General Meeting of the AKIT of the Russian Federation: key results of 2024
On March 18, a large-scale discussion on the prospects for the development of industry and territorial cooperation took place at the Rossiya National Center. The key events were the grand opening with the participation of Ivan Kulikov, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, a meeting of the General Meeting of Members of the Association of Clusters, Technoparks and SEZs of Russia (AKIT RF), as well as a practical session on territorial development tools. During the press conference before the start of the event, Ivan Kulikov noted that AKIT RF is a reliable partner of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia. "Colleagues from the Association are actively involved in the process of improving the regulatory framework for industrial clusters, industrial parks and technology parks, as well as support mechanisms. It is important that these initiatives are based on feedback from the Association's members, so they are highly relevant. I will announce the most significant ones at the conference. Now I would like to highlight a new initiative of the AKIT of the Russian Federation to develop a methodology and conduct a rating of the subjects of the Russian Federation according to the level of implementation of cluster policy. This rating will not only identify the leading regions, but will also become a reference point for those entities that are just beginning to develop cluster initiatives. The results of this work will be published in a new business publication, the Atlas of Industrial Clusters of Russia — 2025," Ivan Kulikov emphasized. Continuing the theme of strategic development, Mikhail Labudin, Director of the AKIT of the Russian Federation, summed up the results of the Association's work for 2024 in his speech at the General Meeting. According to him, the past year has become a significant stage in strengthening the positions of the AKIT of the Russian Federation. The geography of its presence has expanded significantly, and the number of participants has reached 125 organizations, uniting over 4,250 enterprises. Their total output amounted to 2.6 trillion rubles, which is equivalent to 1.29% of the country's GDP. "We are witnessing a steady increase in the number of technoparks and industrial parks, and the improvement of government support measures. In 2024, a record 52 facilities were included in the register of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Significant progress has also been made in financing infrastructure projects," said the Director of the Association. Among the key areas of work in 2024, the head of the AKIT of the Russian Federation highlighted international cooperation. The Association initiated the creation of the International Association of SEZs of the BRICS countries, organized business missions to the UAE and Belarus, and signed six agreements with BRICS+ partners. According to Labudin, these steps confirm the relevance of Russian industrial sites on the global market and create new opportunities for attracting investments. Additional attention was paid to the issues of sustainable development. The implementation of ESG principles has started at 19 infrastructure sites, and a pilot low-carbon development strategy has been implemented in the Kulibin SEZ. "The development of educational initiatives remains an important element of our work. In 2024, the methodological programs "Infrastructure Development Leaders" and "Proclusters" covered 70 regional teams, and the new program "Runway" is aimed at training specialists in the industrial sector. In 2025, the Association will continue to work on the development of territorial planning, digitalization of industrial sites, expansion of cluster support mechanisms and integration of Russian enterprises into global production chains. "I thank all members of the Association for their active participation, joint projects and initiatives," concluded Mikhail Labudin.