MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. On June 3, the opening day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the 11th Russian Forum of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises will take place, with "Creative Code of Economy: A New Growth Formula for SMEs" being this year’s central theme, the Roscongress Foundation announced.

"Small and medium-sized business remains one of the key drivers of sustainable economic development and increased business activity in the regions of Russia. Today it is important to ensure conditions for the further growth of the SME sector, to expand opportunities for entrepreneurs, to introduce modern technological and managerial solutions, and to develop new areas, including the creative industries. The Russian SME Forum at the SPIEF venue traditionally brings together representatives of government, business and development institutions to discuss practical mechanisms for supporting entrepreneurship and to work out solutions aimed at achieving the country’s national development goals," said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

The Forum’s business programme will be divided into five thematic blocks: "SMEs and the State", "Accelerating SMEs", "Industries and Digitalization", "Workforce" and "Foreign Economic Activities". The key event of the day will be the plenary session entitled "Creative Code of Economic Development: A New Formula for SME Growth", which will be held with the participation Novak.

"Over the years, the Russian SME Forum has become an important platform for open dialogue between the state, business, and development institutions. This year, particular attention will be paid to the creative economy as one of the drivers of growth for small and medium-sized entrepreneurship. Today it is precisely the creative industries, digital solutions, new formats of cooperation, and export initiatives that are shaping the modern face of entrepreneurship. They are creating additional opportunities for the sustainable development of the regions and the country’s economy as a whole," said Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to Russian President, Executive Secretary of the SPIEF Organizing Committee.

The "SMEs and the State" block is dedicated to synchronizing the efforts of the state and business in achieving national goals: from demographics and active longevity to growth in economic activity. The focus will be on building partnerships between large and small business for regional development, on cooperation between municipal authorities and business, and on updating data and classifiers as the foundation for managerial decisions.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will be held from June 3 to 6 in 2026. TASS is its general information partner.