On 13 February 2019, the Olympic Park Main Media Centre in Sochi will host Young Enterprise Day as part of the Russian Investment Forum. Young entrepreneurs, students, leaders, and representatives of NGOs from across the country aged 18 to 30 will have the opportunity to discuss key economic and political issues with leaders from the Russian and international business communities. The event also aims to inspire subsequent professional development.
«Young Enterprise Day became a fixture at Roscongress forums. In order to fulfil President Vladimir Putin’s decree, the youth platform is launched across all large-scale events. The economy of the future, reaching its national goals is impossible without working with the young and without creating conditions for youth entrepreneurship. Start-ups, hi-tech enterprises, state-of-the-art designs — that’s the future of our economy that is moulded by the young people today,» said Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, Executive Secretary of the Russian Investment Forum Organizing Committee Anton Kobyakov.
Young Enterprise Day seeks to foster dialogue between young people and the government. Thematic sessions will examine issues related to creating a favourable environment for young entrepreneurs, developing cross-border business ties, and state support for small and medium-sized enterprises. Among those to take part will be representatives of national government bodies, higher education institutions, businesses, NGOs, and volunteer organizations. The programme includes panel discussions, activities focusing on specific themes, and business games.
«The Federal Agency for Youth Affairs places a strong emphasis on encouraging young people to become entrepreneurs. The government has a stake in the development of each and every young person, since each individual’s contribution facilitates national growth and improvement in everybody’s quality of life. Young Enterprise Day will provide additional stimuli for young people to unlock their potential,» said Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Alexander Bugaev.
The day will begin with a networking session, enabling participants to make useful, and indeed essential connections.
Several panel discussions and sessions covering various topics will then be held in parallel as part of the business programme. These will include «Mind the Gap — The Generation Gap in the Labour Market as an Obstacle to the Development of the Russian Economy», «The Cybersports Industry as a Development Path for the IT Industry», and «Volunteering as an Investment in the Country’s Future». The latter of these sessions will see speakers and participants examining what was achieved in 2018, which was designated Year of the Volunteer. They will discuss the contribution made by volunteers in key areas of national development and the Social Activism federal project, which encompassed a programme to improve mobility, promote volunteering, and offer training courses.
An international session entitled «Best Practices in the Development of Modern, Sustainable Cities» will examine global experience and specific projects to achieve sustainable urban development, and the potential to replicate them in Russia. An equally important topic for discussion will be identifying jobs and the skills needed by young people to develop successfully and build an upward personal growth trajectory in the city of the future. A road map for the projects under discussion will be drawn up at the end of the session. There will also be the launch of the Friends of Cities international community, which will seek to share best practices in the interests of future cooperation.
In the middle of the day, all participants will have the opportunity to attend a panel discussion entitled «The Digital World Is Already Here! Are You Ready?» The discussion will be moderated by Andrey Sharov, Vice-President for Small Business Development at Sberbank. Participants and speakers will discuss the potential of financial, political, and educational systems in a digital world; assess the opportunities and risks of a global digital reorientation; and share their views on strengths and weaknesses when it comes to these upcoming changes.
The second half of the day will see discussions take place on the topics «Attracting Investment into the Development of the Digital Economy in Russia — Successful Experiences of Early Investors» and «Developing a Culture of Russian Entrepreneurship». Participants will also be able to try their hand at solving issues in IT entrepreneurship and playing a business game looking at a model for attracting investment.
The day will close with a panel discussion entitled «Developing Young Enterprise in the Context of the National SMEs and Support for Individual Entrepreneurial Initiative Project».
This year’s Russian Investment Forum will also see the Russian Centre for Youth Entrepreneurship and Interdepartmental Project Office present a support ecosystem for young entrepreneurs working in the sports industry. The initiative was developed with the support of the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation and the Analytical Centre for the Government of the Russian Federation as part of the National SMEs and Support for Individual Entrepreneurial Initiative Project.
The Young Enterprise Day business programme is available on the official website of the Russian Investment Forum. The event is organized by the Roscongress Foundation.
