Rospotrebnadzor to play key role at SPIEF 2022
The Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) has confirmed that it will play a key role in the 25th anniversary edition of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The event is set to take place at the ExpoForum Exhibition and Convention Centre on 15–18 June 2022. Rospotrebnadzor will work together with the Roscongress Foundation to ensure that all necessary measures are put in place to protect Forum participants and guests from the risk of COVID-19.
The organization will also have a stand at SPIEF’s exhibition. This will, amongst other things, showcase Russian technologies related to the development and manufacture of test systems, and high-quality diagnostic products and vaccines capable of competing with imported equivalents. There will also be a presentation of the Sanitary Shield initiative.
«Since the beginning of the pandemic, our scientific institutions and industry have taken great leaps forward. Today, virtually everything we need to ensure a high level of protection from the coronavirus is produced by us inside the country. The creation and bolstering of the country’s sanitary shield serve as the foundation for ensuring our safety, and we have already made great progress in this area,» said Anna Popova, Head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will host two panel sessions in cooperation with Rospotrebnadzor: The Sanitary Shield: Investing in Development; and From Replacing Imports to Superseding Them: Healthy Nutrition at a Time of Economic Restrictions.
The bolstering of the country’s sanitary shield will not only aid efforts to react more effectively to new pandemics, but will also support the development of related industries and reduce reliance on imports in the field of biotechnology. Public investment in the sanitary shield is having a multiplier effect, attracting additional investment in science, the development of biotechnology, the production of tests and vaccines, lab instrument production, and the development of the specialized design and construction sector. The last of these will play a crucial role as pressure from sanctions increases, and import substitution and boosting Russian production are no longer an option so much as the natural course to take in the interests of national development.
The Sanitary Shield: Investing in Development will focus on how investment in countering potential biological threats will impact national development goals. Participants at the session will examine what new tools the sanitary shield will offer in efforts to protect the population from epidemics, and how investment in fighting epidemics can be converted into scientific, industrial, and educational development. The role of industrial partners will come under focus, as will the mechanisms needed to multiply investments.
The second session — From Replacing Imports to Superseding Them: Healthy Nutrition at a Time of Economic Restrictions — will focus on modern approaches to healthy nutrition, with consideration given to people’s lifestyles today.
Healthy Nutrition is the name of an initiative which has been incorporated into Russia’s Demography national project. It has led to a range of events being held at a regional and national level to encourage people to lead healthy lifestyles, including through enjoying a healthy diet and avoiding harmful habits. Participants will consider whether it will be difficult to ensure quality control and food safety at a time of economic and technological isolation. They will also discuss ways of improving Russian people’s access to simple and healthy foods during sanctions. Other areas of focus will include the role of import substitution and self-sufficiency in the food industry, and whether Russia has the knowledge-intensive technologies needed to support the development of related sectors.
