Business programme 2025

The Northern Sea Route, the main artery of the Arctic, plays a crucial role in the development of key settlements. But what is life like in these communities, from regional governors to small-town leaders, from business representatives to development institutions that lay the groundwork for enterprises both large and small? How effective are strategic initiatives aimed at improving living and business conditions while accounting for the Arctic’s unique climate? How will the master plans developed for key settlements contribute to the macroregion’s growth? And to what extent do these initiatives align with the priorities of the people who live and work there?

Russia’s federal law on northern supply chains came into force one year ago. The strategic goal of the new law is to reduce the cost of essential goods for the population. The northern territories that are receiving such supplies experience extremely difficult natural and climatic conditions. Multi-stage logistics results in long delivery times, the risk of supply disruptions, and increased prices for goods delivered to the north. Moreover, in the current economic conditions, the cost of debt financing has increased substantially, which also leads to higher prices for essential goods. What state support measures are needed to reduce the costs of purchasing and delivering goods to the north? Are budget-funded loans currently being provided? Are there plans to introduce preferential tariffs in the northern territories where such goods are delivered? What areas need to be optimized for supply logistics? How will this affect the speed and cost of delivery?

Even though projects in the Russian Arctic have a major impact on the global economy, they also pose potential risks for fragile ecosystems and vulnerable communities, in particular Indigenous peoples who live in harsh natural and climatic conditions, while preserving and leading traditional lifestyles and economic activities. This requires the introduction of special systemic measures to protect the native habitat of such peoples. To prevent these risks, an open and honest dialogue is needed between all stakeholders – government bodies, industrial companies, and associations of Indigenous peoples. An effective solution would be to harmonize the mandatory and voluntary measures taken by the authorities and businesses to ensure environmental safety and the sustainable development of Indigenous peoples.

Russia’s Arctic zone is a unique territory that has a combination of natural resources, economic potential, and amazing, strong-willed people. Fortitude is one of the key features that distinguishes graduates and cadets of the Muravyov-Amursky 2030 civil service management training programme. The discussion will primarily focus on the problem of recruiting, training, and retaining highly-skilled professionals in areas that have harsh climates and are far away from large urban centres. The session participants will discuss the approaches used by regional management when ready-made solutions cannot be applied and examine modern challenge management training methods and programmes, as well as advanced tools and time-tested methods that have proven their effectiveness. They will pay special attention to the approaches and applied tools used in educational programmes that combine deep regional immersion with growth in professional and personal skills. How can we develop intellectual and complex types of digital activities based on raw materials? How can we attract skilled professionals to the Arctic zone and create a generation of managers who are capable of solving problems instead of just eliminating symptoms? How can we adopt and transform Russian management experience based on the specifics of these territories? Considering that the stable development of human capital is the key to the future of the region, the discussion about training young specialists to work in situations of uncertainty is one of the most pressing topics of the session.