The 7th Interregional Economic Forum, organised at the initiative of the Ministry of Economic Development, Investment and Trade of the Samara Region, supported by the Government of the Samara Region, and co-organised by the Federal Ministry of Economic Development and the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia, was held in Samara, Russia, from 4 – 5 July.

The Forum was opened by Mr Merkuchkin, Governor of the Samara Region and Mr Fomichev Vice Minister of Development of the Russian Federation.

The objective of the Forum is to develop specific tools of innovative development under the chosen strategic priorities, create effective mechanisms for public-private partnership, implement large-scale investment projects, and develop cooperation between innovative regions.

On this occasion, a round table discussion was organised on the highly important issues of the region in conjunction with Russia’s Development Strategy as well as panel discussions which brought together delegates of the Council of Federation and Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, representatives of federal executive authorities and office of the plenipotentiary representative of the President to the Volga Federal District, representatives of regional and municipal executive authorities, representatives of large national and international companies, and potential investors, directors of leading scientific and educational institutions, and national research universities and directors of federal and regional institutions of innovative development, innovative and cluster centres.

Presentations addressed:

• Role of Kujbichev Railways in the Transport and Logistics Cluster of the Samara Region;
• Information about the structure and quantity of goods transported in the region;
• Container transport and organisation of container trains;
• Organisation of logistical management of the Electroshield factory;
• New methods of planning chains in GEFCO international forwarding;
• Selecting the venue for the Transport-Logistics Hub in the area;
• Unified IT system of the cluster;
• Real time management of transport among cities and inside the city;
• Development of the passenger transport system of the area;
• Problems and perspectives of the city transport.

Dr Miklos Kopp, UIC Freight Director, representing UIC, attended the session entitled “Transport and logistics cluster – interregional cooperation. Programmes, projects, business environment”, moderated by Mr Piwkin, Minister of Transport and Motorways of the Samara Government and Mr Solojenkin, Head of Kujbichev Railways (part of RZD).

He gave a presentation on “UIC role in international rail freight transport” and a second presentation about “Eurasian rail freight business” is available on the Conference website: http://forum.economy.samregion.ru/e...

A video message recorded by Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director General, was also shown during a session summarising the results of the Forum: