On July 15-16, 2022, the Vitebsk region will host guests of the X International Economic Forum "Innovations. Investments. Prospects."

The Anniversary Forum will be held for the first time during the International Festival "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk". For the first time, the venue for the Forum will be the territory created to attract domestic and foreign capital, progressive technology, and management experience – the Vitebsk FEZ territory. The Forum venue is the "Zhurzhevsky" Business Center, Vitebsk, 1st Zhurzhevskaya Street, 19 G.

Throughout its existence, the Forum has proven itself as an effective international-level tool for discussing and resolving issues related to the development of the Vitebsk region.

The goal of the Anniversary Forum will be to facilitate the adaptation of business entities to the processes and results of modern international realities based on the analysis of current opportunities and the search for advanced technologies, and the construction of new models of market interaction. The Forum's theme is "Issues of Import Substitution in the Implementation of Innovative Projects".

The Forum will offer participants a rich program, including a plenary session with the participation of the leadership of the Vitebsk region, the leadership of partner regions, and top managers in various fields of activity, as well as 8 breakout sessions, including discussions where speakers will present their solutions and share their experience. Within the framework of the Forum, a "Subcontracting" exchange will be organized on the following topics: IT, industry, construction, metallurgy, food industry, transport and logistics, agriculture, consulting, and entrepreneurship support infrastructure.

Participants of the X Forum in Vitebsk, both offline and online, will be invited to present their regions and companies, discuss problematic issues, and exchange views within the framework of panel discussions on "Import Substitution. Challenges. Solutions," "Investment and Innovation Factors and Tools for Export Development," "Cluster Model of Innovative Development: Problems and Prospects," "Free Economic Zones as a Basis for Enhancing the Innovative and Investment Activity of Economic Entities," "Science. Technologies. Innovations," and "The Role of the Education System in Innovative Developments."

For the first time, in order to strengthen cooperation and bilateral collaboration among entrepreneurs from different countries, develop international contacts, and establish partnerships, including among women entrepreneurs, the Forum Organizers are establishing a roundtable for women entrepreneurs of the Vitebsk region and women entrepreneurs of the Russian Federation on the topic "Informal Education of Women Entrepreneurs. Subcontracting through Communication and Cooperation Building".

Guests and participants of the Forum will be introduced to the exhibition expositions "Clusters - Drivers of Regional Development", the exhibition of the region's districts "Vitebsk Export 2022"; Youth Innovative Business Projects "From Idea to Successful Business"; "Innovative Development Prospects of the Vitebsk Region in Industry, Agriculture, and Other Sectors"; "Innovative Developments and Innovative Products of Vitebsk Region Enterprises", "Innovations in Education".

The range of discussion topics is expanding, the geography is broadening, and new promising areas for cooperation and experience exchange in the use of high technologies in all main spheres – production, education, tourism, and others – are being sought.

The Forum program includes participation in video conferencing and a virtual exhibition on an online platform, as well as parallel in-person events: exhibitions, conferences, B2B negotiations, and a subcontracting exchange. The Forum's business program will be integrated into the concert and festive program of the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk.

You can follow the Forum news on the project website – www.iipvit.by, as well as on the "Business Dialogue" YouTube channel

Registration for participation will be open until July 12, 2022. https://iipvit.by/registraciya/

Sincerely,
Organizing Committee of the X International Economic Forum "Innovation. Investment. Prospects."

e-mail: comeconved@vitebsk.by, vcm74@mail.ru.

For reference: In 2019, in Vitebsk, the VIII Forum, with the defining theme "Import Substitution", signed 17 international cooperation agreements, with the participation of 22 foreign countries and 85 international delegations.

In 2021, more than 30 foreign business delegations and representatives of the diplomatic corps from 13 countries participated offline and online in the IX Forum. From the Russian Federation – 14 delegations of business and government representatives. In the format of in-person visits, 12 delegations from the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Latvia, Georgia, and Tajikistan worked at the Forum.