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Before the plenary session, the President toured the exhibition of participants in the competition for new growing Russian brands, Know Our Own, with ASI Director General Svetlana Chupsheva and Chairman of the State Development Corporation VEB.RF Igor Shuvalov.

This year, more than 14,000 applications were submitted to the competition in five main categories including, Food Products, Consumer Goods, High Technology, Creative Industry and Information Technology, and several special ones.

The competition aims to support promising and dynamically developing domestic manufacturers with highly localised production and strong consumer trust.

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Excerpts from the plenary session transcript

Director General of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives Svetlana Chupsheva: Mr President, Mr Shuvalov, forum participants,

I am pleased to welcome everyone to our fifth forum – a significant first milestone. What makes this platform unique among business events is that it is entirely driven by Russia’s active citizens: they propose new ideas, debate them, and moderate discussions on projects for Russia’s development.

Mr President, we have gathered ideas and projects across five key areas: social progress, technological development, entrepreneurship, human resources, and environmental and climate solutions. This year saw a record 35,000 submissions to the platform – 2.5 times more than our first forum.

Our crowdsourcing platform – where citizens across Russia submit their ideas and projects – has nearly reached 600,000 users, while the entire ASI ecosystem now serves over 10 million.

Mr President, I would now like to invite you to deliver your welcome address to our participants.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon. Thank you.

I am delighted to welcome the participants of the fifth forum, Strong Ideas for a New Time.

First, I want to highlight something remarkable, and I think you will agree with me: in just a few years, we have succeeded in building a truly unique platform – a unique mechanism that drives growth across industries, businesses, our entire national economy, and consequently, Russia as a nation. As Svetlana just said, it is fueled by people’s energy, with thousands of Russians actively involved. It is most rewarding that any citizen – or at least, so many of them – can use it to showcase their creative or business ideas, introduce their teams and achievements, compete – join a fair and open competition for the chance to promote their teams and their projects – and ultimately prove that they are competitive not just here in Russia, but in international markets.

By the way, I have just noticed, and they mentioned this fact at the exhibition, and my reference notes also indicate that 67 percent of all participants are aged 18 to 45 years. This is a very good indicator.

Every year, we manage to thoroughly discuss only a few initiatives at this platform, because this format is rather limited. But I would like to repeat that the number of environmental, educational, technological and business ideas, of course, greatly exceeds those being discussed at these forums, including, of course, projects in creative industries, the tourism industry, the improvement of our cities, towns, and other communities, etc.

I would like to stress that all these initiatives are conceived, developed and tested during practical work, on the ground, as the military say. At the same time, I would like to note that thousands of the best ideas obtain tangible support each year. Their teams and leaders receive educational and methodological assistance needed for subsequent development, and the 100 most significant initiatives are submitted to the Government, ministries, agencies and the Russian Federation’s regions, so that they can be used while formulating systemic decisions.

Of course, I cannot help but highlight the large-scale work being conducted by people perceiving this as their main area of activity – first of all, this refers to the ASI and Vnesheconombank. I would like to thank you for this and to say that the Government sees your efforts, recognises them and is able to appreciate them. And all of us are very grateful to you for this. Of course, I cannot help but recall Roscongress that organises technical aspects of all this work.

I repeat, the forum’s high social mission is to help unlock talents, the tremendous creative potential of our people. The tools of the Know Our Own competition are, of course, called on to play an important role here. We have just talked about this, I have looked at all this once again and, to be frank, I was impressed with what I have seen. And I hope that very many things that have just been displayed, many of the initiatives that have been accomplished, will be further promoted. We will facilitate this process in every possible way. And I am confident that many new initiatives will emerge.

In general, I have recently discussed this at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. We focus on this area of work everywhere, not just there, and we will continue to address this matter and to move along this road and support these initiatives wholeheartedly. 

Our new brands – and this is very important – span various sectors. At the exhibition today, I observed that these include food products, clothing, but also high technologies, incorporating artificial intelligence applications. Crucially, this is no longer reverse engineering, no longer merely dismantling and reassembling products through import substitution efforts. No – many products now emerge from our own proprietary developments. This is extremely important; this is what matters most. Naturally, we will prioritise supporting such initiatives.

