Putin the Entrepreneur: Agency for Strategic Initiatives Meeting Part One

Today during the Agency for Strategic Initiatives meeting we get to see the entrepreneurial side of Putin, which again provides excellent insight into the nature of Russia's political-economy. IMO, Putin is taking a page from Xi's economic playbook, although what he's proposing isn't something new and earth shattering but rather pragmatic and progressive for the continuing development of Socialism with Russian Characteristics. Also IMO, you can sense how Putin got motivated by his meeting yesterday with the young scientist laureates and by his later interactions with the Council for Science and Education and the Security Council. Clearly, Putin's mind isn't compromised by the jumbled haze of dementia as Biden's is and Russia's national dynamism reflects his great energy. Yesterday's meetings can be found at the Kremlin website with Putin's conversation with the young laureates well worth the effort to read. What follows is the Strategic Initiatives meeting's transcript:

Vladimir Putin: Dear friends, good afternoon!

We are holding a regular meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives today. We do this in a very unusual and unconventional way: I have invited the leaders of the agency's projects here, to the Kremlin audience – some of them, not all of them, of course-but in any case, they are those who put their ideas into practice.

Addressing the audience, I would like to ask you to tell us today about your current work, how your experience can be scaled up and applied across the country. After that, I promise that I will give appropriate instructions to my colleagues in various departments, first of all in the Government of the Russian Federation, in order to put your ideas into practice, as they say.

But first of all, I would like to thank the entire agency team. Your programs and ideas are gaining momentum, being implemented in both large cities and small towns, and attracting new like – minded people-people who are active, bold, and purposeful.

The agency's potential for promoting civic and entrepreneurial initiatives will definitely be expanded, strengthened, and used for this purpose, among other things, by the mechanisms of the forum "Strong Ideas for a New Time", which will now be held annually. The relevant decree on this issue, as you probably know, has been signed.

I would like to share here some thoughts and ideas from my side, namely: within the framework of the forum, annually award the winning companies of the contest of the best new domestic brands. But this is only a small part of what is supposed to be done. The task that I want to set for the agency is much broader and more ambitious.

What does this mean? We have a lot of good, high-quality products, clothing, and everyday goods produced by Russian companies. Until recently, it was quite difficult for them to break even into the domestic market, to compete with global players, primarily with Western companies.

By the way, many of them gained strength as a result of the support of their states in their time. This was the case in various industries, despite all the claims that everything should be exclusively in the market, but nevertheless, without the support of the state, many companies with world brands would not have been able to enter such positions.

But today, many of them, as you know, are leaving our market under pressure from their governments-all the best. But because of the loss of our market, they suffer huge losses – this is their choice, this is their decision. Many of them – I know this personally, and I know some of them personally – do it without any pleasure: well, who wants to lose an established business, in which they invested their strength and money? It's not even about money sometimes, but just a lot of people invested their soul, I must say frankly, they worked actively, but under the pressure of their governments they are forced to leave, leaving behind, in general, a good legacy, leaving the production infrastructure, well-trained personnel.

Probably, someone thought that we would immediately collapse and fall apart. Nothing like this happens: nothing has collapsed or is falling apart. Our companies, our entrepreneurs pick up these enterprises or even directions and continue this work, and very successfully. It is important for us that our domestic manufacturer has received unique opportunities for development, and, of course, we need to take full advantage of this.

All of you present here and all those who work within the agency have good experience in improving the business environment, including for those who are just starting out, and the agency has done a lot to get our business back on its feet.

And now I want to ask the Agency for Strategic Initiatives to build a system for selecting and, most importantly, promoting promising domestic brands, so that companies can increase production and sales of their products, and quickly move from a small, albeit local, but successful enterprise to a federal-scale business.

I have no doubt that the regions of the Russian Federation will also actively take up this initiative. Together, we will be able to create such conditions that goods, services, and products made in Russia will become the subject of our national pride. We already have enough of such products, but at the new stage we can act and move faster so that these products and services are successful not only in the domestic market, but also, of course, in foreign markets.

Of course, you need to strive for this, because it is a bad story to lock yourself in the domestic market, this is only half the success – you definitely can't stop halfway, you need to compete in foreign markets, and then this will push any enterprise to achieve more and ultimately the desired result.

I don't doubt it at all: the potential for the development of domestic business is simply enormous. We need to support it in all areas, including in innovative areas.

I would like to note that the achievements of the agency and the participants of the National Technology Initiative were included in the recently signed list of instructions for the development of an entire industry in Russia, namely-just for example, I will take this particular industry, because it shows a lot: unmanned aircraft systems.

In the near future, the Government should form an appropriate national project, the purpose of which is to provide opportunities for the widespread use of drones and, most importantly, a high level of localization of their production. I recently saw at one of the sites how many interesting, new – even in this industry, it would seem – new ideas have already been promoted.

Moreover, unmanned systems are a real catalyst for so - called end-to-end technologies in such areas as navigation, communications, energy storage systems, new materials, artificial intelligence, engine construction, micro-and radio electronics.

I ask the agency to provide the necessary expert support to the constituent entities of the Russian Federation both in terms of generating demand for UAVs, and creating a modern infrastructure on the ground for their widespread use.

In the spring, we will discuss the results of all the large-scale joint work at a special meeting, invite representatives of ministries, departments, and companies that work in this area. I very much hope that your colleagues, I mean colleagues who work within the agency, will also take part in this meeting.

Anything else I'd like to point out? Together with the Agency for the Development of Professional Skills, I ask you to form a system of training personnel for the development of unmanned aircraft, and in general, to work out the issue of creating international training programs for specialists in high-tech industries with the participation of our partners in the Eurasec and other interested states – there are many such states and many want to work with us. I would also like to hear specific suggestions on this issue, including, of course, from the members of the Supervisory Board.

We must set big goals, we have been talking about this all the time since the very first days of the agency's creation. We must strive to ensure that Russia is a source of technologies and competencies and, of course, is an example in creating opportunities for each person's self – realization. We must proceed from the fact that the success of each person will move the whole country forward, – in order to offer better standards and social development. We'll also talk about this separately.

In this regard, I will focus on the most important areas of the agency's activities, namely: dissemination, replication, exchange of best practices of our regions in organizing the work of schools and hospitals, in improving cities and settlements, in creating an environment for living, conditions for launching entrepreneurial and creative projects. Svetlana [Chupsheva], has been doing this separately for a long time.

By the way, the best solutions should certainly be used in the development and implementation of socio-economic development programs in the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. There are new areas in key areas – we can only say new ones, because we know this well from history, these are Russian regions-and we need to bring all these territories to the national level, and this should be done within the next decade. The sooner the better: when I say "decades", this does not mean that we are stretching all this for a decade. It is clear that you just need to move rhythmically, in stages, according to the appropriate plans.

I want to emphasize that all our regions should develop, move forward, and become comfortable for life, so that residents connect their family's future with them, make their plans for the long term, so that, as sociologists say, a person's commitment to their city, village, place where they were born and live grows, in other words, to your small homeland – The homeland as a whole begins just with a small homeland, this is an obvious thing.

