Adam Smith Conferences would like to thank all participants – speakers, sponsors and delegates – for contributing to the great success of its inaugural conference on Transport Infrastructure & Water Projects in Russia.
Over 150 attendees, representing the key government ministries, ports, railway, roads and water concerns, construction companies and engineering contractors, financiers and legal advisors, came together to discuss present and potential projects and the opportunities being created for the private sector to finance and deliver them.The conference proved to be highly topical, taking place as the Russian government announced the formation of JSC Russian Railways, now Russia’s biggest company. Deputy Minister of Railways, Anna Belova, made the keynote presentation on the opening day and highlighted the role the new company will play in the restructuring of the railway system across Russia and outlined its objectives and the various stages of the restructuring process.
Other highlights included:

Konstantin Kondakov, Deputy Governor, Administration of St. Petersburg, emphasised the local government’s commitment to attracting know-how and finance from the private sector
Vladimir Zotov, Director Floor Barrier Project, Gosstroy, provided an update on this essential project, which has received substantial input from international partners
Guy-Philippe Decaries, Senior Director of Private Rail, Bombardier Total Transit System, gave a well-received insight into the company’s pioneering rapid transit system PPP for the city
Gerd Beinsen, Project Director, Fraport AG, provided an honest “outsider’s” view of progress still to be made in restructuring airports in Russia
Michael Miller, Director St. Petersburg Office, NCC International, provided a fascinating overview of the successful completion of the company’s South-West Waste Water Treatment Plant project, the first such project in Russia completed using the PPP model
Anton Geidt, Chief of Department for Road Sector Economy & Planning, Ministry of Transport / RosAvtoDor, gave the keynote speech on the second day and highlighted plans for modernising and restructuring the road network and the role that the private sector can play
All attendees were in agreement that the conference is now firmly established as a key annual meeting place for the industry and many are already looking forward to receiving an update next year on sector restructuring and on projects already underway.
Adam Smith Conferences would like to thank the conference sponsors for their support: TransCreditBank, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Maersk Sealand, Raiffeisen Bank and Hogan & Hartson
Here is the feedback from just a few of the satisfied delegates:
“Excellent and very useful”, Oleg Panarin, Vice President, TransCreditBank
“Provided a very good overview of the status of transport infrastructure projects in Russia and what to expect in the future”, Tom Thomson, Senior Vice President, The PBN Company
“Important, topical themes developed amongst professionals”, Andrey Melikhov, Head of Strategy, Transsystem
“The mix of speakers (Russians and non-Russians) as well as the practical view was very good”, Gerd Beinsen, Project Director, Fraport AG
“Very professional and well thought-out organisation, providing very useful information”, Dmitry Loginov, Director Corporate Finance, SAO Bank West LN Vostok
“Proactive, effective and lean”, Murat Arzuman, Business Development Manager, Troy Group
“Very informative”, Anastasia Taratine, Director, Business Development, The PBN Company
“Good platform for networking”, Natasha Eremeeva, Deputy Regional Director, Scott Wilson