Innovations

On May 16-17, 2019, Vitebsk Region will host guests of the VIII International Economic Forum "Innovations. Investments. Prospects." (hereinafter referred to as the Forum).

The creation and promotion of innovative technologies, the implementation of joint investment projects, and the production of high-tech, export-oriented products are traditional key topics of the Forum.

Special attention in the business program of the Forum is given to the topic of "Import Substitution" as the main tool for the development of the region's economy.

The Forum is expected to involve delegations from foreign partner regions, leading companies, trade representations, and the diplomatic corps. Representatives of the Government of the Republic of Belarus, republican and regional executive authorities, state associations, and the business community are invited.

Reference: In 2018, more than 130 foreign representatives of business and government, 11 regions of the Russian Federation, and 13 countries participated in the Forum: Kazakhstan, Moldova, Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Tajikistan, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the State of Israel, the Republic of Poland, the People's Republic of China, and Turkey.

Our Forum is rapidly developing. This year, an increase in both the number of participating regions and delegations is expected. From forum to forum, the topics of discussion multiply, the geography expands, the number of participants grows, and it increasingly attracts the attention of businesses aimed at promoting investment projects, finding new promising areas of cooperation, and exchanging experiences in the use of high technologies in all major sectors – manufacturing, education, tourism, and others.

Diverse exhibition displays will be organized, where districts and cities of the region will traditionally present their achievements in the use of investments and innovations, taking into account their development features, and demonstrate economic and tourist potential. The best enterprises and organizations of the region will showcase their developments and products in the "Innovation Zone", samples of import-substituting and export-oriented products.

For the first time within the framework of the Forum, a foreign pavilion of goods, services, and projects will be organized, where foreign partner regions will present the best companies and their developments. Food products that are in constant demand abroad will be presented separately. Guests will be able to taste them and appreciate their quality.

Businesses will be able to hold negotiations and familiarize themselves with achievements at demonstration sites: "IT Zone"; "Innovative Equipment and Technology"; "Clusters and Their Role in the Development of the Innovative Economy".

Forum participants will be invited to present their regions and companies, discuss problematic issues, and exchange opinions in panel discussions with experienced moderators: "Interregional Cooperation in the Economic Sphere. Experience and Prospects.", "Electronic Trading Platforms for Business", "Energy Saving in Industry and Construction", "SEZ – Promising Platforms for Project Implementation", "Orsha Region – A Territory for Business", "Experience and Prospects of Interregional Tourism".

As a result of the panel discussions, participants will be able to negotiate at the contact-cooperation exchange. The outcome will be the signing of protocols of intent, agreements, contracts, and interregional agreements.

Reference: Following the 2018 Forum, 6 cooperation agreements were signed to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in the socio-economic sphere.

The Forum will last for two days, allowing participants to visit the most significant and promising cooperation sites in the region according to their interests and directions, and to familiarize themselves in detail with the economic and tourist potential of the districts and cities.

The future of the Vitebsk region is both human capital and knowledge that can transform the economy and become its main value. The basis of human capital, its "innovative component" is youth, which actively participates in the Forum's events and will conduct a youth competition for professional training and qualifications.

Guests can expect not only discussions, presentations, and exhibitions but also an extensive cultural program. The Forum venue will host the "Art-Avantgarde" exhibition-fair, and a series of concerts will entertain the Forum guests. For first-time visitors to the Forum, an introduction to the main historical and cultural sites of the "Northern Capital" is planned. The main events of the Forum will take place at the Summer Amphitheater complex and the adjacent territory (Vitebsk, Frunze Avenue, 13A).

We invite you to participate in the events of the VIII International Economic Forum "Innovations. Investments. Prospects." and find partners for the implementation of your business ideas!