Buy in Moscow: International Export Forum Highlights Sustainability

"The forum brought together the leaders of Moscow's non-resource and non-energy exporters, as well as companies from other regions of the country. Organizers hoped to promote cooperation between local exporters and their peers throughout Russia in order to foster the sharing of best practices and the creation of joint export projects. Moscow-based companies may lead the nation in non-resource and non-energy exports, accounting for 16% of Russia's total non-resource and non-energy exports in the first seven months of 2021, but local exporters are still very interested in learning about case studies and applying those lessons to their own situations," Prokhorov said.

Decarbonization was discussed as a factor that will affect manufacturers in the near future. Prokhorov noted that companies around the world are working to reduce existing plants' emissions while building new, environmentally friendly manufacturing facilities.

"Sustainability is more than just corporate social responsibility and brand positioning in international markets. It's also a driver of success in exports, and Moscow is providing extensive support for green initiatives in manufacturing," he explained.

Forum participants discussed existing support for exporters and outlined ideas for future support, including sustainable manufacturing.

The forum's schedule was divided into three formats: a business program, a series of strategic sessions focusing on five key topics, and the Mosprom Menter communications platform, which hosted around 50 meetings between local exporters and consultants offering advice on promoting products abroad and sourcing financial and legal support.

The Mosprom Center, a branch of Moscow's department of investment and industrial policy, provides personalized support for local industrial and agribusiness exporters.

The experts at the Center analyze target markets for the capital's manufacturers. Specialists study macroeconomic reports for each target market, as well as its risk profile, including barriers to entry, the state of the industry in the target market, its dependence on exports and imports, and SWOT analyses of consumer demand. The Center's experts also perform individual analyses for the companies they work with in order to determine the most effective strategy for entering foreign markets.

In addition, as part of its buyer program, the Center's experts help local companies find partners and negotiate with potential buyers abroad. They also help exporters participate in international trade shows and business missions. All of this assistance is provided free of charge.