Mikhail Mishustin: “Our plans call for launching industrial mega-projects in a number of sectors over the next two years, above all in the processing industry, in order to award contracts for developing and introducing critical technologies.”
Strategic session on industrial development
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Good afternoon, colleagues,
The President has emphasised the need to strengthen the technological sovereignty of our country in the conditions of external sanctions.
The creation of entirely new approaches towards developing top-priority high-tech products is the result of joint work involving the Government, the regions, businesspeople and the expert community.
All of them laid the foundation for a draft technological development concept for the next eight years. The Government will approve this document in the near future.
Our plans call for launching industrial mega-projects in a number of sectors over the next two years, above all in the processing industry, in order to award contracts for developing and introducing critical technologies. It is necessary to focus the entire state support system on implementing these technological projects.
The President has set the task of finding mechanisms that would help expand the processing industry’s production volumes, as well as its share in the gross domestic product (GDP).
In 2022, the Government reactivated a wide range of state support tools in order to prevent a substantial production slump. They helped enterprises create new logistics chains and reduce their dependence on imported equipment, components and software. Most importantly, they helped retain jobs, skilled specialists and existing expertise.
Using the Industrial Development Fund, we have stepped up financing on preferential terms for high-tech projects, including localisation of automotive component manufacturing, as well as components for agricultural machinery, equipment for the chemical industry, the medical industry and pharmaceuticals.
Strategic session on industrial development
Thanks to the fund’s additional capitalisation to the tune of almost 120 billion roubles, a record number of loans were issued last year.
More than 43 billion roubles was allocated to replenish the working capital of backbone enterprises.
We have also approved over 160 research and development projects, including those in medium- and small-scale chemical companies. More than 35 billion roubles will be allocated for their implementation by the end of next year.
As part of the reverse engineering strategy, more than a hundred projects were financed to the tune of almost 4 billion roubles in total. They are channeled to create new production facilities to turn out the most important components, including in the emerging engineering development centres, seven of which are already operating. They specialise in the most promising areas, for example, in electrochemical energy.
In line with the President’s instructions, the Government is now taking additional measures that will help significantly increase the amount of private funds being attracted for the production of priority industrial products.
Investments should total at least 10 trillion roubles over the next eight years, including 2 trillion or more as soon as this year.
With this aim in view, the mechanism of cluster investment platforms was launched at the end of March. It envisages the provision of long-term loans at a reduced rate. Over the past month, eight projects worth about 220 billion roubles have already been approved. More than 40 projects are under consideration. Their volume is estimated at 1.3 trillion roubles.
Just a few days ago, the Government extended the programme for providing state guarantees for the support of industry, increasing the funding by a third. This will increase the investment attractiveness in addressing the most acute tasks, including upgrading production capacity.
Let me also remind you that since April we have expanded the scope of the industrial mortgage programme for the construction, upgrade and renovation of factories. We have also increased the volume of planned subsidies for the current year to 1.35 billion roubles.
Now, let’s talk about a new important decision. Very soon, we will relaunch the federal project to step up the machine-tool industry and increase its production potential. Our goal is to establish our own production of all the necessary equipment, tools, and components that are not inferior to world standards.
At the same time, the method for calculating the relevant indicators will be applied for the first time for an accurate and objective assessment of the level of technological sovereignty. This approach can be extended to other industries eventually.
Even today we see that Russian enterprises, with the exception of some sectors, are passing the test of sanctions quite successfully. They are completing their adaptation to operating in the new, difficult conditions. They begin to increase production. This means that the measures taken by the President and the Government are proving their effectiveness.
Considering new challenges and goals, it is now necessary to update the Consolidated Strategy for the Development of the Manufacturing Industry.
The Government expects to complete this work in the near future.
According to preliminary estimates, the growth of production volumes in this segment will be about 1 percent by the end of the year.
I am asking the ministers of industry, trade and economic development to follow the dynamics of this indicator. The President’s instructions must be fulfilled unconditionally.
As I said in my report to the State Duma, it is necessary to achieve stablisation in the industrial production index in the next few years. We expect it to grow next year.
Colleagues!
I suggest setting key goals and priority development areas for manufacturing industries at our meeting today, with a focus on medical and pharmaceutical sector – I would like to ask Tatyana Golikova to report on this separately. And in general, we will consider the entire possible range of measures and activities necessary to achieve the goals set by the President in this area.
