy, Society

We have yet to overcome the pandemic, which is why it is important to create some sort of service, capable of swiftly reacting to these types of situations. We should learn from all of this and create a mechanism to quickly react to similar situations

03.06.2021

SPIEF 2021

The Architecture of Post-Pandemic World: Technology, Economy, Society

In my opinion, the pandemic has really exacerbated the contradictions that we have watched build up over the past decades in governments – that is, in the capitalist world. Many have spoken of competition between autocratic and democratic regimes and that autocratic regimes had their advantages at certain times. <...> There is a new idea that technology and technological breakthroughs have opened up brand new opportunities for structuring the government. There was a very popular idea in its day that socialism or communism collapsed for two reasons: an inability to properly plan everything in an economy, and a lack of stimulation – a lack of competition. New technologies and big data give us the opportunity to plan things far more effectively than we could previously, or than capitalism can currently. <...> The main contradiction of socialism can be overcome. Today, there is a new term – techno-communism – the return of an old idea in a new form, allowing for far more effective planning of social resources and a significantly fairer distribution of those resources between social strata, thereby liquidating intra-social conflict

03.06.2021

SPIEF 2021

The Architecture of Post-Pandemic World: Technology, Economy, Society

We are seeing a number of global tendencies that are currently considered challenges for the global economy. <...> The first tendency is stratification between states and income stratification in practically every country, with rare exceptions. Technology has accelerated this tendency

03.06.2021

SPIEF 2021

The Client-Centric State

You have to rebuild the internal culture around the employee, create conditions for their development, in order to create an opportunity to meet their needs. And that is a huge challenge within any kind of company

03.06.2021

SPIEF 2021

The Client-Centric State

There are always two clients: external and internal. Internal clients are the employees. If you want your employees, especially in a large organization or in the government, to be client-oriented towards the external customer, then you have to be client-oriented in your relations with the internal customer. A person who is dissatisfied and unhappy is not going to make another person happy

03.06.2021

SPIEF 2021

The Client-Centric State

The President sincerely believes that the state should be person-centered. He says it all the time: “People, have some conscience, why do not you care about people?” Currently there are people, there is political will, the President’s administration and the government, and people in the government

03.06.2021

SPIEF 2021

The Client-Centric State

Two words: person and value, of course

05.09.2019

EEF 2019

The Future of Learning: Where is the World Heading? New Educational Platforms

Since 1 September, 15 schools have started working on this platform <…> It is not a platform for some specialized schools; it is designed for all schools, so that it can be implemented everywhere, teachers can be retrained, and it can start working. It is a non-profit project, the platform will be free

05.09.2019

EEF 2019

The Future of Learning: Where is the World Heading? New Educational Platforms

The (examination) process itself discourages students from learning. <...> One of my objectives is to kill exams

05.09.2019

EEF 2019

The Future of Learning: Where is the World Heading? New Educational Platforms

It is important to explain to parents <…> that Internet and gadgets are the reality that we cannot escape; the question is, what is inside

25.05.2018

SPIEF 2018

Achieving Strategic Objectives

Our entire government system is focused more on the process than the final product. Officials are not result-oriented. There is such an incredible number of inspection authorities and the threat of having to pay in the most severe way for any mistakes frighten people and the system falls into a stupor. We have built deep wells in the civil service, and coordination between departments is extremely difficult; it can take years. Very little cooperation has been established with the regions. Without destroying the wells, both vertical and horizontal, it will be impossible to talk about the effectiveness of decision-making and implementation.