Today we will sum up the results of 2022, note the winners and those regions of the Federation that showed the best dynamics of social development and made significant progress.

We will definitely talk about the experience of our regions in supporting the participants of a special military operation, the families of our military personnel, as well as citizens who need special attention and care, such as the elderly and people with disabilities.

I would like to repeat that we need to actively use the best practices and experience of individual regions in order to change management approaches throughout the country. I see German Oskarovich [Gref] on the screen-he has been doing this for a long time, while still working in the Government, he spoke about it, but as the head of our largest financial institution, he is already doing this from a new position.

I would like to say that Sberbank has made some progress in this regard, and we can also replicate them, so that all our employees of social institutions, all officials with documents and instructions can see the problems of citizens and their families and help them in solving their life situations.

This is precisely the meaning of the National Social Initiative that you are implementing together with the working group of the State Council and the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Please tell us more about this and the progress of this project, which is significant for the whole country.

Svetlana Vitalyevna knows this better than anyone else, because I think that's how she practically started her work at the Agency for Strategic Initiatives.

Please, Svetlana Vitalievna, you have the floor.

S. Chupsheva: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, Dear members of the Supervisory Board, Dear colleagues!

I would not like to tell you everything, because, of course, we work in different areas, we have five key ones. This is something that you have already mentioned, Mr President. Issues of improving the quality of life in the regions. Everything related to the development of new technologies and support for entrepreneurship. This is the training of personnel in new competencies that are in demand today in the new economy of our country. These are issues of ecology and development of the region as a whole. And of course, Mr Putin, we are actively working with entrepreneurs and social activists in all these areas, with those who are implementing projects in these areas, offering some ideas and solutions.

We have quite a wide range of tools: from changes in the regulation of legislation, proposals in this area, in order to open up some new opportunities for the growth of certain projects. These are issues related to the necessary expertise, which we provide with a wide network of experts and our federal expert council, chaired by Igor Ivanovich Shuvalov. These are issues related to replication, and here our active assistants are, of course, regional governors, who willingly take decisions that are effective, have shown results, have proven their effectiveness, and also implement [them].

Last year, in 2022, we supported 513 projects in their implementation, again with different tools that I mentioned. Vladimir Vladimirovich, we have made a collection for members of the Supervisory Board [ASI], so that you can just look at it. These are completely different projects from different fields of activity and directions that are being successfully implemented in our country today.

You have already mentioned the forum " Strong Ideas [for the new time]". Together with Roscongress, we have launched a platform for collecting citizens ' initiatives across the country that relate to the development of the country as a whole, regions, development in certain areas, and solving certain tasks. And this mechanism has shown its results: two years ago – Mr President, thank you for your personal participation-we have been showing some of these ideas.

You give relevant instructions, and I would also like to say that all of them have been completed, and we also submit reports on each project. But there are not ten of them, which, for example, we show as part of an event – it is still limited in time and in the format itself. Last year there were 19 thousand of them, and a thousand projects last year were supported by the Government, large companies, regions, supported at the level of individual development institutions.

This is very important when every citizen of our country has such an opportunity – to implement a project, get the necessary support, quickly get the necessary expertise, get funding from somewhere, and reach out to the contacts they need. And this work takes place more than once a year, and this is our daily, constant work, Vladimir Vladimirovich.

Together with Igor Ivanovich Shuvalov, we have organized this work in such a way that we constantly have presentations of projects. Thanks to Roscongress, we present these ideas and projects on all forum platforms. Ministries have become actively involved, and they also hold such pitchings once a month, where any company, any entrepreneur can offer their own solution with a specific result and with a specific effect. Therefore, in this part, we hope that every year we will definitely support this "golden" thousand, but, of course, if there are more of them, it will be great.

I would like to focus on the National Social Initiative. Of course, this is a key project for the agency, which is very important for me personally. Vladimir Vladimirovich, you said that my active work at the agency really began with the social sphere. And you told us at the State Council that we should go through every life situation that people face, together with people from the regions, literally by the hand.

I can't say that we have achieved any major results in this area over the past two years-no, of course, because the social sphere is very complex, difficult, and very different. But I can say for sure, Mr Putin, that this is now a key agenda for us, a key agenda for the regions. All the governors have joined in – we have 74 regions dealing with these issues to varying degrees. And most importantly – people on the ground: These are managers who are responsible for the social sphere, industry specialists who work in these social institutions, representatives of non-profit organizations who mainly came to the social sphere through their history, through their personal experience, and concerned citizens who want and are ready to participate in this agenda.

We also have such people sitting in this hall today, and I think that they themselves will then tell us in detail about the projects that they themselves are implementing on the ground, and what changes are taking place thanks to their projects.

And here the key thing is that the agency's task is to find these best projects, best practices in the social sphere, new technologies that can be replicated and scaled up in other regions. Everything that affects improving the quality of life, increasing satisfaction, accessibility of services in healthcare, education, social sphere, again, public space, urban environment – this is all, of course, very important for each of us, for each resident of the territory where he lives.

We have developed several new tools as part of the national social initiative, and I would like to highlight some of them.

Social standard. Vladimir Vladimirovich, we have made some recommendations for the regions. Here are 13 points, these are the best practices that are already being implemented not by one region, but by many subjects that have shown effectiveness in improving the quality of life and in solving different life situations. It is very important that there are different tools related to management, culture, infrastructure, services, and communication approaches. And it is very important that all these tools are very variable and can be adjusted by regions on the ground. These are recommended documents. We have already started implementing this regional standard in 40 regions last year.

It is very important that this agenda is under control, it is also handled personally by the heads of subjects, managers who are responsible for the social sphere, and again, experts, citizens, NGOs, the Public Chamber, the All-Russian People's Front have joined in on the ground, in regions where we, in fact, are flashing the ideal life path of a person based on his needs and requests.

It is very important that our regions have already redesigned more than 100 life situations. This includes job search, planning and having a child, retirement, health loss, rehabilitation, and the loss of a breadwinner. Difficult questions-you may know, we are always somewhat embarrassed to talk about it in public – related to domestic violence and bullying that children face in schools. It is very important that for each of these life situations, the regions themselves offer – and they have already been implemented-specific solutions and specific tools. This is reflected in the regulatory framework at the regional level, in new services, and in new standards for interagency interaction. And we see feedback from people who are already using these new services and new services. Of course, we also see high satisfaction, which is assessed in the framework of monitoring. And the most important thing for a person is to solve specifically his life situation. I think this is very important.

We will continue this work this year and make additional improvements. Again, I say that the document is open in nature, and, of course, we have agreed with the regions that we will redesign everything that turns out or doesn't turn out.

In the regions, there is such an infrastructure for residents as family MFC. We are then on the forum [ASI] You were introduced to the experience of the Tula region and the Orel region. Today, the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation also supports this pilot, and it is already being implemented in eight regions of the Russian Federation. This is a family care service, where a person can find a carer for a relative who needs it, if necessary. They will teach patient care skills, help with discharge and transportation from the hospital, and provide psychological assistance. Such services are open in the Arkhangelsk region and in other regions.

