Photo: HSE University
CIPR 2026, Russia’s largest conference on the digital transformation of key industrial sectors, has opened in Nizhny Novgorod. The event brings together Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, members of the government, governors, company executives, and researchers. This year, HSE University has become an official partner of the conference. Vice Rector Elena Odoevskaia and other university representatives will take part in expert sessions and sign a number of agreements, while the university’s exhibition stand will showcase a range of digital developments.
Opening the conference, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin stressed that today, ‘we have moved from searching for replacements for departed Western products to the active introduction of our own solutions.’
Over the past six years, the Russian IT sector has doubled its share of GDP, while sales of domestic software and services have increased almost four-and-a-half times, exceeding 5 trillion roubles by the end of last year. Russian software is once again beginning to enter international markets. For the first time since 2022, exports of software development services and related digital products have risen by 15%.
Today, more than one million specialists are employed in the information technology sector. The inflow of qualified personnel is supported both by the education system and by economic incentives for companies. The government is implementing a wide range of measures aimed at stimulating the development of the IT industry.
Mikhail MishustinPhoto courtesy of government.ru
‘We will continue to support these initiatives, as we remain confident that investments in the cybertechnology sector generate substantial returns. The industry continues to serve as one of the main drivers of economic and industrial development,’ Mikhail Mishustin stated.
This year, HSE University is serving as an official partner of the conference. Representatives of the university will participate in expert sessions and sign a number of agreements. In the exhibition area of CIPR, HSE University is presenting its own stand featuring the university’s digital projects.
In particular, visitors to the stand will be able to learn about HSE University’s projects for digital industries, the HSE Online campus that brings together the university’s online educational programmes, the iFORA intelligent big data analysis system, services providing a fully digital science management cycle, the Chinese from Scratch digital training simulator, and other initiatives.
A number of projects will also be presented by the HSE campus in Nizhny Novgorod, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Among them is Vertescan, an intelligent assistant that uses artificial intelligence technologies for the automatic annotation and analysis of spinal X-ray images, helping to accelerate and improve diagnostic accuracy. The system processes images within seconds, identifying anatomical structures and parameters important for surgical planning and post-operative assessment. At the same time, doctors retain the ability to manually adjust the annotation, ensuring a balance between automation and professional oversight.
A business programme has also begun at CIPR 2026. Elena Odoevskaia, Vice Rector of HSE University, spoke at the session ‘Innovation Frontiers: On the Synergy of Business and the Government in the Development of Science and Technology.’ The event brought together representatives of major technology companies, government bodies, and universities. The moderator posed a key question to the participants: how is cooperation between science and business being built today, and where do the real growth opportunities for the Russian economy lie?
Elena Odoevskaia proposed a fundamentally different way of viewing the role of universities in the modern economy. She noted that the traditional perception of universities as merely training grounds for future employees is rapidly becoming outdated. Today, a university is a fully fledged scientific and technological platform where businesses and researchers jointly shape the solutions of the future.
Elena OdoevskaiaPhoto courtesy of the CIPR Press Service
‘If previously businesses came to universities speaking about social responsibility and workforce training, today companies come to us as partners in creating the future,’ the HSE vice rector explained. According to her, students are already shaping the economy of the next 10–20 years by working on challenges provided by companies. This is changing the very logic of cooperation: universities are becoming not only educational institutions but also project-based environments.
Elena Odoevskaia also highlighted the transformation of HSE University itself. The university has long moved beyond its economic specialisation: only around 13% of graduates are economists, while the majority are specialists in IT and the creative industries. This directly reflects the priorities set by both the state and the market.
An important part of this work is foresight research. One of HSE University’s flagship projects—economic development scenarios up to 2036—is being developed with the participation of more than 200 experts and the use of large language models. At the same time, the key role still belongs to humans. Elena Odoevskaia added that universities are capable of addressing fundamental challenges—security, energy efficiency, and technological adaptability—that businesses often postpone. ‘The future belongs to those who can combine fundamental research with the demands of speed and the market,’ the HSE vice rector emphasised.
Photo courtesy of the CIPR Press Service
The discussion also featured Andrey Belevtsev, Senior Vice President and Head of Technological Development at Sberbank; Valery Ermakov, Vice President for Corporate and Government Relations at Rostelecom; Evgeny Abakumov, Director for Information and Digital Technologies at Rosatom; Alexander Filippov, Head of the Artificial Intelligence Centre at the Foundation for Advanced Research Projects; and Maxim Frantsuzov, Director of the Research Institute of Power Engineering at Bauman Moscow State Technical University.
The participants agreed that cooperation, speed, and access to resources—data, infrastructure, and talent—are the key conditions for reaching the frontiers of innovation. Without systematic collaboration and a willingness to share risks, none of the stakeholders will be able to shape the future technological agenda alone.
‘We need to learn how to reach agreements, not only for the present moment but also for the future. Because it is precisely now, in university lecture halls and joint projects with business, that the world in which we will live in 10–20 years is being formed,’ emphasised HSE Vice Rector Elena Odoevskaia.
In addition, Elena Odoevskaia took part in the session ‘Integration of Interdisciplinary Knowledge: How Can We Effectively Train AI Specialists to Work in Industrial Companies?’