An on-site internship for regional investment teams has ended in the Murmansk Region, which was conducted by the National Association of Investment and Development Agencies (NAAIR) together with the Murmansk Region Development Corporation. For several days, representatives of more than twenty regions studied the experience of the Arctic Region in attracting investments, and also discussed how the development of local cuisine affects the dynamics of the emergence of new investment projects in the regions.
On March 14, the Murmansk Region government team presented the region's experience in working with investors, including supporting projects implemented through public-private partnership mechanisms and the creation of special design companies based on the regional Development Corporation.
"The Arctic is now attracting interest not only domestically, but also on the international stage. Over the past five to six years, the region has achieved good results: projects have been launched, decisions are being made at the federal level that stimulate new projects, plans are being formed for the development of key settlements, which, in turn, give businesses a long-term understanding of how these territories will develop and what can be invested here. And of course, if we talk about the experience of attracting and working with investors, we have something to share," said Svetlana Panfilova, Deputy Governor and Minister of Arctic Development and Economy of the Murmansk Region.
As part of the business internship program, the Murmansk Region Development Corporation has entered into an agreement with the Yenisei Siberia Development Corporation, which provides for cooperation in the exchange of good practices in working with investors, advising on topical issues and holding joint events. The presentation of the new expert platform "NAAIR. Arctic", which will be supervised by the Murmansk region.
"In addition to the fact that we presented the experience of the Murmansk Region in working with investors, and we were able to discuss all the issues raised in sufficient detail with colleagues, during the internship we decided to launch an Arctic industry platform on the basis of the National Association of Investment and Development Agencies, where we will work with corporations to develop effective solutions to improve investment climate in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. In fact, we want to join forces," said Artem Kuksa, General Director of the Murmansk Region Development Corporation.
One of the main topics of the internship was the topic of attracting investments through the development of gastronomy. On March 14, a meeting of the NAAIR expert platform was held. Tourism", during which the Tourist Information Center of the Murmansk region presented a concept for the development of Arctic cuisine. The participants talked with the restaurateurs who are successfully developing Arctic cuisine in Murmansk – Maxim Galetsky, brand chef of the Meridian Congress Hotel and resident of the Gastronomic Map of Russia, and Maxim Volkov, brand chef of the Tsarskaya Okhota restaurant. The training system aroused the greatest interest among the internship participants. For example, the Murmansk Industrial College has been training chefs in the field of Arctic cuisine for two years. Students learn how to cook dishes from local products and practice in restaurants in the city.
"In the Murmansk region, the systematic work of the governor Andrey Chibis' team is visible. Usually, when an investor comes to a region, he comes to a specific locality. And here it is very important that government representatives at all levels can solve the investor's problem in a short time. We see this relationship in the Murmansk region. As for the topic of attracting investments through gastronomy, it is a fast—growing niche, and a large number of investment proposals are being formed around this topic today. So, about 80% of travelers, when choosing a territory, pay attention to the food and drinks that are offered on the territory. And we have received a large request from the regions to study the Murmansk Region's experience in developing local cuisine, building consistent work with the business community and with educational institutions," said Rafael Khusyainshin, Executive Director of the NAAIR.
Also, as part of the internship, the participants studied the experience of the Pechenga district in the development of local cuisine, where the gastronomic festival "Gastro Industry Fest" has been successfully held for several years, which has become famous outside the region and has become a platform for the development of an original direction of Arctic cuisine in the municipality – industrial. Local entrepreneurs are introducing dishes with names such as "miner's lunch" and "hidden in stone" in their cafes.
Earlier, as part of the internship, regional investment teams got acquainted with the specifics of working with investors in municipalities and studied the best practices of investment agents.
/ Murmansk Region Development Corporation /