Smolensk Region to participate in Interfax's new project to develop service to attract investors

ST. PETERSBURG. June 5 (Interfax) - The Smolensk Region government will participate in the Interfax Group's project to develop a new digital solution to improve the efficiency of regional development and investment management.

Smolensk Region Governor Vasily Anokhin and Interfax Executive Director Alexander Veklich have signed a memorandum of cooperation for the project at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2026.

The service aims to incentivize investment activity by attracting investors to the region, improving the efficiency of public investment, and identifying the most effective government support measures. Regional authorities will have access to a test version of the platform in order to evaluate its performance in real-world conditions as part of the memorandum.

"It is important for us not just to obtain a digital tool, but to participate in the development of a service that will help us specifically attract investors and evaluate the real return on investment in the region's economy. This improves the quality of management decisions," Anokhin said.

"Collaborating with the Smolensk Region government during the development and subsequent testing of the IT service will allow us to obtain high-quality feedback and tailor the product to the needs of each specific Russian region. We see our goal as providing the region with not just data, but ready-made analytical tools for attracting investment and improving the efficiency of budgetary funds," Veklich emphasized.

Interfax is Russia's largest non-governmental information group. The group creates cutting-edge digital systems in the B2B and B2G sectors, and is one of the country's leading and internationally cited Russian news agencies.