As for domestic violence, it is also an interesting solution that the Novgorod Region has already implemented today. The project is called "Don't Fall Anymore". This is prevention and assistance to victims of domestic violence. And here, assistance in this situation is built from identifying the problem to providing assistance, which is expressed in moving to a safe place, providing the necessary medical and psychological assistance, support in solving material problems, and legal advice. Crisis centers are being redesigned and upgraded to accommodate a woman who needs help with a child until the region helps her solve the problem.

And it is very important that these "scripts", these regulations are also already registered at the level of communication and decision-making – not only in the social sphere, but also here the communication scenario in the work of precinct officers and medical workers has been worked out. And this is a decision that, Mr Putin, costs nothing in terms of money, and the effect and help from this, of course, is enormous. Of course, we hope that there will be fewer such situations. But the most important thing is that such assistance should be available to everyone, if they need it.

The regions have done a lot in terms of digitalization of services, including in medicine. Very good results, visible feedback from people who seek medical help.

At the meeting, Sergey Sobyanin was just telling you about the changes and reforms in the healthcare system and diagnostics using artificial intelligence. We also see this in satisfaction ratings and feedback from people and medical professionals who use these services.

Experience, for example, of the Sakhalin region, where colleagues have implemented a smart health management system: they have all the institutions that provide outpatient care in this system-there is a single schedule, an appointment to specialists. This allows them to see where they have overloaded specialists, where there are, on the contrary, free slots. This is a waiting list, a monitoring and feedback system. The implementation of this solution allowed them to increase the coverage of appointments by one and a half times, double the number of coupons for therapists, and most importantly, the satisfaction of citizens with this outpatient and medical care increased by 30 percent.

Here, the Sakhalin Region is also completely open. Colleagues give this ready-made solution to other regions. Again, for other regions, this will not cost anything, it is all within their current budgets.

Together with our colleagues from the Federal Center for Competence in Labor Productivity and Rosatom, we also worked with various types of social institutions – everything that concerns lean manufacturing technologies, increasing productivity, and improving internal processes.

We called such institutions friendly and want more such friendly schools, kindergartens, clinics, and hospitals to appear in our country. And the most important thing, Mr Putin, is that we do not evaluate them. We give them a methodology, train specialists, and then specialists from, for example, one school can share this experience with specialists from another school, and each other can make recommendations for improvements due to such an audit. This is how we launch a continuous process of improvement in the social sphere and in working with patients and students, and most importantly, create comfortable conditions for the employees who work there.

You mentioned the territories of the LPR, DPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. Of course, Mr Putin, our cooperation with these regions began with the social sphere, with the national social initiative. We have launched a social coordinator service there, we already have representative offices there that are not yet registered, but the guys are already working there, there is a team, and we have also recruited a team of local specialists who work together with us. The social coordinator service is a "hotline" that any resident of the region can contact for support in solving issues related to medical care, social assistance, and rehabilitation. And last year, we took several dozen people to the National Welfare Fund for medical care, the regions are actively receiving them – the Leningrad Region is also receiving them, and Russian Railways clinics-thank you very much. Here, too, they take people for rehabilitation through this service, and for providing medical care. Providing technical rehabilitation facilities and medicines – we also have several specific difficult cases that have been resolved thanks to this service.

We are also constantly in touch with entrepreneurs and businesses that work there [in the new regions], and we have agreed with our Russian business associations, in fact, also such a "hotline", where we advise on any issues. This is due to the legislation, sales markets, access to the shelves of Russian stores, support measures that can be obtained, transportation, and logistics. In other words, all these issues are still being resolved manually, Mr Putin.

In terms of education, last year, at the end of last year, the first 400 children from the DPR who are currently studying at the University-2035 were accepted into the programming skills training program. This year we are taking five thousand children to this program.

Of course, I would like to mention the role of business in solving social issues and social problems. Last year, we launched such a project – "Open to All", which creates motivation and strategic vision for companies to create an accessible environment and create services and services with a universal design that will be accessible to people with disabilities. Our dear guests will also tell you about this today.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, we use two tools to work with the regions: the investment rating and the quality of life rating, which allows us to identify the best practices, strengths, and growth points for the regions. Thanks to this information, we build priorities and programs together with the regions throughout the year, what projects we need to find and implement, and what best practices we already have that help us solve this or that problem. And most importantly, we see that there is such a dynamic growth, that this work shows its results.

Today we will present the results of the quality of life rating, [and the results of] the investment rating [will be presented] traditionally within the framework of the St. Petersburg Investment Forum [SPIEF].

What is also important, Mr Putin, is that we are working with the regions to develop separate programs, growth points and their rates in the field of technology and creative industries – in fact, the new economy that should provide a breakthrough for the socio-economic development of the regions. And here, also on behalf of Maxim Stanislavovich Oreshkin, somewhere together with him personally, we went to the regions, met with business, with the regional team, also conducted such focus groups, surveys, and strategic sessions in order to determine in what areas such projects could be implemented.

And thank you, I know that in some regions, such as the Khabarovsk Territory, North Ossetia, Ryazan Region, Mordovia, you have already given appropriate instructions to support the implementation of these projects. We do not stop this work, we have 20 regions in the support format today, and we hope that this year we will also be able to show you already promising projects for the development of regional economies. Today, our colleagues will also tell us about one of these projects.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, you have set the task of supporting Russian business in terms of promoting our Russian brands. We will already have time to hold such a competition this year within the framework of the forum "Strong Ideas". Together with the expert council, Igor Ivanovich [Shuvalov], and our colleagues, we will determine the selection criteria for what these projects should be. Of course, together with the Government, with Andrey Ramovich Belousov, and Maxim Stanislavovich [Oreshkin], we will work out what support measures need to be adjusted, and what new ones may be needed in order to ensure this multiple growth and support the emergence of new Russian brands.

And it is very important, Mr Putin, as you said, that they should not only be competitive within the country and replace the brands that have left, but most importantly, they should be integrated into global markets with friendly countries. And this work is also underway, Mr President, and it doesn't stop. We are actively cooperating with the BRICS countries, the EAEU, and the countries of the Middle East. And last year alone, we also have more than 50 projects that we launched and helped bring to foreign markets. Therefore, I think that in the spring and summer, Mr Putin, we will report to you on the first results and proposals to support such companies.

I would also like to ask the Supervisory Board and you, Mr President, to support and launch another entrepreneurship project-the University of Entrepreneurs program.

There are different opinions about whether entrepreneurship is taught or whether entrepreneurs are born, but we see that it is possible to create conditions, show and teach a lot that will give opportunities, including learning entrepreneurship, starting from the first year in a higher educational institution. We have such examples of university programs that include a natural science part, a socio-humanitarian part, a strong technological or creative component, and an element of business education from the very first year. And here, among other things, customers and teachers are representatives of the industry, and this is built into the educational process in the format of project activities: laboratories, workshops, product thinking, which is taught. In fact, the first startups appear at the university-both the first successes and the first victories, but when you leave the university, you can already come out with a specific team, with a specific product, project, brand. We are ready to work with the Ministry of Science and Education to prepare this approach and such examples of programs. Vladimir Vladimirovich, we discussed this with Falkov, and the Minister supports us.