Last year at this venue, a proposal was put forward to facilitate relocation to Russia for foreign nationals who share our traditional values and wish to work constructively with us – both for our country’s benefit and their own, for their families, and indeed for their countries of origin. Admittedly, this constitutes only a small fraction of our broader efforts in national development and human resources solutions. Why? Because first and foremost, we welcome those individuals who relocate here with solid education, proper qualifications, and the desire to work here, live here, and raise their children in an environment they deem conducive to strengthening family bonds. We can only applaud their aspiration to collaborate with us.

To reiterate – this does not represent a primary solution to workforce challenges or labour market improvements. Nevertheless, it constitutes movement in the right direction, and we will continue pursuing this path.

Overall, I must note that the forum is acquiring an international character. This year, citizens from 17 foreign countries submitted proposals with their ideas. We will undoubtedly support the implementation of all significant initiatives, particularly those benefiting our nation while strengthening trust between civil societies, among scientists, engineers, and those working in so-called creative economy sectors.

Precisely through the participation of talented, dedicated individuals must we take this monumental step forward – indeed, to launch a new phase of technological advancement. This must, in the fullest sense, herald a new era for Russia.

To attain the goals we have set and ensure broad and, let me stress, inclusive introduction of promising developments across the board, we need to back up not only large research centres and institutions but also, as I repeatedly said, it is crucial to give a helping hand to small start-ups, beginning scientific and engineering teams, teams of talented schoolchildren, students and families.

The young men at the exhibition told me about family businesses and family endeavours. We will definitely support all of that. And the mechanisms of the Strong Ideas for a New Time forum are called upon to play a very significant and weighty role in this respect. I hope it will be that way.

While shaping a successful technological present and future for our country, it is crucial for us, of course, to ensure and preserve the things that make us a unified nation, that is, to keep our traditions, values and national identity. It is the key condition for the country’s progress and its existence in the changing, challenging and controversial world.

I believe that you, dear friends, all the forum participants are truly hard workers and patriots. We have just seen one of the slogans at the exhibition – Being Entrepreneur is Patriotic. I am sure that this is what is happening in reality, and this will be in the future. I have been convinces of this multiple times over the past years.

While pursuing these efforts, I would ask you to always remember that the core meaning of your scientific and engineering achievements and all special environmental initiatives is ultimately to raise the quality of life of our people, and as a priority, that of families with children. It is generally of paramount importance at all times, but in our situation, in our country faced with demographic challenges, it is twice and thrice as important. You see, I would like to ask you to find ways to promote the family, large families, to find ways to support motherhood and childhood in the course of you work, since you are active in the most different areas, and you are smart and very creative people. Only your efforts with your creative spirit can turn a good, large, traditional family into an in-style trend of Russia’s development. I urge you to do it. I think I will wrap up here. Thank you.

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Vladimir Putin (commenting on the report by Igor Makarov, head of the laboratory for climate change economics at the Higher School of Economics, on the strategy for the rational use of Russia’s water resources.) Indeed, Russia has expansive water resources, which certainly gives us a significant competitive advantage. You probably know that international experts have offered varying estimates of the state and availability of water in different countries. Countries with per capita water resources of 25,000 cubic metres or more are considered well-off – their supply even exceeds the country’s needs. These nations include Russia, Brazil, Canada, and even several African countries, like the Congo, if I am not mistaken. Countries with medium-sized water resources include the United States and a few others. The rest struggle with shortages – China, as far as I remember, along with several others, maybe Mexico. Russia is in a strong position regarding water supply, yet rational use remains essential. I agree with you on that.

However, when viewing water as a resource for economic development, we must recognise that while we have sufficient water resources overall, their distribution is uneven. The south of the country faces shortages, and even central Russia, where population density is highest, experiences occasional problems. The bulk of our water resources lie in Siberia. Yet even there, we must act carefully to maintain balance.

Just recently, we were greatly encouraged by the news of a surplus of electricity in several regions. However, with the excessive rise of [crypto] mining activity in those regions, the governors began complaining to me that they did not have enough for economic development. We had to adopt tighter regulations concerning mining.

The same applies to the use of water resources. Without a doubt, we need to monitor water consumption. Keeping this in mind is essential for guiding our efforts – industrial development, which is our priority, accounts for 50 percent of the total water consumption. Of that amount, 75 percent is consumed by the energy sector. Agriculture, as far as I know, takes as little as 2 percent; another 3 percent goes for irrigation, which I mean in a broad sense, including urban economics.

