General Forum Information

On 8 June 2018, Kursk city will host the SEVENTH CENTRAL RUSSIAN ECONOMIC FORUM which will bring together several thousand professionals and experts. Delegations from the regions of Central Russia and partner countries will traditionally participate in the Forum.

The theme of the 7th CEF Forum, TOWARDS A KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY, will follow up the discussions inspired by the previous forums addressing the human capital, preservation of heritage for future generations, breakthrough technologies and digital transformation, economic and food supply security, interregional cooperation and lots of other topical issues.

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY is an economy where the main development momentum comes from knowledge and innovations. In an emerging knowledge economy, the role of knowledge as a production factor increases, as it has a significant impact on skills, training, organization and innovations.

The traditional economic sectors such as manufacturing industry, agriculture, construction, services, retail have largely taken shape. Production assets are distributed, existing industrial relations refined, infrastructure developed, markets partitioned. Entering these markets requires significant capital injections which most likely do not pay off – which makes attracting investors in the region a hard job. At best, existing production capacities can be expanded or captive service companies set up at large holdings.

A truly in-demand niche today is not production of conventional goods, but generation of new technologies, competencies and knowledge. The economy requires increasingly more intangible products. For any enterprise, today’s competitive edge depends on the use of advanced technologies based on scientific achievements. Knowledge becomes the most sought-after resource.

Even today, far from simply manufacturing goods, companies maximize earnings by implementing breakthrough scientific discoveries, developing technologies, creating new materials. It is no coincidence that many major Western enterprises restructure their business models leaving only the process development function for themselves but outsourcing actual production.

How can regions of Central Russia build themselves into a knowledge economy?

The economic development brings about changes to the way assets are normally valued. Knowledge outstrips material wealth in value. Production of knowledge remains a largely unoccupied niche in which the economy of Central Russia can and should develop. Competitive advantages here include intellectual capital, well-established cultural traditions, and top-quality education.

The economic progress of Central Russia may be fueled by knowledge-based production. Human capital and knowledge can transform the economy becoming its core value.

Kursk region benefits from high-quality human resources. It ranks third in the Central Federal district after Moscow and Moscow region and thirteenth in Russia in the percentage of employees with academic degrees. The region’s higher education institutions teach almost 500 specialists per 10,000 residents every year, the fourth best result in Russia. A powerful educational cluster has been created and is successfully operating in Kursk. Together with the scientific potential, innovations and HR resources, it can lay a foundation for building a knowledge economy in the region.

CEF 2018 Forum has the following goals and objectives:

Boost investments in creating intangible values for the regions of Central Russia; work out proposals for encouraging investments in the knowledge economy.
Demonstrate the potential of human capital of Central Russia to investors.
Propose development patterns for science in regions.
Launch the development of the educational system as a separate producing sector of the regional economy.
Find ways to solve the issue of continuing education of specialists.
Build local ties between businesses and educational institutions. Bring the requirements of businesses and the public sector for specialists in line with the training of specialists at higher education institutions.
Focus the youth on innovation-driven activities.

The program of CEF 2018 Forum includes the following:

Plenary session: “Moving towards a knowledge economy”
Presentation of innovative solutions of young scientists and entrepreneurs from the Central Federal district. A dialogue with mentors
Strategic session: Integration of science and education. Managing science amidst digitization processes. Development of an educational cluster
Cross-industry session: Regional industrial policy – high technologies, digital infrastructure, in-demand specialists
Foresight session: Youth in a knowledge economy – a smart and comfortable environment. Modeling the future
Expert session: Innovations in Agro-industry
Round table: Small businesses in a knowledge economy – formation of small innovative start-ups
Thematic session: Improving the financial literacy of the population
Discussion panel: Role of the social environment in the formation of forward and creative thinking. The Luntik-Fixik generation and its future
“Science and Innovations”: an exhibition of achievements of scientific organizations, research centers, laboratories and products of innovative enterprises
Exhibition of innovative solutions of young scientists and entrepreneurs from the Central Federal district
“Visions of the Future”: a children’s computer graphics competition