On February 20, 2026, at the "Siberian Express – 2026" conference in Krasnoyarsk, experts and business representatives discussed the necessity of a new development strategy for the Siberian Federal District (SFD). Alexander Shirov, Director of the Institute of Economic Forecasting of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), noted that despite the Russian economy growing by 10% over the last four years, Siberia remains an outsider: industrial production in the region is below the 2021 level. To achieve national development goals, the SFD requires annual growth of 4–5%; however, this is hindered by demographic problems, an investment deficit, and a lack of specialized support measures similar to those in effect in the Far East.
Industrialist Oleg Deripaska stated that the region requires the mobilization of hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign investment over the next 10 years, primarily from Global South countries. To achieve this, a special tax regime comparable to conditions in China or Australia is necessary. Deripaska highlighted an energy deficit of 10 GW and proposed developing deep processing of raw materials and digitalization, specifically using local coal to generate electricity for data centers instead of exporting it. Anton Sviridenko, Executive Director of the P.A. Stolypin Institute for the Economy of Growth, estimated Siberia’s investment potential at $300 billion, emphasizing a market reorientation toward the Asia-Pacific region.
Elena Bezdenezhnykh, Vice President of the aluminum company RUSAL, proposed introducing a "Siberian mortgage" at 3–5%, analogous to the Far Eastern mortgage (2%), to stimulate housing construction and retain the population. She also advocated for the creation of a single Special Economic Zone (SEZ) covering the entire SFD, as current federal metrics do not allow for state support even for major projects, such as the modernization of the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Plant costing over 90 billion rubles. RUSAL itself plans to invest 160 billion rubles in social infrastructure and development projects from 2026 to 2028.
Andrey Klepach, Chief Economist at the state development corporation VEB.RF, acknowledged that the 2021 development strategy for the SFD is unviable, and state resources are insufficient due to their redirection to new regions and those affected by combat operations. He emphasized that the initiative must come from "below," as the "pivot to the East" is impossible without the accelerated growth of Siberia. Senator Alexander Uss confirmed that the Federation Council (the upper house of parliament) supports the need for a complete update of the region's development strategy.
