The Centre for Geology at St Petersburg University develops cooperation with regions

The delegation included representatives of eight small and medium enterprises to cooperate with partners in the region. The business programme included the following: visits to large industrial companies in Syktyvkar; working meetings; negotiations; and a round table on business cooperation between the Komi Republic and St Petersburg. The organiser of the business mission is the Committee for Arctic Affairs of the Government of St Petersburg with the assistance of executive authorities and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Komi Republic.

We are discussing the possibility of implementing joint projects. This is because if we bring together the knowledge that our specialists have about the Komi region and the resources of the University, we can achieve a synergistic effect.

Iaroslav Guzov, Development Director of the Centre for Geology at St Petersburg University

The first such trip took place in 2020. The Komi Republic was the sixth Arctic region where the business mission was organised. Earlier, representatives of the St Petersburg business community visited the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug; the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); Krasnoyarsk Krai; and the Arkhangelsk Region. This format of business mission is very effective, said Sergeyi Nikolaev, Head of the Department for Development of Cooperation with the Arctic Region of the St Petersburg Committee for the Arctic Affairs.

During the visit, the Centre for Geology at St Petersburg University could develop contacts with the largest subsoil users and geologists who could be the potential participants in joint research projects. Last year, representatives of the Centre for Geology visited Norilsk on a business mission. After two trips, the support and promotion from the Government of St Petersburg is difficult to overestimate, said Iaroslav Guzov, Development Director of the Centre for Geology at St Petersburg University.

‘We also organise trips to different regions on our own. We know perfectly well how much time, effort and money it takes to prepare meetings,’ Iaroslav Guzov said. ‘In one week, we can usually visit two or three companies. As part of the business mission, we managed to make more than eight visits in three days. Top management was always present from the host side. It is a very important aspect of the negotiations.’

The Centre for Geology at St Petersburg University was pleased to know about the high level of organisation of production in the Komi Republic and the quality of the goods produced, said Iaroslav Guzov. Speaking about the results of the mission, he said that the Centre for Geology could develop contacts with subsoil users of the region who might be interested in the services offered by the Centre for Geology in the field of: groundwater reserves protection; design and construction of water intakes; waterproofing; and environmental monitoring. They also met hydrogeologists and design organisations.