We should be careful to preserve this balance and keep it in mind when implementing the programmes that can and should be developed following your proposals. But in general, this resource must be used efficiently, and we must be very careful when making any far-reaching decisions.

As you probably know, Soviet-era plans included ambitious projects like reversing the flow of Siberian rivers. Today, however, we must exercise extreme caution and closely monitor water usage from our major rivers. You know what I am talking about – we must approach this with the utmost care.

But in general, if we want to use this resource to make the national economy more competitive, we must do so efficiently, also by implementing your ideas and projects.

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Vladimir Putin (responding to Anastasia Dymura, Head of the People’s Farmer of the Zaporozhye Region association, who raised the issue of restoring soil fertility in the new territories, particularly the rehabilitation of protective forest belts, as well as the development of businesses such as forestry, hunting farms, fish farming, and apiaries): First of all, I would like to say that in our historical regions, including the Zaporozhye Region, agricultural production was traditionally a strong sector back in Soviet times. If we speak of the Soviet era, these forest plantations you mentioned – I am referring to artificial forest plantations, of course – emerged precisely during that period. In the late 1940s, there was even a dedicated state plan, known as the “Stalin Plan.” That was around 1948, if I recall correctly. So, all this was created by our fathers and grandfathers.

However, I now wish to address everyone involved in this field, as well as the leaders of municipalities and federal constituent entities: we must treat this inherited legacy with the utmost care and under no circumstances allow these plantations to be destroyed for purposes that, while important, remain secondary – including the construction of various cottages and so forth. That, too, is important; individual housing construction must be developed, but we must understand where and approach these tasks rationally.

Furthermore, you are absolutely right, and this must be done. We will certainly take your proposal into account. But I would like to highlight that we already have a separate state programme for reclaiming land for agricultural use. This year, our historical territories, including the Zaporozhye Region, are joining this programme. That is, the conditions and all support mechanisms for agricultural producers under the land restoration programmes will be extended to these territories, including Zaporozhye. This must absolutely be done. I will instruct the Government to ensure that these opportunities are not merely formally extended to the Zaporozhye Region but that concrete assistance is provided to you and your colleagues working in this sector. Overall, the idea is certainly correct and sound. We will support it in every possible way.

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Vladimir Putin (expanding on the use of unmanned aerial systems in specially protected areas, a topic raised by Sergei Rybakov, Director General of the Nature and People Foundation, who spoke about a pilot project underway in the Reserved Baikal Area, which unites four federal-level specially protected natural areas around Lake Baikal):

You know how much attention we are giving to unmanned technologies. We have seen a real breakthrough in this area recently. I was just speaking with some colleagues about it – as you are aware, we have made good progress in robotics in general, and UAVs in particular. Quite recently, we held a meeting on UAVs in Togliatti; I believe that was in early 2025. Yes, in early 2025.

A relevant decision was taken there to support this sector. Many creative and innovative ideas are being put into practice, and strong enterprises are emerging as a result. I should note that they are attracting attention not only from Russian users, but also from abroad; there is significant interest internationally. We will certainly continue to develop this area. In terms of environmental protection, these technologies are especially valuable and much needed.

A few years ago, when we were still actively engaging with European leaders, one of them said to me, “We are rather disappointed with how Russia is handling wildfires in Siberia.” I asked him: “Have you ever actually been there?” It is 700 or even 1,000 kilometres one way – and back ­– by plane. That is like pouring gold from the sky, you see? But new technologies will allow us to get closer to effectively addressing these challenges. And that is extremely important.

You are absolutely right: vast territories with low population density are precisely where the problem is most acute. We will certainly continue this work within the framework of existing programmes. But if you have anything to add, we would be happy to make use of your ideas.

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Vladimir Putin (commenting on the remarks by Stanislav Rozanov, CEO of TUBOT, a company specialising in the development and advancement of in-pipe robotics): One of our most critical priorities is the integration of robotics into Russia’s economy and industry. You are aware of this – we consistently underscore it. The level of robotisation in Russia’s economy and industry remains, regrettably, rather low. This is one of the key areas of our development, as it addresses, to a certain extent, workforce challenges while also enhancing industrial safety.

