The Avangard SEZ participated in a panel session on industrial cooperation.

On July 24, a panel session entitled “Industrial Cooperation as a Factor in Sustainable Development of Russia and Kazakhstan” was held as part of the 22nd Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum. The session was co-moderated by Mikhail Labudin, Director of the Association of Clusters, Technology Parks, and SEZs of Russia and Chairman of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation for Industrial Development and Competitiveness of the Russian Economy, and Anton Loginov, Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Opening the session, Mikhail Labudin noted that, in the context of changing global production chains, industrial cooperation is becoming the foundation of technological sovereignty and long-term economic stability for both countries.

State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Roman Chekushov and Vice Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Saparbekov presented a strategic perspective on the industrial partnership between the two countries. The parties discussed priority areas that could yield measurable increases in joint production in the near future, as well as barriers that currently hinder the transition from agreements to the implementation of joint projects.

The Avangard SEZ shared its experience in developing industrial clusters and the operation of the Digital Cooperation Platform in conjunction with the SEZ’s preferential regime. Preferential platforms exist in most regions of both Russia and Kazakhstan. In Omsk, the Avangard SEZ is one of the key instruments for developing the region’s industrial potential.

Viktor Sobolev, CEO of the Avangard SEZ Management Company:

“The Avangard SEZ was created in 2020 and was built around industrial cooperation. It was based on a petrochemical complex project, and all potential residents were linked by unified production chains and short logistics routes—products from one processing stage were immediately sent for further processing. Over time, the model has been adjusted, but the fundamental approach has remained. Today, we are developing three areas of business integration: integrating residents into industrial clusters, accommodating participants in existing clusters that lack land or infrastructure, and finding investors to implement investment proposals within the SEZ. An interesting mechanism operates here: the Regional Industrial Development Fund identifies investment niches within established industrial clusters, and the Omsk Region Development and Investment Agency explores these areas, conducting preliminary calculations and market research, resulting in ready-made investment proposals.