25.05.2018

SPIEF 2018

Achieving Strategic Objectives

Unfortunately, if we look at our place in the current rating of efficiency, we can see that we’re way down in 104th place. And the challenges of the digital economy are added on top of this. [...] Not yet having mastered the whole set of traditional methods of effective management, we have to respond to the challenges of the new world, the challenges of the digital era. The answer to these challenges and the solution to the tasks that you have just mentioned can only be a flexible management system

25.05.2018

SPIEF 2018

Achieving Strategic Objectives

The management system must become much simpler, it must become flexible, it must become efficient, and it must be digitalized. The word ‘digital’ is of utmost importance; everything within the government must be digitalized. [...] If the data is in different systems, in different departments, then the synergy effect will not be reached. The system must be unified and there must be a single data stream so that there is unified access for quick decision-making based on the existing data stream. Someone must be the architect of this platform. And the financing system must go through the same hands. It was repeated many times today that we need radical reforms, and we need to move forward very quickly.

06.06.2019

SPIEF 2019

Transformation in a Rapidly Changing World: States, Companies, People

New economy has the undisputed champion – United States, but the second leader who is catching up is China. The two countries account for around 95% of world’s digital capitalization. The situation is the same on non-public companies’ market

06.06.2019

SPIEF 2019

Transformation in a Rapidly Changing World: States, Companies, People

Countries compete for technological leadership. Technologies have become the main geopolitical weapon. States do not threat each other with nuclear bombs anymore, they say: “We will disconnect you from technologies,” Today this is like to take off a drop bottle from a sick person; we all depend on these technologies, and that is why they gain so much importance

06.06.2019

SPIEF 2019

Transformation in a Rapidly Changing World: States, Companies, People

Public online services have become a predominant trend in public administration. Over the last two years, the share of public online services worldwide grew from 18 to 47 per cent. We intentionally chose this period, because before the dynamics was very slow. It took us ten years to reach 18 per cent, and then over the course of two years we more than doubled the amount of online services

06.06.2019

SPIEF 2019

Transformation in a Rapidly Changing World: States, Companies, People

In total, there are approximately 3.4 billion jobs for 7.8 billion people. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, half of them, or around 1.6 billion, might be automated or rightsized by 2030

04.10.2018

Russian Energy Week 2018

Developing Infrastructure for Economic Growth and Improved Living Standards

Over the past 20 years, investment in tangible and intangible assets has switched places. Intangible investments and intangible assets are not easily recognized by official statistics and are virtually uncountable. Creating intangible infrastructure or intangible assets is the main trend driving the economy today

04.10.2018

Russian Energy Week 2018

Developing Infrastructure for Economic Growth and Improved Living Standards

Another important issue that I would like to address is cyber security [...] It’s time to admit that we need to create major infrastructure and a ministry that would control emergency situations in the digital sphere, which affects all infrastructure without exception. This is one of the key trends and challenges of the future

14.02.2019

Russian Investment Forum 2019

Digital Transformation and Quality of Life from a Regional Perspective

In terms of the quantity and quality of smart city and digitalization services, Moscow ranks first in the world. We can be proud that this is possible and is being done in Russia. The tax service is a leader among OECD member countries in terms of the promotion and introduction of digital services

14.02.2019

Russian Investment Forum 2019

Digital Transformation and Quality of Life from a Regional Perspective

Informatization is an attempt to automate routine activities using computers and convert them into electronic form. Digitalization is decision-making based on data. This is a fundamentally different paradigm, a fundamentally different experience, and removing the individual from making simple decisions reduces the subjectivity of decision-making and increases the speed of decision-making

14.02.2019

Russian Investment Forum 2019

Digital Transformation and Quality of Life from a Regional Perspective

We have a unique chance to make the country one of the leaders not only in terms of digitalization, but in terms of people’s quality of life from the perspective of their interaction with the state and the preservation of the life, health, and the time of our dear fellow citizens

12.09.2018

EEF 2018

Sberbank Panel Session. Education in Transitional World: New Priorities

We have forgotten the employer. And the employer is crucial. When I talk to the heads of universities, I ask: ‘Can you tell me what is our role? Who you teach your students for?’ They will come to me anyway, and you do not ask me who I need. You teach them as you can, then they come to me and face the reality: forget everything you have learnt at the university. It should not be like this. The employer’s role should also be defined, because, in the end, all students dream to work for a certain employer or organize their own start up

