MAER supported the holding of the Russian Internet Forum

The 29th Russian Internet Forum (RIF-2025) has started in Moscow. Industry experts, businessmen, employees of relevant ministries and departments, and students discuss the future of the digital industry: from national sovereignty to cyber threats and new rules for advertising. Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, delivered a welcoming speech at the plenary session.

"According to the Hamburg account, only three countries in the world have the full range of digital sovereignty — Russia, China and the United States. All this set of restrictions, sanctions, and pressure did not lead to the collapse of the Russian Internet sector, but <...> became the basis for outstripping growth. The economy of the Russian segment of the Internet has been growing by more than 40% for the second year," said Sergey Kiriyenko.

"It's great to know that Russia is going its own way. And we are creating a new generation of media, using our own technologies, and making our contribution to ensuring the sovereignty of the country," said Konstantin Mayor, owner and CEO of the MAER media holding, at the plenary session. His theme this year was the economics of trust. The competition for attention in the digital environment is now excessively high.

"And the winner in it is not the one who shouts louder, but the one who causes belonging, gives impressions and lays down meanings that can unite society. The media holding works exactly according to this principle. After all, attention is a big responsibility. When 58 million people hear you, you don't have the right to broadcast emptiness. That's why we rely on meaningful, emotional content that unites and inspires. We help to turn the digital environment into a space of emotions and trust," Konstantin Mayor emphasized during the discussion.

Audience trust is becoming the foundation of the digital economy: experts have concluded that user trust is a key resource for development.

"Cloud services and AI-based solutions that help businesses operate more efficiently and faster are in high demand in Russia. Automation of business processes, data analytics using machine learning, and cloud-based development platforms are in the highest demand. Businesses are actively looking for tools that will allow them to gain a competitive advantage, and AI solutions for marketing and content creation are also gaining popularity," said Dmitry Gulyaev, Director of the RAEC.

The Russian Internet Forum is taking place from 24 to 26 September at the Moscow Country Club. MAER Media Holding is the communication partner of RIF-2025.