Improving Support Mechanisms for the High-Tech Sector: RSPP Proposals and Prospects for Their Implementation

The existing procurement system of the state and state-owned companies, implemented within the national regime (launched in 2025 ), is intended to stimulate demand for products manufactured in Russia and other EAEU countries. Access to preferences is ensured through inclusion of goods in the register of Russian industrial products — for this, manufacturers must confirm the level of localization of their products.

However, as business representatives note, the current model does not fully meet the needs of the high-tech sector. In particular, the emphasis on physical production (“hardware”) and formal localization criteria often fails to account for the specifics of knowledge-intensive industries, where the key value lies in intangible assets — results of intellectual activity, software, engineering solutions, and the outputs of research and development (R&D).

RSPP head Alexander Shokhin emphasized the need to move toward a more “intellectually oriented” model for confirming product origin. The idea is that within the national regime it is necessary to take into account not only the degree of physical assembly of a product, but also the contribution of domestic developers to the creation of its key components, including software modules and technological solutions. This approach will help avoid a formal interpretation of localization, where a product is recognized as “Russian” solely on the basis of minimal modification of an imported base, and will foster the development of Russia’s own competencies in critically important technological areas.

One area for improving the system is simplifying the procedure for including products in the register. According to a survey by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 26 % of enterprises do not plan to apply for inclusion in the register due to the complexity and labor intensity of the process. This indicates the presence of administrative barriers that reduce the effectiveness of support measures and limit business participation in public procurement. As an alternative, it is proposed to introduce “smart” methods for verifying the “Russianness” of products — in particular, the use of data from information systems for traceability of goods turnover. This approach would automate compliance checks, reduce producers’ costs, and increase the transparency of procedures.

An important tool for stimulating investment in production remains offset contracts, which imply that an investor creates production capacities and the state customer guarantees the purchase of the manufactured products. The RSPP proposes expanding the practice of concluding such contracts, including through interregional cooperation: regions could join forces to form joint offsets, building on successful experience in implementing projects in neighboring constituent entities. This would optimize resource allocation, reduce risks, and accelerate the introduction of new technologies.

Special attention is paid to integrating small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into the supply chains of large companies. An RSPP survey showed that large enterprises are interested in cooperating with small technology companies, but concerns related to insufficient transparency and the absence of unified qualification standards hinder the development of partnerships. To overcome these barriers, it is proposed to simplify SME certification and qualification procedures, as well as to create an accreditation system for small technology companies that would be recognized by large customers. This will increase trust between market participants and contribute to the formation of sustainable cooperative ties.

The proposed measures reflect a shift from purely protectionist approaches to more flexible and targeted industrial policy instruments. The emphasis on the intellectual component of products, automation of procedures for confirming localization, development of cooperation models, and expansion of offset contracts — all this indicates a desire to create conditions for sustainable growth of the high-tech sector based not on temporary protection from competition, but on building domestic competencies and improving the competitiveness of Russian products.

At the same time, the implementation of these initiatives will require a comprehensive approach, including not only regulatory and legal changes, but also the development of innovation support infrastructure, improvement of the workforce training system, as well as the formation of mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of applied measures. It is important to ensure a balance between supporting domestic producers and maintaining a healthy competitive environment in order to avoid the risks of declining quality and rising costs in the economy.

Thus, the RSPP proposals represent an important step toward modernizing the system of support for high-tech business in Russia. Their successful implementation can not only strengthen the positions of domestic manufacturers in the internal market, but also create a foundation for entering new export направления, ensuring long-term resilience and competitiveness of Russian industry in the context of global technological competition.

Author: Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of World Economy and World Finance, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Natalia Ivanovna Chovgan.