Industrial clusters will create import-substituting industries - Andrey Shpilenko

Furniture, machine-building, aviation, industrial, agro-industrial clusters are being created in Bashkiria. The republic was the first to develop a regional Association of Industrial Clusters.

Andrey Shpilenko, Director of the Association of Clusters, Technoparks, and Special Economic Zones of Russia, spoke about creating industrial clusters as the essential tools for import substitution at a briefing session in the government.

He explained that the clusters recreate operational chains that match those of the Soviet Union. In Bashkiria, work related to import substitution has been carried out for a long time, and systematically, the expert noted. The republic has five clusters: interregional furniture, machine-building, aviation, industrial and agro-industrial. "Documents for inclusion of clusters in the Ministry of Industry and Trade register have been prepared. The legal status allows the enterprises included in the register to receive tax benefits and compensation for expenses," Shpilenko said.

Another cluster being created in Bashkortostan unites scientific and industrial organizations in uncrewed aircraft. He proposes to create a site for the production of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Ufa at the expense of private investment and form a pool of companies to develop high-tech products in the field of UAVs. In addition, the cluster will provide services related to the use of UAVs. First of all, it relates to monitoring various territories, aerial photography, and chemical processing of agricultural fields. "Geoscan" LLC became the anchor enterprise of the cluster.

In addition, an aircraft cluster is being formed in the region for the development and manufacture of turbojet and gas turbine engines, an industrial cluster specializing in the production of glass and porcelain, as well as an agro-industrial cluster that produces meat and dairy products, cereals, bakery, and confectionery products.

Andrey Shpilenko also suggested updating the republican regulatory framework for supporting enterprises - cluster members - to expand the list of recipients of subsidies and increase the limits of financial assistance.

The Head of Bashkortostan supported this initiative, instructing the regional government to submit changes to the existing documents.

The republic has high petrochemicals and mechanical engineering competencies, but it is necessary to develop other areas, increase investment attractiveness, and create new enterprises," Radiy Khabirov said.