There is already the first pool of universities that are ready to join this program. These are our strong engineering and technical universities: MIPT, ITMO, St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, and Moscow universities. We discussed it with business associations. We are ready to develop these programs, conduct public and professional accreditation, and this year select students who would like to develop in this direction for the first-year bachelor's degree program. It seems to me that this will also create a new galaxy, in general, a new class of such progressors-engineers and entrepreneurs who create new things, offer new ideas, products and brands. Therefore, I think we are also solving this problem here, including massively through education.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, a few more words. I would like to focus on the issues of international cooperation. We are actively working with the EAEU countries – so far in a bilateral format. We have such bilateral agreements with our colleagues from Kazakhstan, we have a common consortium: we just agreed on a joint agenda in terms of improving the business climate, pulling lagging regions to the best. These are also issues of quality of life, training of personnel, and technological development, too. We also agreed to cooperate with our colleagues from Belarus, including Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.

Uzbekistan is not a member of the EAEU, but we also work with our colleagues. You know that they have also created an agency similar to the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, the President also heads the supervisory board, and there is also interaction and cooperation in the field of business climate, quality of life, and personnel training. Last year, a digital textbook of the Russian language for school teachers in Uzbekistan was also presented to our colleagues – this was our joint project. And here, too, we plan to replicate the same projects in other EAEU countries.

Within the framework of the EAEU working group, we agreed to create a consortium of such agencies for the strategic development of countries and a common international platform, where we will coordinate our metrics. Vladimir Vladimirovich, we should not be judged by the world banks, the UN and the OECD, but rather by ourselves identifying the priority areas that are important for us, goals and objectives, common metrics, ratings, indices, practices, projects that will provide us with both an improved investment climate and progress in terms of technological development, and improving the quality of life, including in matters of children's well-being. This is also an agenda that concerns the countries today, and we are ready to cooperate on it. It has been agreed with the Ministry of Economic Development, and we are also working together with Maxim Reshetnikov.

And of course, everyone is concerned about tomorrow, Mr Putin, and we are also conducting such expert work on your behalf with Andrey Ramovich Belousov and Igor Ivanovich Shuvalov. Our expert council, experts in various fields, is involved here.

Today we are projecting a vision of Russia as a subject of global development by 2040. Here, we prepare proposals for specific areas and scenarios, and what trends and threats do we see? These are issues of economy, technology, health, space, and demography, which is very important. Mr President, we will be ready to present our proposals to you at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, if you also support such work.

There are many challenges, Mr President. All, probably, and it is not necessary to tell in the framework of the supervisory board. I think that we are always in touch with our members of the Supervisory Board. Our colleagues are helping us very much, Mr Putin. There is not a single manager who would not help us today in various projects and initiatives where we move together.

Once again, I would like to thank everyone and, most importantly, you for the support that you always give us, for supporting the projects that we present to you. Mr President, we are not ashamed of the results we are achieving. I will be glad if the guys also tell us about their projects further.

Vladimir Putin:Good.

I won't go into everything you've touched on right now. One of the last things that I think is very important is ratings, ratings, and so on.

Of course, using everything that is "on the side" is not always correct, but it is important for us to ensure the objectivity of these assessments. It is very difficult to evaluate yourself, if at all possible.

How do you expect to ensure the objectivity of these assessments? These should be independent assessments, that's what's important.

S. Chupsheva: Here we say that we are absolutely open – not only within the framework of the EAEU, but we see the prospect of cooperation with the BRICS countries, the SCO, and the Middle East, so that we can work together to develop criteria and metrics that will help us see what changes are possible and what growth points, what do we look like in relation to each other, where are our strengths, so that we can also share best practices and solutions, and how do we do this internally in the regions?

Here, of course, it is conditional who the operator will be, who will be this structure that will evaluate-this, of course, must be some independent organization. Of course, this is not an ASI.

Vladimir Putin: There should be independent experts.

Good. Let's listen to our dear guests, as you said. Natalia Vadimovna, please.

Natalia Polyanskova: Hello, Mr President, dear members of the Supervisory Board!

I am a teacher, scientist, head of the Department of Regional Economics and Management of Samara State University of Economics.

Vladimir Putin: Samara is a small town.

N. Polyanskova: Yes.

I graduated from this university and have been working there for almost a quarter of a century.

Working with the Agency for Strategic Initiatives on many projects, I actively participated in the implementation of the National Social Initiative. I was selected in the Agency's open competition for the position of regional service commissioner.

Service commissioners are people who help establish communication between a person and the state in the social sphere. And their main task is to make the process of obtaining services for a person as simple as possible.

During the course of six months, together with a team of regional service representatives, we have been practicing a new and effective service design technology, which, in fact, includes principles and methods that are understandable to anyone: for example, empathy, mutual understanding and love for people, the need to build a lively dialogue, and constantly receive feedback. And when using this approach, in fact, the person's path from the problem to the solution becomes easier and clearer.

Together with the authorities, we analyzed people's problems and pains at every step of their life, tried to improve their interaction with social services, removed barriers and made systematic decisions. And following the results of the accelerator, our Governor Dmitry Igorevich Azarov appointed me as an adviser on improving the quality of social services. Together with the agency's mentors, regional ministries, public organizations, businesses, and active citizens, we worked through such important life situations as Svetlana Vitalyevna noted: planning a child, finding a job, losing health, losing a breadwinner, bullying, and domestic violence.

But I would like to focus in more detail on the decisions made in the Samara region in two life situations: preparation and retirement and return to peaceful life. On the life situation of retirement, we have created a service on the portal of public services of the Samara region that greatly simplifies the provision of services for older citizens both in preparation for retirement and for active longevity. Today, the service allows you to receive 128 federal, regional, and municipal electronic services in the "one-stop shop" mode from more than 50 departments and non-governmental organizations. As a result of the accelerator, our solution was included in the top three finalists.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, I am raising two sons.

Vladimir Putin: Big ones?

Natalia Polyanskova: Yes, they are already big – 19 years and 14 years. They are studying to become specialists in the IT field, and together with me, they are directly immersed in the implementation of the National Social Initiative and are now creating voice bots-assistants for the social services of our region: for the registry, for call centers, for medical organizations.

And another important life situation for our country is the return to peaceful life of participants in a special military operation. In the Samara region, we have created a comprehensive solution and are now implementing it for the pilot category of volunteer Cossacks. For the first time in Russia, a digital platform for the social passport of a serviceman and his family members has been developed and is already functioning, both to identify needs and to provide all the necessary, comprehensive assistance and support.

