On February 12, 2026, as part of the preparation and holding of the XXX International Forum and Exhibition «Russian Industrialist‑2026», a meeting of the Forum’s Organizing Committee was held at the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, chaired by Anton Alikhanov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.
The meeting was also attended by Alexander Shokhin, President of the RUIE (Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs); Maria Glukhova, Executive Vice‑President of the RUIE; Anna Lyatsu, Managing Director of the RUIE’s Department for Public Relations and Media Communications; Kirill Polyakov, Vice‑Governor of St. Petersburg; Nikolai Kozlov, General Director of EF International LLC; Dmitry Stepanyatov, Executive Secretary of the Forum’s Organizing Committee and of the RUIE Commission on Exhibition and Congress Activities; and others.
Anton Alikhanov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the RF, in his welcoming remarks noted that the success of the Forum held in 2025 and the annual growth in the number of participants is the result of coordinated efforts by all its co‑organizers. In 2025, more than 280 companies presented their achievements at the exhibition. The events of the business programme and partner projects were attended by more than 14 thousand participants, which is 4 500 more compared to the previous year. Delegations from more than 40 countries participated in the Forum: China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, the UAE, and others.
“We expect to prepare the upcoming jubilee 30th Forum just as productively. It also coincides with another anniversary, the 35th anniversary of the RUIE. I think we should also take this into account when forming the event programme and reflect the retrospective of the decades during which the RUIE has been and remains a reliable partner of the state and business,” the Minister emphasized. “It is proposed to hold sector‑specific thematic blocks with the support of relevant agencies, associations, and leading companies. This year, discussions will also touch upon the prospects of the defence industry (DIC), the fuel and energy sector (FES), the space industry, light industry, and the creative industries. I believe the scope of the discussed areas certainly needs to be expanded. This is the right track to enhance the prestige and status of this platform. We count on the assistance of all members of the Organizing Committee, co‑organizers, and for our part, we are also ready to provide comprehensive support for this event.”
In conclusion, Anton Alikhanov expressed readiness to hold the Coordination Council on Industry on the sidelines of the International Forum and Exhibition «Russian Industrialist», which will allow for promptly coordinating priorities, approving joint decisions, and forming a list of practical instructions based on the discussions.
Technological development is being considered as a new development vector for the Forum, as explained by Alexander Shokhin, President of the RUIE: “It is very important now, firstly, to fill the Forum with new content, to introduce new areas, including technological development.”
Alexander Shokhin also shared information about events within the framework of industrial tourism: “Traditionally, we are ready to organize visits to enterprises within the topic of industrial tourism. Here, our colleagues from the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg, as always, are ready to offer options for this kind of excursions.”
Kirill Polyakov, Vice‑Governor of St. Petersburg, welcomed the members of the Organizing Committee on behalf of Alexander Beglov, Governor of St. Petersburg: “Traditionally, we are ready to provide all necessary discussion venues, as well as venues for cultural and mass events. Invitations will be prepared by the Governor for the heads of constituent entities and international participants, so St. Petersburg is traditionally ready to host such large‑scale events. For us, industry is one of the policy priorities and is included in the top ten priorities of the Governor of St. Petersburg until 2030,” Kirill Polyakov said in his speech.
Maria Glukhova, Executive Vice‑President of the RUIE, reported on the results of the past Forum: “In 2025, the events of the business programme and partner projects were attended by more than 14 thousand participants. This is a plus of 4 500 compared to the previous year. We see growing interest from industrial companies, buyers of their products, and the expert community. The significance of the Forum has greatly increased from the point of view of its international component.”
Anna Lyatsu, Managing Director of the RUIE’s Department for Public Relations and Media Communications, thanked the Government of the Russian Federation for the comprehensive support of the event and emphasized the uniqueness of the event, and also spoke about the tracks of the programme of the XXX Jubilee Forum: “We strive to develop an interesting and relevant business agenda for the event, as well as to ensure the content of the exhibition part so that enterprises can showcase their products and technologies. In the concept of the exhibition programme, we propose to focus on three tracks: achievements of Russian industry, achievements of St. Petersburg’s industry, and achievements of the global industrial community.”
By the decision of the Organizing Committee, the dates and venue for the XXX International Forum and Exhibition «Russian Industrialist» have been confirmed. The event will be held from October 22 to October 24, 2026, in St. Petersburg at the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Forum will be traditionally operated by ExpoForum‑International.