four-fifths of enterprises are satisfied with the investment climate

Assessments of the investment climate in industry at the end of 2023 have become the most positive in at least the last nine years, according to data from the Center for Market Research at the Institute for Statistical Research and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (received from the results of a pilot survey of more than 1 thousand investment-active industrial organizations from 30 subjects of the Russian Federation). 82% of respondents rated the investment climate in 2023 as “above satisfactory” (an increase of 5 percentage points by 2022), 18% – “unsatisfactory” (a corresponding decrease of 5 points). Over the past nine years, the share of respondents who defined the investment climate as “unsatisfactory” has more than halved—from 42% to 18%.

Experts note a slight increase in investment activity in 2023; more than a third of business executives reported it (34%), 20% recorded a decrease, and 46% said it did not change over the year. Forecasts for 2024 “confirm the presence of potential and development plans, including in terms of increasing investment in digital and technological development,” ISSEK explains. 35% of managers plan to increase investment activity this year, 7% plan to reduce it, and 58% plan to maintain the same dynamics.

The balance of assessments of the investment activity of enterprises in terms of digital and technological development (the difference in the shares of respondents who noted an increase and decrease in the indicator) more than doubled, amounting to plus 12% (in 2022 – plus 5%). Capital investments increased by 18% of production (in 2022 by 16%), decreased by 6% (11%), remained at the same level by 70% (63%). Surveys also showed an increase in the dependence of the production process on digital technologies. Compared to 2022, it was noted by 20% of respondents versus 15% a year earlier.

Also interesting is the assessment by managers of the degree of “technological sovereignty” of their enterprises. It was called “high” by 15% of respondents, 62% described it as “average”, 16% as “low”, and 7% said it was absent. Judging by the survey data, manufacturers of clothing, textiles, paper and paper products mostly reported the absence of “sovereignty” or its low level.

Venera Petrova