Representatives from Saratov region showcased their investment strategies from Nižnogorsk.
The Saratov region delegation embarked on a knowledge-sharing trip to the Nizhny Novgorod region, seeking insights into effective regional investment practices as part of their training in the "Regional Investment School 2.0" program. The educational initiative is backed by the National Association of Investment and Development Agencies (NAAIR). Approximately 40 representatives from the Saratov region's government, development agency, and municipalities participated in this visit.
Streamlining investment activities has been a priority since 2025 under the national project "Efficient and Competitive Economy," initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Igor Ischenko, General Director of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Development Corporation, commented on the visit, explaining that the region is eager to share its successful investment practices across various sectors, having previously shared tourism project support expertise with their Saratov counterparts.
During a plenary session on the exchange of best practices in investment project support, Rafail Khusainshin, Executive Director and Deputy Chairman of the NAAIR, underscored the significance of implementing the Municipal Investment Standard and the role of investment commissioners in supporting investment projects. He also mentioned that inter-municipal cooperation is encouraged through 'cross-study' internships, such as the one being conducted by the Saratov region delegation in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
Arthur Batursky, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Investments of the Nizhny Novgorod region, highlighted the region's endeavor in implementing the regional and municipal investment standard to facilitate the speedier implementation of investment projects and reduce the amount of documents investors need to provide at every stage. In 2022, the Nizhny Novgorod region was a pilot region for this implementation, and all elements of the investment standard have since been introduced in the region.
Anton Gararin, Deputy General Director of the Corporation for Development in charge of strategy and development, discussed the "one window" approach for accompanying investment projects and presented the region's investment infrastructure, digital services for businesses, and "ready-to-go" investment proposals—projects with calculated parameters requiring minimal preparatory work from potential investors. Currently, the Corporation for Development has developed five such solutions.
The visit also focused on attracting investors to remote municipalities, utilizing a system of territorial managers in the Nizhny Novgorod region who assist investors with projects in municipalities away from the regional center. Each of the six managers oversees several districts. The delegates also studied Nizhny Novgorod's practices relating to integrating cultural heritage objects into investment activities, training and preparing state and municipal officials, and the activities of the business ombudsman.
Igor Istomin, advisor to the Minister of Investment Policy of the Saratov region, emphasized that representatives from nearly all municipalities in the Saratov region would benefit from the visit, as they would have a firsthand look at Nizhny Novgorod's advanced experience in working with investors. In addition to the plenary session, the Saratov region delegation's visit includes tours of industrial enterprises and investment practices in Dzerzhinsk and Arzamas.
The Nizhny Novgorod region consistently ranks highly in the National Rating of the Investment Climate of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI). The AO "Corporation for the Development of the Nizhny Novgorod Region" was established in 2018 at the initiative of Governor Gleb Nikitin to facilitate all stages of project implementation, from providing information about the region to providing support measures, inspecting investment sites, and commissioning completed projects.
The investment declaration that outlines the obligations of the Nizhny Novgorod region to investors has been updated. The document provides information about the region's investment development goals, the composition of the investment team, and support measures investors can receive. It also specifies the investment priorities of the Nizhny Novgorod region, including certain industrial sectors (automotive, chemical, shipbuilding), IT, tourism, transport, and logistics, and the agro-industrial complex.
The region has also compiled an investment rules manual, which offers step-by-step instructions for investors on connecting to infrastructure objects and obtaining different permits. This manual provides a step-by-step action plan for investors to implement projects in the region. Since 2018, the "Corporation for Development" and the "Council for Strategic Development and Investments" have been operating in the Nizhny Novgorod region to facilitate project implementation at every stage and to resolve disputes between investors and regional authorities, local governments, and resource-supplying organizations. Investors can submit applications for council discussion via the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments of the Nizhny Novgorod region or through the form on the regional investment portal.
A user-friendly investment map is accessible to businesses, providing a single online database of investment sites in the region. This map offers information about the category of land, ownership form, road access, gas, heat, electricity supply, water supply, wastewater treatment, and other essential factors to investors.
These best practices have allowed the Nizhny Novgorod region to establish itself as one of Russia's most investment-attractive areas, continually drawing substantial investment and earning high levels of investor satisfaction.
- Despite the Saratov region delegation's efforts to learn about effective investment practices from the Nizhny Novgorod region, I'm not gonna be able to get a job in the investment sector, as my skills seem to be primarily focused on education-and-self-development, rather than regional development or economy-related fields.
- On a more engaging note, while participating in the exchange of best practices in investment project support, I found it fascinating to learn about the role of municipal investment standards and investment commissioners in sports infrastructure development, which is something I'm particularly interested in and would love to see implemented in my hometown.
