As part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Creative Industries Forum will be held for the first time on 21 June. Previously, it was held at leading business venues in Russia as the Creative Business Forum. Its main theme is ‘Partnerships and Collaboration: Shaping a Sustainable Future.’ The event is organized by the Innosocium Foundation, the Sociocreative Platform of the Roscongress Foundation.
“Creative industries are among the fastest growing sectors of the Russian economy. Their contribution to the country’s GDP in 2024 was 4.1%. The unified plan for achieving the national development goals of the Russian Federation until 2030 and beyond to 2036 sets the target of increasing this figure to 6%. The Creative Industries Forum will be held for the first time under a new name and in a new format. The platform will help figure out how to get there by supporting creative projects, bringing tech into creative and production processes, and growing the industry’s export potential. I am convinced that professional dialogue will help develop new productive approaches to the development of the creative industry in Russia,” said Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the SPIEF Organizing Committee.
The Forum programme will include 15 thematic sessions dedicated to the future of content and media in the context of adaptation to new formats, the impact of artificial intelligence on creative industries, the economy of the creative sector, and the role of cultural heritage in the modern world.
The discussions will be attended by representatives of government authorities, leading domestic and foreign content producers, creative industry leaders and experts. Among them are Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation; Tatyana Ilyushnikova, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation; Roman Karmanov, CEO of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives; Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director General of the State Hermitage Museum; Svetlana Chupsheva, Director General of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects; Irada Zeynalova, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Mauritius; Anton Volodkin, Director General of Wink; Alexey Goreslavsky, Director General of the Internet Development Institute; Svetlana Balanova, CEO of National Media Group; Sofya Mitrofanova, CEO of MTS Media; Timur Vainshtein, Deputy CEO and Executive Producer of NTV; Artem Mikhalkov, Executive Producer of 1-2-3 Production;
Konstantin Bogomolov, Stage and Artistic Director of the Moscow Drama Theatre on Malaya Bronnaya; Alexander Tsypkin, writer and screenwriter; Abdulwhed Alabdlee, founder and Chairman of the Board of the Saudi Arabian Animation Association; Sara Bolzani, a sculptor (Italy); Nila Madhab Panda, Producer and Director (India); and others.
“The Creative Industries Forum is a unique platform that brings together creativity, technology and business. This year, we will discuss content for teenagers, the hype economy, the industrialization of music, the export of audiovisual content, education for creative leaders, collaboration and brand sustainability, among other topics. All these areas are linked by a common goal: to turn ideas into capital while preserving cultural values and adapting to the challenges of the digital age. Creative industries are not just about art, but also a powerful driver of economic growth and social change,” shared Elena Marinina, Deputy CEO of the Roscongress Foundation and Chairman of the Board of the Innosocium Foundation.
The SPIEF 2025 business programme will also include six sessions dedicated to creative industries. Participants will discuss issues of cultural identity, shaping the image of the future, the social agenda for business, and other topics.
In addition, the SPIEF will feature a pavilion dedicated to the ‘Soul of Russia’ project, which is being implemented by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives. The pavilion will showcase start-ups and enterprises from across Russia that are reviving, supporting and developing contemporary art, crafts, and industry.
Visitors will enjoy successful projects from the creative industries, including the new ‘Khokhloma’ collection by Alena Akhmadullina and boxes from the Fedoskino Lacquer Miniature Factory. Also works by the distinguished Russian artist and sculptor Dashi Namdakov will be on display. Her pieces are imbued with ancient nomadic myths and the timeless wisdom of the East, and embodied in contemporary sculpture.
The venue will host the award ceremony for the winners of the 7th Innosocium All-Russian Student Social Projects Competition, discussions, public talks, a pitch session for creative projects, an open mic event ‘NPO Day at SPIEF’, as well as a cyber session moderated by a humanoid robot and other events.
The Creative Industries Forum was previously known as the Creative Business Forum. The renaming reflects the expansion of the existing platform’s concept to focus on a broader range of creative industries, including new areas such as digital technologies, media and others. In 2021–2024, more than 200 sessions were held at Russia’s leading economic forums as part of the Creative Business Forum programme, with the participation of over 600 leading international and Russian experts.
As a result, regional and departmental decisions were made to support creative industries, co-production agreements were signed, initiatives were launched to include them in new national projects, and plans were developed to implement the Regional Standard for the Development of Creative Industries in Russian regions.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will be held this year from 18 to 21 June.
