Within the framework of cooperation with the Murmansk Region Development Corporation, the team of the Development Corporation and business representatives of the Republic of Karelia visited the municipalities of the Kola Arctic and got acquainted with the specifics of the work of the Institute of investment officers. In particular, representatives of the Karelian investment team got acquainted with the best practices of the work of investment officers and visited the investment sites of Kirovsk and Apatity.
As part of the exchange of experience, the delegation of Karelia visited the sites of implemented investment projects, including by residents of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, the launch of which was also facilitated by investment officials.
In the Murmansk Region, the Institute of investment officers has been operating for three years, and by the end of 2024, the same structures must be implemented in all regions of the country within the framework of the new investment standard of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
"We all understand perfectly well how not to just implement investment projects. There are a lot of difficulties that relate to land plots, technological connection, logistics. And here it is very important that there is always a person inside the municipality who can support the investor, reach out to the top if the investor does not have such an opportunity. Or solve the problem, if it is within his competence. And in fact, this institution is really working effectively. This is also noted at the federal level. The Murmansk Region was one of the first in Russia to introduce the practice of investment officers and now it is becoming an obligatory element of working with an investor," said Artem Kuksa, General Director of the Murmansk Region Development Corporation.
In Kirovsk, investment commissioner Konstantin Leonov told how the work with entrepreneurs is structured. They usually come to him for a meeting, which is held every Wednesday in the city administration, with the idea of opening or expanding a business or for any problems that arise. As entrepreneurs admit, usually a meeting with an investment officer is the only case when they come to the administration, then, more often than not, issues are resolved "by phone" or in cooperation with the team of the city's Business Development Center.
"I'm an aspiring entrepreneur, and I don't know much. Therefore, if there had been no such support, starting from receiving a grant, then I probably would not have opened a coffee shop. This gave a very big boost," notes entrepreneur Olga Goryainova, who, thanks to her victory in the regional competition "Governor's Start", recently opened the coffee shop "Skier Sam".
"We are very pleased that the development of the entrepreneurial initiative in Kirovsk is progressing at a great pace. The projects that our entrepreneurs implement, the team of the investment officer accompanies from the appeal to the current events that are carried out by the business, providing consulting, property, financial support throughout the work of the entrepreneur in Kirovsk. Our task is to make sure that the maximum number of projects is implemented," said Konstantin Leonov, Investment commissioner of the city of Kirovsk, Deputy head of the administration.
In Apatity, an investment team from a neighboring region attended a weekly meeting of the investment commissioner with entrepreneurs. The participants discussed the status of project implementation, emerging issues, and possible solutions.
"In my opinion, the appointment of investment officers is not just right, it is one of the best management decisions that was made by the governor regarding entrepreneurs. We are approached by a person who has an idea, but in the end he takes a room, receives a subsidy and starts business development. It seems to me that it is very easy to start a business in Apatity now, everything is so without barriers. In any case, the problem that has always arisen can be solved together," said the investment commissioner of the city of Apatity, deputy head of the administration Lyubov Savina.
The guests also got acquainted with the activities of launched investment projects and residents of the Russian Arctic: the Bolshoy Woodyavr ski complex and the Plateau restaurant, the Sokroma Hyperborea Hotel, the Ivekta gas station, implemented jointly with the Murmansk Region Development Corporations, the Izovela sanatorium and the Radiance Center for Contemporary Art. In total, at the moment there are more than 30 residents of the Russian Arctic on the territory of the Kirov-Apatite agglomeration.
"We looked at how the work of the investment officers is structured, their burning eyes, how the investment team of the region works – it's impressive. I think we will learn from this experience. It was useful to get acquainted with the projects of residents of the Arctic territories. We understand that entrepreneurs will scale further and are ready to work with them together with the Murmansk region, we will develop the Arctic. This is possible only through joint efforts," said Elena Klimchuk, General Director of the Development Corporation of the Republic of Karelia.
Recall that the purpose of the investment officers is to promote the implementation of investment projects and help entrepreneurs on the ground. Currently, there are 26 investment officers working in the Murmansk region. Every year they help to solve more than half a thousand problematic issues of entrepreneurs that may arise during the implementation of investment projects. To improve the mechanism of work of the Institute of Investment Officers, the Murmansk Region Development Corporation conducts training intensive courses "School of Investment Officers" and, by order of Governor Andrey Chibis, regularly evaluates the effectiveness of municipalities in the field of working with investors.
"I would like to note, first of all, the attitude of Andrei Vladimirovich Chibis to the Institute of investment commissioners and to the development of the region as a whole. The second, probably, is the attitude of city-forming enterprises to support small and medium-sized businesses and the interaction of local authorities and business entities on the spot. It is clear that people communicate directly on any problem that arises. It's worth a lot," the Petrozavodsk investment commissioner added Natalia Ivanycheva.
/ Murmansk Region Development Corporation /