The Russian Design Industry Forum was held at the National Centre RUSSIA

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The two-day programme of the Russian Design Industry Forum (RDIF), organised by the Roscongress Foundation, brought together more than 1,800 representatives of government, business, creative industries, educational institutions, and regional teams at the National Centre RUSSIA. The participants discussed strategic priorities and the challenges facing the design community, as well as the role of design in shaping the economy of the future and national identity.

"President of Russia Vladimir Putin reminds both business and us that the country needs to shift towards a supply-side economy. It is precisely supply that will support and increase domestic demand. One of the most promising areas capable of delivering quick results is the creative industries. A number of factors have come together to enable this: the vast space in the market left by Western players and, paradoxically, a well-developed competitive environment, the high multiplier effect of creative business, and our orientation toward a platform-based economy. According to our estimates, with proper development of the economy and the sector as a whole, the share of the creative sector in the country's GDP could grow from the current 3.5% to 5–6% in the coming years," noted Aide to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov.

The central event of the forum was the plenary session, which opened the business programme and featured a welcome address on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak.

According to Yekaterina Ivanova, Head of the Directorate for Creative Projects at the Roscongress Foundation and Director of the RDIF, the event made it possible to unite the efforts and interests of all industry participants — from government and business representatives to regional design schools and specialised non-profit organisations.

She noted that such forums are important not only for exchanging experience but also for shaping concrete solutions that can be replicated across the regions of the Russian Federation.

Among the key topics of the RDIF was the legal protection of intellectual property. Speakers stressed that this is the area where awareness and support need to be significantly strengthened.

"The culture of intellectual property protection among creative entrepreneurs today is shaped either through publicised cases of rights theft or by word of mouth. At the same time, there are many high-quality and effective services available. We need a large-scale campaign to popularise this issue at the federal level. A surge of interest could occur with the development of loans secured by intangible assets. After Moscow, this issue is already being addressed in Yakutia, Ulyanovsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area," emphasised Igor Namakonov, Director General of the Federation of Creative Industries.

The role of cities in fostering creative environments and forming growth points was also a subject of discussion. Regional representatives shared their practices of supporting professionals and launching dedicated accelerator programmes.

"Design is a driver of innovation that enables breakthrough solutions and integrated products that benefit people. The city has built an entire support system for both established and emerging professionals. The Moscow Agency for Creative Industries regularly conducts a variety of educational, practice-oriented, and acceleration programmes. Among them are the 'Creative Business Practicum' for representatives of the fashion and design industries, as well as 'Design Workshop', 'Design Factory', and others," said Anastasia Rybkina, Deputy Director General of the Moscow Agency for Creative Industries.

 President of the Union of Designers of Russia Vitaly Stavitskiy provided an expert summary of the forum’s work.

"During this year’s Russian Design Industry Forum, we discussed key strategic issues in the fields of design, management, production, trade, visionary thinking, trendsetting, and industrial support at the regional and state levels, involving leading federal and international professionals and experts," said Vitaly Stavitskiy.

In addition to the business programme, the forum featured a rich cultural and educational agenda, including fashion shows of designer collections and presentations of domestic products and solutions. The event served not only as a convergence point for the professional community but also as an open platform for promoting design as a key component of the creative economy.

The organiser of the forum is the Roscongress Foundation. Co-organisers are the National Centre RUSSIA and the Union of Designers of Russia. The Russian Design Industry Forum is held with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the Agency for Creative Industries, and A. N. Kosygin University. Communication partner — MAER media holding. Digital partner — VK. Organisational partner — CPM — Collection Première Moscow.