You mentioned just now that your robots are used for pipe inspections and so forth. Undoubtedly, this significantly improves both work quality and safety of operations. Yet there are operational fields where assault units make use of pipelines without any robotic support – but that is a unique, exceptional scenario. Across industry as a whole, robotics are, naturally, in high demand.

Your colleague here spoke about unmanned systems. Well, fundamentally, those are robots too, are they not? The issue is simply that we must expand their applications – they should encompass not only aerial vehicles but also maritime, underwater, automotive, railway, and other unmanned systems.

This pertains to your field as well. Your solutions have already been implemented – I am aware of this, having received reports from colleagues in the Government and various companies on how they employ your inventions, your robots. Indeed, every step in this direction generally enriches the sector with new technologies and ideas.

This is highly significant, especially as the use of artificial intelligence will propel – and is already propelling – these developments in the most dynamic and compelling ways. Only one principle matters here. An American science fiction writer once articulated it in his book Runaround, back in the 1940s, I believe – 1942 or 1943; incidentally, he was of Russian descent – the paramount rule is that a robot may not injure a human being. Yet your proposals, conversely, reduce risks to people. This applies particularly, as noted earlier, to firefighting and hazardous industrial environments. We will certainly expand these efforts and, if feasible, extend the existing support measures for your initiative.

Thank you.

Unfortunately, we must conclude our meeting. I have a protocol event scheduled. A conversation with the President of the United States is planned – I do not know if anything will interfere. What might I convey to him from you? Please pass the microphone to someone who wishes to speak.

Who would like to say something? Please. Pass the microphone, please. Introduce yourself so we know who the speaker is.

Nikolai Dunn: Nikolai Dunn, from Tyumen, and one of the leaders. We are creating an inclusive film club.

I would like to convey to the President of the United States that we could exchange films. Films that speak about our values, where we and they could share who we truly are – that is, the values we uphold and how we transmit them, because this is a very important point.

Mr President, for over 10 years now, we have been engaged in cinematic pedagogy in our country. We view cinema fundamentally as a tool for education. Based on this, we have developed our project, Inclusive Cinema. Because when I began filming On the Starting Line, a film about Paralympians – this was about Roman Zhdanov and his coach, whom you awarded in the Kremlin after their victory in Tokyo – that was when I first realised that we have 11 million people with health limitations.

But what do we know about them? How do they live? How do they express themselves? What do they achieve? What results do they attain? I realised that, in practice, we know almost nothing. We created a film – which is why I say the power of cinema is very important – and began screening it across the country, and we saw an enormous response: these people could speak about themselves as heroes.

By showing films, we sought to discover whether there were other similar films in our country, and we observed that, despite the growth of the film industry, there are few films portraying such people not from the perspective of pity, but from the perspective of dignity and their victories… It is very important that we have this.

Based on this, Mr President, I partly have a request, because as a leader, I did not manage to speak fully. We have been establishing inclusive film clubs in over 70 cities across the country.

We recognised the need to create a platform – we have an online cinema, and we want to establish a platform for inclusive and social cinema. This would enable us to provide content to schools for meaningful dialogue.

At the beginning of your remarks, you spoke about transmitting values. I believe cinema is the most pivotal means of transmitting values for the entire family. When we create opportunities for schools to have films that foster understanding – what a father is, what a mother is, what family is, what the country is – we begin to build dialogue. Such an inclusive film club allows us to create a shared space, for understanding about how we live and what we do.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Nikolai Dunn: And greetings to the President of the United States from all of us.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, certainly. Your proposal, I think, should appeal to him, because he generally promotes such an agenda domestically. Given the power of the United States’ media and its significance globally, this would carry considerable weight. So, I will certainly convey it. This is the first point.

Second. I would like to thank you for your work. This is, naturally, important for people with health limitations – that is evident. So, it is necessary, of course, to talk about them, about their challenges, and to create such platforms that would help our citizens in this situation feel like full members of society, with access to mass media and cinematic works – including, I mean, people with visual or hearing impairments, and so on. However, equally important is that through your work, your creativity, you fulfil a vital function for society as a whole, cultivating in each of us a sense of compassion, which is the foundation of a mature society. You make each of us better. For this, I thank you very much indeed.

Thank you. All the best!

I wish you success. Please, do not be cross. I understand we could have spoken longer, but it would be awkward to keep others waiting. He might even take offence.

Thank you very much. Good luck!