ACTP RF presented initiatives for the development of cooperation between SEZs and industrial clusters of the BRICS countries

A panel session "BRICS - 20 years: results, achievements and Prospects of cooperation" was held in Moscow at the BRICS+ Information and Cultural Media Center on the basis of the All–Russian State Library of Foreign Literature named after M. I. Rudomino. The event was held as part of the BRICS Anniversary Week, organized by the International Media Network TV BRICS and the Library of Foreign Literature.

The participants in the discussion were representatives of international organizations, the scientific and expert community, business associations and public organizations of the BRICS countries. The discussion focused on the development of trade and economic cooperation, technological exchange, investment cooperation and the formation of new mechanisms for international cooperation.

Samip Shastri, Chairman of the BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry from India, noted that over the two decades of the association's existence, the volume of trade between the countries has grown 13 times, and the complementarity of national economies has become the foundation for the formation of a self-sufficient ecosystem of cooperation.

"What one participating country produces is necessary for another. What one has already mastered, the other strives to learn. This is a true form of partnership that can exist for many years," he stressed.

Wang Weipeng, a resident of the BRICS Incubation Park from China, in turn, stated the need to deepen cooperation in the field of scientific and technological innovations, digital technologies and the creation of an interconnected ecosystem of industrial innovations.

"The BRICS countries should jointly create open and publicly accessible platforms for scientific and technological innovations and form an independent, controlled and interconnected ecosystem of industrial innovations," the expert noted.

The Russian expert agenda was presented by Timofey Buneev, Head of the International Cooperation and Sustainable Development Department of the Association of Clusters, Technoparks and SEZs of Russia, who spoke about the practical results of work on the formation of cooperation mechanisms between the special economic zones of the BRICS countries.

In 2024, the Association of Clusters, Technoparks and SEZs of Russia, together with the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, initiated systematic cooperation between the special economic zones of the union states. The Association represented Russian SEZs at meetings of the BRICS working groups on trade and economic cooperation, jointly with the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia developed a draft agreement on cooperation between the SEZs of the BRICS countries, subsequently signed by the ministers, and also proposed an initiative to create an International Association of Special Economic Zones, the provisions of which were included in the Kazan Declaration.

"Over the past two years, we have managed to move from an idea to the formation of a specific architecture of cooperation. A protocol on the establishment of the International Association of SEZs of the BRICS countries was agreed upon, and at the end of 2025, with the support of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia and the Nizhny Novgorod Region Development Corporation, a Digital Investment Platform for SEZs of the BRICS countries was created. Today we continue to work on its content and improvement together with foreign partners," Timofey Buneev said.

He stressed that industrial clusters could become one of the most promising areas for further cooperation.

"Cooperative ties within industrial clusters are long-term in nature and are based on real business demand. Russia has accumulated a unique experience in the development of industrial clusters, which can be in demand by the BRICS countries. This tool allows us to identify new investment niches, form production chains and create sustainable international projects," said the representative of the Association.

According to Timofey Buneev, issues of further development of cooperation between special economic zones and industrial clusters of the BRICS countries are planned to be discussed during the IV International Forum of Special Economic Zones, which will be held in October in Moscow.

Over the past 20 years, BRICS has transformed from a platform for political dialogue into one of the key centers for the formation of new mechanisms for international economic cooperation. In these circumstances, initiatives aimed at developing cooperation between special economic zones, industrial clusters and investment institutions of the countries of the association can become one of the practical tools for deepening the economic integration of the States of the Global South.