With the participation of the agency's experts and scientists of the Moscow Psychological and Pedagogical University, an extensive educational program for psychologists to provide emergency assistance to military personnel and their families has been developed and has already started in our region. The Governor of our region has approved a comprehensive interagency action plan to support citizens who have returned from a special military operation. It includes not only social guarantees, rehabilitation and employment, but also the organization of free time.

By the end of the first quarter of this year, we will launch the "Return" service on the portal of public services of the Samara region. It will become a "single window" for both informing and receiving all the necessary services and support measures. And for those citizens who find it more convenient to interact offline, they can contact the My Documents offices or the MFC.

For our returning soldiers, we have organized a seamless path of socialization and adaptation. In each municipality of the Samara region, interaction with a personal curator is provided. A psychological assistance center has been opened, and mobile teams of psychologists have been completed. On the basis of our hospital of war veterans and sanatoriums of the region, an expanded medical examination and comprehensive rehabilitation is currently being conducted for volunteers. And for those participants of the special operation whose health was damaged, we are creating a center in the region that will be responsible for drug supply, rehabilitation and labor adaptation.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, in order to increase people's satisfaction with social services and the quality of life, we ask you, on behalf of all the regions that participated in this huge project, to support the agency's initiative to introduce the institute of regional service commissioners. The Samara Region is ready to share its experience on all pilot solutions for their implementation at the federal level.

Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Natalia Vadimovna, it is clear that when you became an adviser to the governor, there were other administrative opportunities. But where did you start your work in the social sphere? You were just a teacher, weren't you?

Natalia Polyanskova: Of course.

Vladimir Putin: And yet they somehow got into this field of activity. How?

Natalia Polyanskova: Absolutely correct.

I am the head of the Department of Regional Economics and Management. We train personnel specifically for the civil service and municipal service. We have been doing research together with our young scientists and teachers for 20 years, and we have a huge experience in the social sphere here.

It was when we were invited to participate in the implementation of the National Social Initiative that we already had a base. Even when our governor announced the Leadership Strategy for our region, we worked together with all municipalities and, most importantly, with people to develop municipal strategies in our entire region.

Therefore, this is the main area of activity for us.

Vladimir Putin: That is, for you and your colleagues at the university?

N. Polyanskova: And for colleagues.

Vladimir Putin: Did you work together with them?

Natalia Polyanskova: Absolutely correct.

Vladimir Putin: Do you have it all set up somehow-everything you do to rehabilitate our guys returning from the war zone?

Natalia Polyanskova: At present, this issue has been formulated in a comprehensive interagency plan.

Vladimir Putin: Is there such a plan in the region?

Natalia Polyanskova: Yes, it was approved by the governor. We have connected all regional ministries, all municipalities, social protection departments, employment centers, cultural, leisure and sports organizations. So far, there are many such events that have no analogues in the Russian Federation, and we are ready to share them.

Replica: We've been in touch all the time just with people who are coming back.

Vladimir Putin: Maxim Stanislavovich, you can hear everything, right?

Mikhail Oreshkin: Yes.

Vladimir Putin: Then I will ask you to take this part of the work, at least this part, process it accordingly and send it to the Government and the regions with my signature, so that people can get the best and most efficient things from there.

Mikhail Oreshkin: We will definitely do it with Svetlana [Chupsheva].

Natalia Polyanskova: Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much and we wish you every success.

Elena Vladimirovna, please.

Elena Popova: Good afternoon!

Thank you for the invitation and for the opportunity to share the results of your work. As Svetlana Vitalievna said, I can share my personal experience of socialization, motivation and creating an organization that socializes people further in life.

I represent the football sector, in particular the professional football club CSKA. When I was a teenager, I was forced to sit in a wheelchair. I really got into football: when I first got to the stadium in 2005, I realized that I wanted to be a part of it – I want to be not just a fan, but a person who is able to make decisions.

Vladimir Putin: What kind of match was it?

E. Popova: It was CSKA Moscow – Lokomotiv, July 30, 2005. Lokomotiv – CSKA, to be more precise: 3: 2 ended, unfortunately for my club. Yes, it was a strong emotion actually.

Vladimir Putin: But that probably prompted you to start supporting your favorite club.

Elena Popova: At that time, I didn't understand: at that time, CSKA socialized me more, because for some time I was in seclusion, like any person who finds himself in such a situation. When I got there, I realized that I want to be a part of it and not just be a person who comes to football periodically, but a person who can make decisions, be a functionary.

Since 2014, I have been working in football, in particular, I was a member of the working group on organizing the availability of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. This tournament was recognized as the most accessible in the entire history of the event.

Also in 2018, with the support of PFC CSKA, I opened the first fan club for people with disabilities in our country. At the moment, we have about 200 members from 25 regions of Russia.

PFC CSKA pays great attention to accessibility. Even at the time of designing the VEB Arena football stadium, all the requirements and wishes for people with disabilities were taken into account, and in 2019 the stadium received an award from the Moscow Government as the most affordable stadium.

The stadium has all the necessary services for people with disabilities to comfortably watch the match. For example, CSKA became the first club in Russia to introduce audio-descriptive commentary for blind and visually impaired viewers and other services provided by the club. They are important for a person to gradually socialize in society, regularly come to matches and feel on an equal footing with other people who do not have a disability.

Another important aspect of socialization is the organization of away matches. We help children travel around Russia, show them that there is affordable transport, affordable hotels, services and stadiums. In this way, the guys expand their capabilities and boundaries. In the future, this becomes not only the interest of attending football matches, but also other areas: subsequently, people get an education and find official employment.

Understanding that there are many people with disabilities in Russia, in the regions of Russia, who love football, in particular CSKA, and understanding how difficult it can be for them to travel, we help them come to Moscow and fulfill their dream of attending a home match. We organize trips for people with, say, mild, inconspicuous disabilities, as well as for severe forms of disability, for example, with almost complete paralysis of the body.

An important aspect of integration is interaction with fans without disabilities. By regularly holding inclusive events, we break down stereotypes and beliefs about people with disabilities.

Also, with regular informational support from PFC CSKA, we are approached by the club's partners and sponsors in order to employ people with disabilities. Several guys from our club have already received official employment and stable wages in top companies.

It is important to note that all of the above activities are not worth much investment. This is a small, so to say, blow to the budget of the club and the organization as a whole, rather it is more a moment of attitude, sensitivity, attention, including from the management and management of the organization.

I will give you an example of interaction with the business community. In 2021, the Red-Blue Community Autonomous Non-Profit Organization for Sports Development was organized among fans from the business sector, which together with the club implements charity projects. For example, in 2021, an inclusive football team for children with cerebral palsy was organized. Now 15 children are involved in it, and they are coached by Paralympic champions. Despite the short period of existence of this team, the guys are already consistently taking first and second places in tournaments.

There is also active support for orphanages. In January of this year, a tournament was held in Moscow among orphans with disabilities from six regions of Russia.

Using the example of PFC CSKA, I would like to appeal and encourage more companies and organizations to implement inclusive projects, so that this becomes the organization's mission not only at the state level, but also at the level of companies in various sectors of the economy. As I said earlier, it doesn't cost much, but it will lead to really big indicators, to results that will not be long in coming.

