An expanded meeting of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation for Industrial Development was held in the Leningrad Region

On June 25, an expanded meeting of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation on Industrial Development and Competitiveness of the Russian Economy was held in the Leningrad Region as part of a field internship at the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation under the Federal Practice program. The participants discussed the development of industrial cooperation, mechanisms for supporting industrial clusters, industrial staffing, and best regional industrial policy practices.

The meeting was chaired by Mikhail Labudin, Chairman of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation for Industrial Development and Competitiveness of the Russian Economy. The event was attended by representatives of federal and regional authorities, development institutions, chambers of commerce and industry, and industrial enterprises from more than ten regions of the Russian Federation.

Denis Frenchov, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, noted that the development of industrial cooperation is becoming one of the key directions of the state industrial policy today.

"Today, the task is not only to launch new investment projects, but also to better adjust the interaction between enterprises within regions and at the interregional level. In many regions, stable industrial relations already exist, but they are not always formalized and, accordingly, are not involved in the existing mechanisms of state support. In this area, regional chambers of commerce and industry are able to perform an important coordinating function, ensuring the interaction of business, government and development institutions. It is through such a system of cooperation that a stable industrial environment is formed and additional opportunities are created for the development of domestic production," Denis Frenchov emphasized.

During the meeting, Mikhail Labudin presented an overview of the existing mechanisms for supporting industrial clusters and outlined the priority areas of the Council's work for 2026.

According to him, there are currently 132 industrial clusters in the register of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, uniting more than 1,000 enterprises in more than 70 regions of the Russian Federation. Among the existing support measures are preferential lending to projects for the production of priority products, reduced insurance premiums at the level of 7.6%, compensation of up to 50% of the cost of purchasing initial batches of products up to 150 million rubles, as well as a tax monitoring mechanism.

"An industrial cluster today is no longer a formal status, but a full—fledged tool for the development of industrial cooperation and technological localization. It allows you to identify cooperation chains, identify import-dependent areas, generate a request for new investment projects and ensure more effective cooperation between enterprises both within the region and between regions. At the same time, the most important task is to find and formalize existing production links so that enterprises can access support measures and build long—term partnerships," Mikhail Labudin said.

A special emphasis in the discussion was placed on the development of tools for inter-regional industrial cooperation. Dmitry Kurochkin, Adviser to the President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted the direct relationship between the level of industrial development of the region and the intensity of interaction between regional authorities and territorial chambers of commerce and industry.

He suggested considering the creation of a single interregional digital platform for industrial cooperation, which would systematize industrial relations and form sustainable supply chains between enterprises in different regions of the Russian Federation. Additionally, Dmitry Kurochkin initiated the launch of the Industrial barometer, a tool for operational monitoring of the state of enterprises and industry conditions, which allows real—time monitoring of the dynamics of the industrial sector and identifying points of risk and growth.

The meeting participants also paid special attention to the issues of staffing industry and increasing the attractiveness of manufacturing professions.

Sergey Morozov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Regional Policy and Local Self-Government, noted the need to create a modern image of industry and develop "industrial and technological patriotism."

"Today, the personnel issue is directly related to the issues of industrial sovereignty and sustainable economic development. At the same time, it is not only about training specialists, but also about changing the public perception of the industry. A modern enterprise consists of high—tech production, modern working conditions, a high level of automation and serious opportunities for professional growth. We need to systematically build respect for engineering and working professions, show young people the real prospects of the industrial sector and create conditions under which work in industry will be perceived as a prestigious and promising area of professional realization," Sergey Morozov emphasized.

Representatives of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and regional chambers of commerce and industry shared practical regional cases. In particular, Olga Ezikeeva, President of the Tyumen Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry, presented the experience of developing the Tyumen Region Construction and Industrial cluster, noting that the effectiveness of the cluster model directly depends on its ability to solve specific tasks of enterprises and the industry.

According to her, one of the key factors in the cluster's development was the focus on practical business needs, including staffing. As an example, she cited the creation of a private "Atomic School of Welders" focused on training specialists to meet the real needs of industry and the construction complex. Regular procurement sessions have also played a significant role, allowing enterprises to find new partners, form production chains, and conclude contracts within and outside the region.

The meeting also presented the best practices of interaction between regional CCI and the authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the experience of implementing industrial policy in the regions and projects aimed at developing interregional cooperation.

Following the discussion, the Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation identified as priorities for 2026 the popularization of the mechanism of industrial clusters, assistance to the development of production cooperation chains, improvement of regulatory regulation of state support measures, as well as support for educational programs for cluster participants and specialized organizations.

In addition, the regional chambers of commerce and industry were recommended to step up work on the creation of industrial clusters, the development of interregional cooperation and the dissemination of best practices in industrial cooperation.