Dmitry Zhukov, expert for Strategic Initiatives Agency, Director of Energo-Reshenie LLC
Linking territorial development and the energy sector was the theme of a meeting featuring a recognized expert in the energy field, expert for the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, and Director of Energo-Reshenie LLC Dmitry Zhukov. The expert went into the detail of the relationship between these two processes, emphasizing in particular that the availability of a solid power grid infrastructure and adequate power capacities for connecting facilities in the territory is a minimum prerequisite for the territory's further development. If a plot intended for investment, commercial, or residential construction has power connection issues resolved, then the remaining challenges, such as heating, water supply, and wastewater disposal are also solvable. Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems today is that territorial development plans and energy sector development plans are often not synchronized.
Dmitry Zhukov has developed a number of digital tools and methodologies in this field, which he offers for free to investors, government and municipal bodies.
Tatiana Polyakova, Deputy Head of Rosreestr Administration in the Republic of Karelia
Tatiana Polyakova, Deputy Head of Rosreestr (Cadaster and Cartography Agency) Administration in Karelia, detailed the processes of digitalization in Rosreestr's provision of services to the public, legal entities, and government bodies. State registration of rights, state cadastral accounting, and issuing extracts from the Unified State Register of Real Estate (EGRN) — these are things every citizen encounters at least once in their life. There is a great many other tasks this public organization fulfils.
Minimizing workflows on paper, reducing delivery time and improving the quality of services, avoiding errors, populating various information databases and integrating them for the user, making Rosreestr services as accessible as possible for all clients, eliminating queues and long waits — these are just a few things where modern digital technologies can help. Notably, much of what had been planned has already been implemented, and the professional who deal with Rosreestr regularly know it.
Anastasiia Bykova, Head of the REX Charitable Foundation
Anastasiia Bykova, Head of the REX Charitable Foundation, spoke about how digital technologies are used in the day-to-day work of this organization, which collects donations for homeless animals, and in its reporting and grant activities. Indeed, REX Charitable Foundation is one of digitalization leaders among Karelian NGOs, actively using modern approaches for targeting its audience and dealing with partners and regulatory bodies.
A constant participant of all the events held at the Institute of Economics KarRC RAS was Veronika Goncharova, student at Vitebsk State University, Belarus. The thing is that the Karelian Research Centre is developing cooperation with Belarusian academia. One of the cooperation formats is the participation of graduate and postgraduate students, and early-career researchers in each other’s events.
Veronika Goncharova, student at Vitebsk State University, Belarus
Having earned a degree as an economist & information systems manager, Veronika Goncharova is now pursuing a master's degree in Computer Science and Programming Technologies while also working at the same department as a trainee lecturer. Veronika's thesis dealt with digitalization in education – she developed an electronic class register to help automate teachers’ routines.
-- I’d like to propose introducing 'Digital Transformation Manager’ as a new major. These specialists would help with the implementation of government programs, since digitalization of public administration, including in education, is now mainstreamed. A state educational information environment, with all schools to be integrated, is about to be created, and such managers would help advance this system, -- says Veronika Goncharova.
Veronika came to Karelia under Belarusian state program for internships abroad, having passed a multi-tiered selection process (department, university, commission in Minsk). She admits this is her first time to travel so far away from Belarus, but she has enjoyed staying in Petrozavodsk profoundly.
She acknowledges the warm welcome and the supervisors’ assistance in onboarding. The business dimension of the internship is very thorough; all meetings and workshops broaden one's worldview and mindset, and provide a great deal of information that can be used in future work.
-- I loved Petrozavodsk, especially Onego lakeside promenade — it’s ingrained in my heart, -- said Veronika Goncharova.
