Dominants and master plans of the Volga-Ural macroregion presented at the RUSSIA EXPO
At the plenary session "Space of the Future: The
Volga-Ural Macroregion", experts discussed key investment dominants in the
industrial and transport-logistics complex, the agro-industrial complex and the
development of master plans for the regions within the macroregion: Orenburg,
Penza, Samara, Saratov, Ulyanovsk regions and the Republic of Bashkortostan.
Participants also included regions from the Southern macroregion: Astrakhan and
Volgograd regions.
Currently, Russia has developed a spatial development
strategy for the country until 2036, which ensures sustainable and balanced
development of all regions, national security and reduces interregional
disparities in living standards and quality of life.
"The importance of the constituent entities within the
Volga-Ural macroregion is defined by their unique nationwide competencies in
various fields: from mineral extraction to the creation of high-tech rocket and
space products. There are examples of traditional and new specializations in
aircraft manufacturing, automotive production, equipment, and unmanned
technologies," said Igor Komarov, the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy
to the Volga Federal District, in his welcome address to the participants of
the plenary session.
He also highlighted the macroregion's advantages in
logistics and tourism, which are attributed to the significant role of the
Volga basin and the international transport corridor "North-South",
as well as the macroregion's border location.
During the event, the Governor of the Saratov region, Roman
Busargin, presented a report on the region's industrial complex. According to
him, the region has always been an industrial-agricultural area within Russia's
economic structure.
"In the Saratov region, a significant portion of the
added value is generated by the basic sectors of the economy — industry,
agriculture, transportation, storage and trade. We have a historically
developed industrial sector. Its foundation is laid by the resource-mineral
base, and today the region is one of the leading industrial regions of the
Volga Federal District," emphasized Roman Busargin.
The governor also touched on the topic of investments in the
region, which are growing annually.
"The volume of investments in fixed assets in 2023
increased by 78 billion rubles compared to 2022, amounting to 286.5 billion
rubles. The growth rate is about 24%, which allowed the region to rank 12th in
Russia and second in the Volga Federal District in this indicator. For the
second year in a row, we are also the leaders in the Volga Federal District in
terms of the growth rate of private investments," he noted.