Svetlana Vitalyevna has already mentioned the ASI's inclusive project "Open for All!", which aims to create a community of inclusive businesses. It has already been joined by more than 100 companies, [they] are actively working in this direction. I think it is very important that as many companies as possible join this project and that creating an inclusive accessible environment becomes an element of the culture and business strategy.

Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Elena Vladimirovna, I understand that the main activity is connected with the CSKA club. How does the agency help you?

Elena Popova: CSKA has signed a contract. This is the first, if I remember correctly, football organization that signed the contract. I give examples of how CSKA implements [projects] to socialize people. I believe that the more such examples there are, the more accessible the environment will be, and the more inclusive the society will be.

Vladimir Putin: Of course.

Tatyana Alekseevna [Golikova], at the intersection of sports and purely social work, there is a topic that Elena Vladimirovna touched upon. A very interesting experience indeed.

Sergey Chupsheva: Mr President, Elena is an ambassador of the Open for All project. There is the state program "Accessible Environment", where the state does a lot just to create an infrastructure of affordable services. It is important for us that business does not do this for some "buns", but that it is their culture, business.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, last year we proposed an open national inclusive contract, where the company owner or director assumes public obligations to create such infrastructure, to employ disabled people, and to produce products and services that are accessible to people with disabilities.

Last year we had 109 such companies – Russian Railways, Sberbank, Magnit, Beeline, and VKontakte. Small design bureaus, pharmacies, cafes, hotels join in. It is very important that they publicly say what they will do this year, and during the year our ambassadors check, watch, share and share their experience.

We want to have a thousand such companies this year, so that people with disabilities can travel and attend football matches, and businesses count on this not only as charity or CSR programs [of corporate social responsibility], but also as their own capitalization, and see people with disabilities as their potential customers, for which they can help people with disabilities. they also work.

Vladimir Putin: What Elena Vladimirovna said is more than just creating this inclusive, barrier-free environment. As she correctly said, here the costs are small from companies, from clubs, and the return can be large. It is quite a multi-faceted job-at the intersection of sports and purely social work.

Tatyana Alekseevna, we should use this more actively, talk to our colleagues, and implement this experience more widely.

Tatyana Golikova: Good afternoon, Vladimir Vladimirovich!

Good. You remember that when we met with disabled people, you already gave similar instructions. We are currently working in this direction, on its implementation.

We are talking about attracting business. But, of course, we also offered appropriate subsidies to businesses – we are currently working on this issue. But if it is possible to do this without state involvement, that would be even better. We will be happy to take what has already been said as a practical matter and perhaps even take it into account now when finalizing the resolution that we are preparing as part of your assignment.

Vladimir Putin: Well, that's exactly what I had in mind. Thank you very much.

And we congratulate you all on your birthday.

Tatyana Golikova: Thank you, Mr President.

Vladimir Putin: Elena, thank you.

Please, let's move on.

Andrey Pavlovich [Davidyuk], please.

Alexey Davidyuk: Good afternoon, Mr President, colleagues!

My name is Andrey Davidyuk, I am the general director of the company "Motorika". Motorika is a Russian developer and manufacturer of robotic prosthetic arms.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, you may remember that in 2016, at the forum of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives at VDNH, you met with a girl named Ksenia, who was one of the first to receive our prosthetic leg with a skipping rope attachment.

Vladimir Putin: Yes.

A. Davidyuk: Now she is 13 years old, she is studying at a math school, is engaged in swimming, and is a candidate for master of sports. He already uses our robotic prosthesis. She asked me to say hi and show you this photo.

Vladimir Putin:I remember.

Alexey Davidyuk:I have just one of the samples with me, one of the robotic models that we are already actively implementing and delivering.

In 2015, our company started as a technology startup. Since then, we have reached a technological level that corresponds to the world's leading companies in the field of prosthetics. Our children's prostheses are still a unique product for the global industry. Thanks to the support of the state and the work of the heads of regions, our products are now available throughout the country. For people with disabilities, it is provided at the expense of the state budget.

We design and manufacture prosthetics ourselves, perform rehabilitation and teach them how to use them. We created a service network based on our partners all over the country and opened our own service centers in Moscow and Barnaul. At the same time, we have export ambitions. Users of our products live in 14 countries. Last year, we opened offices in India and Malaysia. We are active in the Eurasian Economic Union and the Middle East.

We attach great importance to localization, and at the moment we place components for products-orders – on the territory of Russia, so far with the exception of micro-motors and some microchips. In 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, with our expert participation, launched a project to develop design documentation and then launch a series of these micro motors, which, of course, will be in demand and useful in the field of prosthetics, but, more importantly, in all robotics.

We have been implementing a research project in the field of neurotechnology for several years. We do this to create a feedback system in the prosthesis. The presence of such a system will allow the consumer to feel the object held by the prosthesis, and this is done thanks to the implanted neurostimulator.

We used imported neurostimulants, but now we are developing our own. When we put it into mass production, then domestic medicine will have the opportunity to apply the most modern, world-class methods and methods of treating many neurodegenerative diseases. This is a new direction for us, but we understand what to do and how to achieve success.

In 2022, we decided to continue developing our business in Russia, develop the company in Russia, and together with our current investors, we decided to transfer our corporate legal structure to Russia. And this month we are completing the transfer of the structure from Ireland to Russian Island, the city of Vladivostok. This was made possible by the recently adopted Federal Law on International Companies and International Funds.

Vladimir Putin: Are the conditions suitable for working on Russian Island? What is missing there?

A. Davidyuk: I will tell you.

Vladimir Putin:Tell. That's why we gathered, I called you.

A. Davidyuk: The startup community is brisk on the rise, full of ideas.

Vladimir Putin: Start-up.

A. Davidyuk: Yes. But at the top of this industry, this is the same industry, there is a need for exits, mergers and acquisitions. And when we start showing this more and more often, it will be an exemplary model for startups who will understand that it is also possible to start a startup in Russia-five, six, seven years, develop it, create a product that is in demand, but then make an exit. And then investors will start entering it, "business angels".

Vladimir Putin: And what is missing?

A. Davidyuk: I will ask you to prepare support measures: to put it bluntly, quite broadly-to create, perhaps, an interregional tax inspectorate that would take into account startups, according to some principle they were selected.

Vladimir Putin: Why?

A. Davidyuk: So that the gradation - who is a startup, who is not a startup-is more obvious.

Vladimir Putin: That is, to ensure that targeted support is provided specifically for the startup.

A. Davidyuk: Yes.

Vladimir Putin: Maxim Stanislavovich, do you hear our dialogue?

Mikhail Oreshkin: Yes, of course.

We'll work it out then, we'll work it out.

Vladimir Putin: I see you're marking something there?

Mikhail Oreshkin: Of course.

Vladimir Putin: It's real from life straight. Fine-tuning doesn't hurt here.