12.09.2018

EEF 2018

Sberbank Panel Session. Education in Transitional World: New Priorities

I guess the paradox is that first we do not let children decide themselves, we choose for them. And the educational system supports this. And then, when they face the need to take responsibility for their decisions on where to go working, they realize that they do not want to do what they were taught. As a result, 2/3 of these graduates choose to change profession and suffer for the rest of their lives. They have lost five years of their most productive time

12.09.2018

EEF 2018

Sberbank Panel Session. Education in Transitional World: New Priorities

The big problem is that our educational system is not related to the practice. We teach students, and then for 70% they work in a different sphere

12.09.2018

EEF 2018

Sberbank Panel Session. Education in Transitional World: New Priorities

It is not about the student, rather the way we try to deliver knowledge. How can we deliver it to involve them? This is not that easy, especially for people representing the traditional educational system. We all come from this system. What we have to do now is to redefine ourselves and realize that the educational system that raised us is not perfect. And to work out ways to update it and to think how to create a system that would produce high-quality results on the national scale

25.05.2018

SPIEF 2018

The New Economic Povestka* (NEP): The What, the How, the Who?

Great value is being placed on the possibility of using state guarantees and other special investment contract mechanisms for the infrastructure fund in order to achieve stipulated economic aims

25.05.2018

SPIEF 2018

The New Economic Povestka* (NEP): The What, the How, the Who?

Technology is a key driver. Today, the entire country is battling it out for a piece of the pie in the new digital GDP

25.05.2018

SPIEF 2018

The New Economic Povestka* (NEP): The What, the How, the Who?

Experts have identified the very high proportion of state-owned companies in the economy and low level of competition as the two key areas impeding the rapid development of our economy

25.05.2018

SPIEF 2018

The New Economic Povestka* (NEP): The What, the How, the Who?

Our prospects are rated very modestly. In particular, the IMF’s GDP forecast for the next six years is 1.7–1.5 percentage points. Virtually all independent experts conclude that potential growth rates will be low – around 1.5–2% (the most optimistic forecasts state 2.5%)

25.05.2018

SPIEF 2018

The New Economic Povestka* (NEP): The What, the How, the Who?

The macroeconomic situation is reasonably stable. Inflation is the lowest it’s ever been in the post-Soviet era – we have never experienced inflation of 2.4%. Unemployment is below 5%, the budget deficit is at around 1.5 percentage points of GDP. At the same time, there is a rule for the budget, whereby all our surplus of petrodollars is put into reserve funds. Government debt is at 15% of GDP, which also indicates that we can used the resources we have garnered to meet set objectives

24.05.2018

SPIEF 2018

Transitional World: What Will Tomorrow Bring?

State institutions are far from being ready. Polarization among states is increasing and even the most developed countries are all the more active in limiting access to technologies despite declaring the opposite

24.05.2018

SPIEF 2018

Transitional World: What Will Tomorrow Bring?

There are three goals we should achieve. The first one is to expand human possibilities. We talk a lot about this expansion, meanwhile digitalization and universal transparency end up gaining total control over people and limit their lifestyle and possibilities in many ways. The second goal is to find protection from threats carried by technologies. The third goal is equitable distribution of produced wealth both within every society and among the countries of the world. Today social inequality is growing in virtually every state

24.05.2018

SPIEF 2018

Transitional World: What Will Tomorrow Bring?

This is a total change in business models. Investments increasingly flow from traditional sectors into digital ones. Traditional companies fail to change their models to catch up with the digital companies. It also concerns people. The key problem is that people keep thinking in linear fashion, while things change exponentially

24.05.2018

SPIEF 2018

Transitional World: What Will Tomorrow Bring?

We tried to give the time we live in a name, and we called it a transitional world. We chose this one, because we are already done with our traditional and comfortable world we were so much used to. The world where we were born and, despite our wishes, started our life voyage to the world of the future, the shape of which is yet to be determined