What to Expect at SPIEF 2023: St. Petersburg Gears Up to Host Annual Global Forum
© Sputnik . Pavel Bednyakov
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The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is one of the most prominent platforms for a broad range of discussions on the Russian economy and global issues. Last year's event drew over 14,000 participants from 130 countries, with around 695 agreements signed to the tune of roughly 5.6 trillion rubles ($66.8 Bln).
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), a unique global economic and business event, will be held from June 14 to 17, 2023.
A vast amount of topics will be taken up by the ever-expanding number of participants attending SPIEF, ranging from how the pivot to a multipolar world presents new international cooperation arrangements, to de-dollarization, the future of money, and the global race for supremacy in artificial intelligence (AI).
SPIEF Explained
SPIEF, from its debut in 1997, has been increasingly gaining clout as a leading global platform for communication between members of the business community, with its focus on key economic issues facing Russia, emerging markets, and the entire world. Since 2006, it has been hosted under the auspices, and with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This year, given the turbulent events unfolding across the globe, with the ever-increasingly emerging contours of a multipolar world, SPIEF is a "single space of trust with equal opportunities for all economic entities in the world," said Anton Kobyakov, executive secretary of the SPIEF Organizing Committee.
Where's SPIEF Set to Be Held?
Based on the Russian government's determination, since its inception, the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has been hosted by the city, which is a major gateway for trade, a financial and industrial hub, and a municipality boasting the unofficial status of Russia's cultural capital.
The second-largest city in Russia, founded in 1703 by Czar Peter I (Peter the Great) as the "window to the West," or "the window to Europe," St. Petersburg has always been a mecca for tourists, with its iconic historical attractions like the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, St. Isaac's Cathedral, and many others.
Specifically, the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre form SPIEF's venue.
Participants visit the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), at the ExpoForum convention and exhibition centre in Saint Petersburg, on June 15, 2022.
© AFP 2024 OLGA MALTSEVA
Who's Attending SPIEF?
Six bilateral business events are planned within the forum's framework, in the form of business dialogues with foreign partners from the Arab world, India, China, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), ASEAN, Latin America, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In addition, the United Arab Emirates will join SPIEF as a special guest. This status provides the country with a range of privileges, such as an expanded pavilion for a national fair and various tools to attract potential investors. The annual economic forum has only one guest country per year.
Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz will take part in the 26th session of SPIEF. Also invited is Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik.
Events Scheduled for SPIEF 2023
SPIEF will encompass a Business program, a Youth program, an SME Forum (cooperation among Russian and international small and medium-sized businesses), a Drug Security Forum, a Creative Business Forum, an Innovation Space event, SPIEF Sport Games, and partner events.
On the first day of SPIEF, the Russian Forum of Small and Medium Enterprises will do a balancing act with workshops, pitch sessions, failure stories, and TED Talks, while pursuing practice-oriented interaction between business and government.
Within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the SPIEF Investment & Business Expo exhibition will traditionally offer those taking part a chance to swap experiences and engage in fruitful dialogue. One can expect presentations of promising Russian and foreign projects, a demonstration of B2B (business-to-business) solutions and technologies by companies, and so on.
President Vladimir Putin's Speech at SPIEF-2023
As in previous years, Russia's head of state, President Vladimir Putin, will speak on the sidelines of SPIEF and take part in the plenary session. The Russian leader will personally attend the forum.
What's SPIEF's 2023 Agenda?
The chief slogan for SPIEF 2023 will be "Sovereign Development" as a foundation for a just world. The program will incorporate over 150 sessions, master classes, and business meetings.
Participants will discuss the development of Russia's economy in today's reality, when it faces sweeping sanctions by a conglomerate of US-led Western nations over the Ukraine crisis. Social priorities in Russia's domestic policy will be addressed, with the primary objective being "The Prosperous Man."
The forum's opening day will focus on such issues as boosting technological sovereignty, and how to best use education and science to respond to new challenges in the labor market. A fascinating, unprecedented project will also take the spotlight – Russia's road freight transport project called "Unmanned Logistics Corridors.” It is bound to trigger a heated debate on how to address the long-term challenge of unmanned technologies.
Discussions will also focus on the world economy at a time of tremendous upheavals. "Language of Diplomacy in a Multipolar World" is one of the topics on the agenda. Participants will look at new arrangements of international cooperation emerging, export-import transactions that could serve to facilitate economic, financial, humanitarian, and cultural integration among friendly states.
At this point, partnerships in the sphere of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) bloc in the new economic reality will be discussed.
As flaws of the dollar-centric financial system grow increasingly apparent, and amid the reserve currency - the greenback - becoming geopolitically weaponized, forum participants will debate how plausible a transition is in global trade towards a fundamentally new "supranational currency," besides increasing the use of local currencies in trade.
Among the events will be a Drug Security Forum, which will be attended by members of pharmaceutical companies.
It is interesting to note that the Roscongress Foundation ahead of the New Year invited citizens and the expert community to contribute to shaping the SPIEF 2023 program on the crowdfunding platform "Powerful Ideas for a New Era."
Participants walk in front of a large screen displaying the logo of Russia's energy giant Gazprom during the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum (SPIGF) in Saint Petersburg on September 15, 2022.
© AFP 2024 OLGA MALTSEVA
Artificial Intelligence at SPIEF 2023
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become quite the buzz term these days, so it is little wonder that it will be featured at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 16.
How and when will AI impact the labor market? How will the introduction of new AI tools change the economy? How could AI technologies enable Russia to utilize its potential? These are just some of the hot topics set to be taken up at SPIEF 2023.
Another event to look out for will be a chess competition featuring AI.
Sergey Karjakin, the world rapid chess and blitz chess champion, and World Cup winner from Azerbaijan, Teimour Radjabov, will be competing against 12 forum participants with the assistance of the Russian Mendeleev Chess program. What sets this Russian IT product apart from existing programs is the integration of artificial intelligence. Named after eminent chemist Dmitry Mendeleev, the neural network has been taught the rules of chess, and, will be offering amateur players hints on every other move. The competition will transpire at the pavilion dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Russia's Ministry of Sport at the ExpoForum.
The 25th edition of Russia's flagship economic forum, SPIEF 2022, welcomed 14,000 participants from 130 countries, including 79 countries with official representation. That said, 695 agreements were concluded, worth 5.6 trillion rubles ($66.8 billion). The city of St. Petersburg alone secured about 500 billion worth of contracts at the forum, Mayor Alexander Beglov said. He lauded the forum taking place internationally despite "the pressure exerted by Western countries, including the United States."
The forum has also become a major platform for cutting-edge products, and 2022, despite Western sanctions, was no exception. Exhibition stands belonging to Russian companies and regions showcased the newest Russian cars, robots, and many other technological wonders.
A robotic dog displayed at a session within the framework of the XXV St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2023.
© Sputnik . Pavel Bednyakov
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