Representatives of the regions got acquainted with the St. Petersburg experience of using PPP for infrastructure development

On July 2-3, 2026, a full-time intensive educational program "Large Infrastructure Projects in the regions of the Russian Federation: from idea to implementation" was held on the Mikhailovskaya Dacha campus of the St. Petersburg State University Graduate School of Management, aimed at developing competencies in the field of infrastructure project implementation.
Dmitry Kapitov, Deputy Chairman of the Investment Committee of St. Petersburg, addressed the audience of the program. He held a session on the experience and specifics of the implementation of public-private partnership projects in St. Petersburg.
"To date, St. Petersburg's portfolio at various stages of implementation includes more than 18 public-private partnership projects with a total investment of more than 880 billion rubles. The main industry where public-private partnerships, including concessions, have the widest application is transport infrastructure: from roads, bridges and tram lines to airport infrastructure. We also see the potential for PPP development in tourism and the cultural and leisure sector. The PPP mechanism shows its effectiveness and helps attract investments for the socio-economic development of the region," said Dmitry Kapitov.
The program participants got acquainted with large-scale PPP projects in St. Petersburg, both implemented in different years and under construction. These include the SKA Arena, secondary schools in different areas of the city, the Western High-Speed Diameter, the Latitudinal High-speed Highway, the Chizhik and Slavyanka tram lines, promising tram networks and overpasses in the southern planning area, and the second stage of Pulkovo Airport. The students also gained valuable knowledge about financing tools and the specifics of PPP project management.
"Infrastructure projects directly affect the quality of people's lives, the investment attractiveness of territories and the sustainability of the regional economy. Therefore, the training of specialists who are able to professionally structure, support and implement such projects becomes a task of strategic importance. VTB Education together with VTB Infrastructure Holding form a unique environment where regional teams receive not only knowledge, but also access to the experience of implementing the largest infrastructure cases of the VTB Group," commented Olga Dergunova, Head of VTB Education, Director of HSE St. Petersburg State University.
The two-day intensive in St. Petersburg was the final stage of the seventh stream, which started in March 2026. The program brought together 92 participants – representatives of management teams from Tula, Yaroslavl, Sverdlovsk, Samara regions, Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Tatarstan.
The face-to-face module allowed students to exchange experiences with colleagues from other regions and invited experts, as well as to structure and defend a model infrastructure project in teams.
"Today, the economy is facing the issue of eliminating the accumulated infrastructure deficit. According to our estimates, the country's annual need for infrastructure investments is 10-12 trillion rubles. At the same time, most of the projects should be implemented in the regions, becoming one of the drivers of their development. For us, as pioneers of the PPP market, the training of regional teams is not just a transfer of competencies, it is a contribution to the creation of a long—term economic base of the country. Through such educational programs, we broadcast our unique experience and help the regions launch projects that will have a long-term multiplier effect on the development of these territories," said Anton Novikov, CEO of VTB Infrastructure Holding.
The next stream of the program is scheduled for autumn 2026.
For reference:
The program "Major Infrastructure Projects in the regions of the Russian Federation: from idea to implementation" was developed and is being implemented by VTB Education in cooperation with VTB Infrastructure Holding. The main idea is to promote the creation of new infrastructure in the country through the training of specialists who are ready to implement projects in the regions. Since its launch in 2022, more than 400 students from 30 regions of Russia have participated in the program.