The event gathered over 80 business and authority representatives from Russia, Balarus, Finaland, Germany and the Netherlands
International conference “Inland waterways: strategic potential for growth” organized by Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping under the Russia – South-East Finland – EU Cross-Border Cooperation Program 2014-2020 and project “Future potential of inland waterways, INFUTURE” was held on 20 September 2021 as part of NEVA 2021.
According to the organizing committee, the conference gathered over 80 business and authority representatives from Russia, Balarus, Finaland, Germany and the Netherlands. The event organized by Admiral Makarov SUMIS with media support of IAA PortNews was held in Saint-Petersburg in mixed in-person/online format: some of the participants delivered their reports online and took part in online discussions.
The conference participants were greeted by representatives of ad hoc state authorities including Vitaly Klyuev, Acting Director of the Department of State Policy of Maritime and Inland Waterways Transport, Konstantin Anisimov, Deputy Head of the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency, and Aleksandr Sitov, Chairman of Saint-Petersburg Committee for Industrial Policy, Innovations and Trade.
Sergey Baryshnikov, Rector of Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping and Anna Kiiski, Executive Director of Maritime Research Association of Kotka (Merikotka) also spoke at the event with the welcoming speeches.