A. Davidyuk: But in general, since 2016, the volume of production and revenue from sales has increased 120 times and in 2022 amounted to more than 600 million rubles. At the same time, we have created the basis for a multiple growth in the production of these products. We see the prospects for market development, we understand the export potential, and we understand the high social significance of this industry.

At the same time, there are currently an order of magnitude fewer small prosthetic enterprises in our country than in the leading countries, with a comparable population. We ask you to instruct the Government to develop support measures for small prosthetic enterprises, which are a very important element of the rehabilitation industry for people with disabilities.

Vladimir Putin: In your opinion, what is the main measure of support?

A. Davidyuk: We are currently working on this with the relevant ministries, and we will prepare proposals in a working order.

Vladimir Putin: Finish this.

A. Davidyuk: Accepted.

Vladimir Putin: Work it out, give it to Svetlana [Chupsheva], and the Administration will get involved. And we will also work with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Development accordingly.

A. Davidyuk: Thank you.

In general, government support measures are working, and our company confirms this.

Vladimir Putin: When will you prepare these proposals?

A. Davidyuk: We will try very hard to do this within two or three months.

Vladimir Putin: Come on, but why two or three months? This is your job. Two or three weeks, I understand you would say, but two or three months is quite a long time.

A. Davidyuk: I wrote down the target date.

In general, of course, support measures work, but, in our opinion, at the same time, the state should create more tools for growth trajectories for such companies-startups and small enterprises. I would ask the Government of the Russian Federation and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives to develop a growth trajectory mechanism that would include programs to scale production, create platforms for promoting and selling products of such start-up and small companies, and support export initiatives.

thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Excellent.

Let's go faster. He said "two or three months" – as if he was working in some ministry. Such an active person with two good educations. How did you manage to get a military education first, then a completely different one – construction, then a third one, right?

A. Davidyuk: Interest.

Vladimir Putin: All right, all right. We are waiting for your suggestions.

Look, the fact that the company comes to Russian Island and generally considers it possible to come there on the terms that are formulated is generally not bad, it already means that you are satisfied with the environment that the Government has created there.

A. Davidyuk: That's right. Moreover, we conduct our research in neurotechnology at the FEFU clinic. And the neurosurgeons who are there, the equipment, allow us to create a product that is already top-end in the world.

Vladimir Putin: We tried to create a really necessary, necessary high level there, so, apparently, this also worked out.

A. Davidyuk: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you and I wish you every success.

Let's work so closely together within the agency, with access to the Government. We need to bring this to the end, finalize it so that it works. It's not just about this startup, but also about others - in this zone.

Great, good. Good luck!

Dmitry Nikolaevich, please give me the floor.

Dmitry Peskov: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, Dear colleagues!

Great discussion. I would like to point out that the corresponding prosthetic feedback technology that was currently being discussed was developed in close partnership with the competence center of the National Technology Initiative at the Far Eastern Federal University. My colleague probably modestly kept silent about this.

Vladimir Putin: No, Dima, he said that.

Dmitry Peskov: I did, didn't I?

Vladimir Putin: Of course.

Dmitry Peskov: It is precisely the growing technology companies that work together with us.

Very briefly about where we have [progressed] in terms of NTI for 2022. We have 12 new markets that we work with, 24 competencies. These are the vast majority of leading universities. We have three centers at Moscow State University, two at Fiztech, Innopolis, St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg University, ITMO, and leading research centers. In other words, we have a large network of cutting-edge products: from prosthetics to UEC gas turbine engines, which are currently being created with our participation. In 2022, we have more than two thousand licenses based on the results of intellectual activity, which were put into operation. We've really moved to the scaling stage. We are no longer talking about prototypes, but about real implementation.

I would like to note that three of our companies recently signed an agreement with the Government of the Russian Federation in separate high-tech areas to create a promising space constellation, energy storage systems and 5G communication systems. That is, they have already signed on a par with the largest state corporations. This is a great honor for us and, of course, a great responsibility.

We are still a large network of such discussions. We have 156 "Boiling Points" across the country, and our data shows that this is a bustling network. Now I've looked at the latest statistics: since the beginning of last year, 46 thousand events have been held online. This is a very large scale, more than 500 thousand unique users took part in them. This is our asset, which we rely on today. We have prepared more than 300 thousand schoolchildren and students on digital technologies, more than 160 drafts of regulatory legal acts, that is, this work is actively underway.

Nevertheless, Mr President, we decided last year, following your support, to focus on the future. A drone project has been launched, and we are asking our ecosystem to focus its activities on this task: it's not time to throw stones, it's time to collect stones. Today, we need to set up this ecosystem and our points, centers, and inets precisely in order to achieve the maximum level of technological breakthrough in this area.

At the same time, we, of course, consider this not just as drones, but as the creation of an air logistics system. We consider Aeronet, which we are creating, to be a direct descendant and, if I may be indiscreet, the heir to the Soviet project to create Aeroflot, whose 100th anniversary we are celebrating right now. In this sense, we believe that in the next ten years our country can go the same way that Soviet Russia went from 1922 to 1935, creating a new branch of the commercial air fleet. Today we have a project of the same scale to create an unmanned air fleet.

The work is underway, moving quickly, several large operators have been created, and we have done a large project with STLC to create such an operator. The Government is working very actively on the formation of a state civil order on its instructions. And we can say that, most likely, we will exceed the initial estimates several times, that is, by 2030 we will have much more than six thousand medium and heavy vehicles that are required today for the economy.

We have started working with leading regions, and with Sergey Semenovich [Sobyanin], a federal center for unmanned aviation is being created at the site of the Rudnevo Industrial Park. A big experiment with Samara, which will be discussed today by colleagues who are present near you. St. Petersburg, Tomsk, Ufa, and Ulyanovsk have joined the extremely active work.

Nevertheless, Mr Putin, we have analyzed the situation and understand that not only ministries and corporations can be customers, but also the regions themselves can be customers of this work and customers for the machines and services that are being created. Therefore, we ask that the regions be instructed to become more actively involved in this work. We have something to offer to any of the 89 regions of the Russian Federation in terms of quality control, as we discussed, in terms of training personnel and in terms of supporting the development of production. And the agency is ready to coordinate such work together with the Government and also put it in the development of the national project. Timing is also, of course, synchronized.

At the end of December, we created the Technological Sovereignty Fund specifically as a venture fund to support the transition to production of projects and startups. Today we are negotiating agreements and discussions with major banks, and we discussed options for joint work on financing the development of production facilities in this area with German Oskarovich [Gref].

Of course, the key shortage is personnel, an incredible shortage in the industry, which is why we have Robert Nailevich Urazov and Daniil Romanovich Paderin here today. Robert Nailevich has a suggestion on how to deploy the best international practices transfer system. Daniil Romanovich represents today's largest public project "Cyberdrome" for training drone operators, which is just supported by the Moscow Government in its deployment at the Rudnevo industrial site.

Therefore, while recognizing our overall success and preserving the NTI ecosystem, we ask you to focus as much as possible on one strategic direction - namely, the creation of the unmanned aviation industry.

I finished my report.

