Russia needs to establish a data economy by 2030: Putin

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Jul 2023 20:37

During the Future Technologies Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin says that dependency on technology threatens not only national security but also sovereignty.

Russian President Vladimir Putin with Russian Railways Director General and Chairman of the Executive Board Oleg Belozerov during visiting an exhibition of Russian quantum technology achievements by Rosatom and Russian Railways on the sidelines of the Future Technologies Forum at the International Trade Centre. (RIA Novosti)

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at the Future Technologies Forum, Computing, and Communications: The Quantum World on Thursday and advocated preparing a new national program for data economy development by 2030.

"I propose to prepare a new national project for the period up to 2030 within a year, namely the national project for the formation of a data economy," Putin announced.

The Russian President reaffirmed that Russia will continue to develop and will refuse to isolate itself due to the collective Western sanctions. Putin said, "I considered it important to talk about how we build our work at the state level, how we build international scientific and technological cooperation in the conditions of the actual blockade of Russia announced by the authorities and the ruling elites, most likely the elites of some countries."

Putin stressed that Russia learned its lesson when certain international partners suspended technological collaboration with Moscow, adding that in the technology sector, Russia must develop its competencies in the sense that Moscow needed not only to achieve scientific advancements and "basic solutions" but it must be able to establish an entire technical and production chain.

He underscored that foreign technology dependency "poses a serious threat to the national security" and could threaten Russia's sovereignty.

Putin says 'world did not collapse due to sanctions'

Earlier on June 29, during the third annual forum, Strong Ideas For A New Time, organized by the Russian Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI), Putin underscored that the exit of foreign companies from Russia due to sanctions has not only failed to weaken the nation but on the contrary it strengthened it.

During the forum, Putin said, "The world did not collapse due to sanctions, due to the withdrawal of Western companies," adding that "on the contrary, opportunities for Russian businessmen have expanded many-fold."

He explained that as a result of the ordeal, Russian businessmen have been "proactively taking market niches becoming vacant and developing new, including export, business lines," and the head of state explained, "The entire economy is progressing."

Putin further highlighted that over 43,000 applications from various Russian businessmen have been submitted for trademark registration in five months of the year which, relative to the same period of 2022, indicated a 35% increase.

"Meanwhile, registrations of domestic brands and the turnover of trademark rights are growing consistently. It means they are becoming more valuable assets. National entrepreneurs need to learn to more efficiently capitalize them and earn extra profits from that," Putin remarked.

Moreover, the President stressed that "the Russian GDP gained 5.4% in May in annual terms, from May to May. This is a decent figure. As regards the processing industry, growth is measured by double-digit figures there - 12.8%. The processing industry moved upward."

Putin also underscored that "this is not merely on the account of the defense industry, not only. Related industries are also on the rise, and this is amid the unemployment rate being the lowest throughout contemporary history and low inflation. This is a good result."