Digital connections without borders: the future of the platform economy through the lens of the creative industries discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA
On 25 September, as part of the VI Federal Forum-Festival
"Russian Creative Week", the National Centre RUSSIA hosted the
plenary session "The Platform Economy: Digital Transformation of the
Creative Segment". Experts from government and the creative business sector
discussed what lies ahead for the creative economy with the development of
digital platforms and which scenarios of online–offline cooperation will be the
most effective in the near future.
The essence of the new type of economy — the platform one —
is the shift from automating production to automating connections between
different groups of people: content creators and audiences, sellers and buyers,
passengers and drivers. The development of digital ecosystems is progressing
hand in hand with the growth of the creative economy.
In October 2026, the new Federal Law "On Certain Issues
of Regulating the Platform Economy in the Russian Federation" will come
into force. Tatiana Ilyushnikova, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of
the Russian Federation, explained how its introduction will affect the
interaction of different platforms and their participants from the creative
industries. She also emphasised the importance of comprehensive dialogue to
ensure the most comfortable regulation in this area.
"It is important for us to create conditions under
which platforms do not hinder but support one another and business. We have
around one million sellers, and 76% of them use more than one platform. Digital
sales channels are undoubtedly an achievement and a market expansion. The more
multichannel sales develop, the greater role digital channels will play in
entrepreneurs’ portfolios. Our task as a ministry is to help build spaces for
dialogue so that all participants — from large platforms to small businesses —
can speak the same language. This opportunity for dialogue is extremely
valuable and important," said Tatiana Ilyushnikova.
Anton Basansky, State Secretary and Deputy Minister for the
Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, stressed that digital platforms
support the development of the travel industry, and tourism, in turn, is
closely linked to the growth of the creative economy.
"Digital platforms certainly help develop tourism —
from booking tickets to exploring locations through VR tours. New technologies
serve as excellent tools for developing the hospitality industry. We are
currently creating our own digital map of tourist routes in the Far East, which
can be visited independently or with a guide. But everything must remain in
balance. People want to experience live emotions when travelling, to see and
bring home something handmade and distinctive of a particular place. Nature,
communication, gastronomy, endemic species, local crafts — all these elements
of tourism are powerful drivers of the creative economy," noted Anton
Basansky.
Dmitry Gavrilenko, Director for Government Relations at
Avito, shared the platform’s development plans and spoke about what users from
the creative industries can expect.
"Platforms like Avito are valuable primarily because
they erase borders and time zones: a representative of the creative industries
in the Far East, for example, can easily provide services to clients in Moscow.
We are also actively implementing technologies such as assistance with drafting
advertisements, demand forecasting in different regions, and in the next two to
three years we plan to introduce full-fledged digital assistants to support
creative professionals on our platform, responding to their typical
requests," said Dmitry Gavrilenko.
Nikolai Gorely, producer, founder of GEEK PICNIC and the
CREATIVE GENERATION competition, shared plans to create a community of AI
producers. He also warned that without creative production skills and the use
of AI, representatives of the creative industries risk losing their market
niche.
"In this sense, a 'creative AI producer' is essentially
a synonym for the word 'entrepreneur'. Such a specialist above all has a
mindset different from the traditional one and, of course, most importantly —
knows how to hold attention. Only those who possess these key skills become
full participants in the platform economy," concluded Nikolai Gorely.
The plenary session "The Platform Economy: Digital
Transformation of the Creative Segment" was moderated by Daria Levchenko,
Head of the External Communications Department of the Ministry of Economic
Development of the Russian Federation.
The VI Federal Forum-Festival "Russian Creative
Week" is a landmark event in the field of the creative economy. It is
taking place from 25 to 27 September at the National Centre RUSSIA. The focus
is on three strategic areas: value-oriented economy — 2035, the spatial
development of the country and its regions in the era of the new type of
economy, and the role of the creative individual in shaping new economic
models.
Within the structural blocks dedicated to each vector,
participants are discussing legislative initiatives, management models,
investment tools, the new ethics of leadership and the transformation of
professions. The main event was the plenary session "The State as a
Visionary: A New Philosophy of Russia’s Intellectual and Creative Leadership".
Event photobank
The VI Federal Forum-Festival "Russian Creative Week" is taking place at the National Centre RUSSIA.
The "Fashionable Russia" project combines travel shows, business interviews and online communities.
A person is Russia’s main asset. Improving people’s quality of life is one of the key tasks set in the country’s national development goals.