Vladimir Putin: All right, Dmitry Nikolaevich, thank you.

But before we turn the floor over to Robert Nailevich, I would like to draw your attention as a person who deals with issues of technological development, and I ask Maxim Stanislavovich [Oreshkin] to also once again return to what the previous speaker, Andrey Pavlovich [Davidyuk], said about components for their products, including microchips.

It is absolutely necessary to discuss all this with the Ministry of Industry and Denis Manturov. Because you see how, communicating with the bureaucratic system, you yourself become a bureaucrat – you need three or four months.Davidyuk] to prepare questions that he has been working on for many years. And why? Because he understands that it is quite difficult to break through our administrative systems those proposals that are directly alive and that require attention from our side right now.

So please help them in this part as well. I understand what this is related to, microchips and microelectronics, it's all clear. Nevertheless, it is also a part of the market for our producers today and tomorrow, and it is also a help for them, because it is a part of the market. Not only space, defense and so on, some other areas – here too. And all is well. We just need to get them together and work together, okay?

Thank you very much.

Please continue the topic by personnel. Robert Nailevich.

R. Urazov: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, Dear members of the Supervisory Board,

I would like to briefly report on the proposals. With your support, Mr President, our country joined the WorldSkills movement in 2012. This gave us not only access to the best standards of the working and engineering professions, but also the opportunity to evaluate our qualification system through our training system.

The first championship in 2013 showed what problems we have at the moment. This was the last place for our country, and we could not find a single young welder who could, on the one hand, work at the world level and even perform the simplest – in fact, difficult – test for making a metal vessel at a pressure of 69 atmospheres.

From that moment on, we took for ourselves the principle of work: either become the best, or learn from the best. We have learned not only to collect the best world practices, create our own standards, but also to prepare at the world level and at the best world level. Let me remind you that we are the current European champions, and at the 2019 World Championship in Kazan, at our home world championship, we took second place.

We have learned how to spread these practices: 30 countries are now cooperating with us in this work. We extend these practices directly to our Russian companies. More than a thousand companies are now in our contour. For example, in the activities of Rosatom, 40 percent of the thousands of children who passed through this system received their professional growth: from a banal promotion to the position of a mentor or manager. It is also used for training vulnerable categories of citizens and the unemployed. According to the results, 86 percent of people find employment, while the planned value in the Government is 75 percent.

And, of course, we have made a big project related to the reform of secondary vocational education. If we talk about the numbers: 42 percent of the students who are graduating now graduated last year, they did not write paper diplomas, but did [passed] real demonstration exams, the same as at the championships. Since this year, Mr President, on your instructions, we have handed over the work, all the developments, all the standards related to secondary vocational education to the Ministry of Education.

Also last year, WorldSkills International, unfortunately, made a political decision to suspend our membership, but was unable to stop international cooperation with countries and, on the other hand, saved us from unnecessary requirements that they sometimes imposed.

Every year we hold a championship for high-tech industries in Yekaterinburg with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Economic Development. It is not students who compete there, but young workers from our largest corporations: Rosatom, Rostec, Russian Railways, Sibur and so on, who are selected as a result of their corporate championships. So last year, Mr Putin, we opened this championship, as they say: on the one hand, we invited countries to participate, and on the other hand, we allowed them to use their own equipment and standards. 16 countries responded to us, such as China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan - mostly Asian countries. These are exactly the countries that win 90 percent of gold medals at world championships, primarily in high-tech industrial competencies. Europe takes a break. So these countries have helped us not only update our own standards in banal welding or, for example, in mechatronics, but also new standards have appeared, for example, in such promising competencies as collaborative robots, reverse engineering, that is, the ability to take from an existing engineering facility, rebuild, and not just rebuild, but improve quantum communications, composite manufacturing.

Last summer, at the ASI forum, you supported the idea and gave instructions to consider creating a new international organization for the development of professions and skills. The Government has worked hard, and the Ministry of Economy has supported this initiative and proposed launching a corresponding program with 30 countries of the SCO, BRICS and EAEU this year, using the funds that were originally used for WorldSkills in our country earlier.

This program involves, on the one hand, the collection of best practices, the formation of advanced standards and, of course, the introduction into the activities of Russian companies, using both the tools of the national project-labor productivity, and directly-by retraining citizens. The Government is currently considering this issue. This will allow us not only to train people, but also to see our strengths and weaknesses, so that we can understand, in simple terms, how the productivity of a particular employee at a factory in our country can be correlated with the productivity of similar countries, including the best in the world.

In addition, Mr Putin, as we said in our opening remarks, the drone industry is one that is developing extremely rapidly and requires the best personnel not only for workers, but also for engineers. Dmitry Nikolaevich has already spoken about the six thousand vehicles that are projected to be built by 2030, which means that we need an appropriate number of quickly trained engineering teams. And not just trained in the form of an engineering degree, but teams that make real products.

One of the examples is the competition that we have already mentioned, the Cyberdrome project, which is supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, supported by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives. It assumes that employees of companies, teams of different ages – schoolchildren, university students-create engineering products together. This year, 124 teams from different regions were selected for the final, and there are even representatives of teams from educational organizations and law enforcement agencies. They solve, for example, such engineering problems as physically capturing one drone with another, as an eagle captures a bird. For example, solving such a problem as calling for an [emergency] case-God forbid, something happens to a person, an SOS button is triggered in the car,and so that the drone can automatically take off, assess the situation and return feedback with the necessary help.

In addition, we have a number of projects that work in the same direction. This is, for example, the Dronnitsa project, in which we train operators to use drones for special tasks, including fighters. This includes flying robotics as part of the National Technology Olympiad, which allows our students to create new drones.

In general, the drone industry is distinguished by the fact that it is extremely talent-centric. The more talent involved in this industry, the faster it develops, the higher our chances of becoming a true leader in this world.

That is why, Mr Putin, when designing a national project, we would suggest that we should not proceed from previous experience, not look at how the industry developed a year ago, two years ago, but look at the image of the future. And what do we need for this? We need to involve as many talented people as possible, and to translate this into numbers: we need to train at least 100 thousand people as professionals and involve about a million annually.

Mr President, please support this approach.

Thanks.

Vladimir Putin: Of course, Robert Nailevich, everything is correct, and everything you have said is absolutely necessary and will be supported.

You remembered the search for welders. I also remember this very well – at the Power of Siberia facility, where Alexey Miller, head of Gazprom, observed the work of welders and said that they were looking for welders all over the country and almost all over the world, and they were returning them from abroad, because, unfortunately, welders of this level are not very good here In fact, at that time, in any case, there was very little. Of course, you need to do this systematically. In fact, we talk about it all the time.

I noticed this. When you spoke just now, you said this phrase: in other countries, the best in the world – and then went through the text. The best country in the world is Russia. I hope that you misspoke simply. But the truth is, we have a lot to work on. And in order to work effectively, we need, of course, highly qualified personnel, and this is the most important area of our activity. Therefore, all your initiatives in this regard will, of course, be supported.

Thank you very much.

End of Part One.