Siberia as the center of the technological future
The history of Russia is a series of great ideas brought to life by the unique creative energy of its people. The BAM, the cascade of hydroelectric power plants on the Yenisei and Angara, the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Kansko-Achinsk Fuel and Energy Complex are just some examples of how the dream of a bright future and happiness of their native country turned into large industrial centers, into grandiose infrastructure facilities, into unique scientific centers creating advanced technologies. which are used by the whole world.
In the 21st century, the symbiosis of a great beautiful dream, unyielding will, high competencies and energy remains a powerful engine of Russia's progress.
The cluster of deep processing of critical metals in the Angara-Yenisei macroregion, supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin, will open a new page in the history of our country. This is not just an investment project, it is a paradigm shift in the development of the Russian Federation, which will determine its place in the world for at least the coming century.
Russia in the new architecture of the global economy
The division of the world into states that create technologies and countries that supply raw materials for these technologies to become products is becoming a thing of the past. Economic ecosystems are being replaced, in which science, education, extraction and processing of resources, as well as industrial production are closely intertwined, united by a network of information and logistics links. Full technological cycles — from an idea to a finished product — and the "seamless" integration of science, technology, resource and production systems, in the language of IT specialists, is no longer just a competitive advantage of industrialized countries in the global market. This is a necessary condition for effective movement into the economy of the future.
Attempts to create "full—cycle" industrial clusters in Siberia were made repeatedly - in 1933, 1971 and 1981. However, in the early 80s, these initiatives were stopped by the efforts of "Perestroika" (to understand the perestroika of what). As a result, the USSR lost the momentum of development, and later was forced to cease to exist, and the new Russia, after a difficult period of halting the collapse, focused on exporting unprocessed raw materials.
A dump truck takes out ore for aluminum production from the quarry of the Mazul limestone mine of the Achinsk Alumina Combine of the Rusal company in the vicinity of the city of Achinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory
The world is changing in the 21st century. The transition to multipolarity and the concomitant change in global economic conditions allows Russia to turn from the dead—end path of becoming a raw material appendage of the West, a path that our country has been persistently pushed by its geopolitical competitors for decades, and become one of the centers of technological development of mankind. The cluster of deep processing of critical metals in the Angara-Yenisei macroregion is an important project that will help our country realize its strategic opportunities.
Russia ranks first in the world in terms of reserves of critical metals, in general. Unfortunately, we currently have too little domestic consumption. We export most of what we produce. At the same time, we import 10 times more products from critical metals than we produce ourselves from our raw materials. Continuing to do so is an unacceptable luxury at the current historical stage.
The geopolitics of technology
The strength of the modern state is not in hypersonic missiles and combat lasers. All the most powerful means of armed struggle turn into nothing if the State cannot reproduce them independently in the required quantities. And this requires high technology, microchips and magnets. Rare earth metals (REM) are the basis of microelectronics, defense systems, space and energy technologies. China currently controls more than 80% of the global REM market. Its natural reserves are estimated at 44 million tons. According to a report by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment published in January 2023, there are at least 15 types of REM in our country, and the total reserves at the 18 studied deposits exceed 28 million tons.
At the same time, less than 2% of the total proven reserves of rare earth metals are involved in mining in Russia. Most of the REM for the needs of the Russian economy is imported from abroad. The involvement of this most valuable resource in economic turnover and the creation of a full cycle of REM processing within the country is a task on which not only future success depends, but also, perhaps, the very existence of the Russian Federation as a sovereign state in the historical perspective.
Rare earth metals are elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, europium, yttrium and others. They are contained in ore in minimal concentrations, require complex and expensive processing, but without them neither modern energy, nor communications, nor transport is possible. They are used to manufacture the most powerful permanent magnets for electric motors, lasers, alloys for aviation, sensors, medical equipment and even pigments for banknotes. In fact, REM is the "blood" of a new technological order, imperceptible, but absolutely necessary. Russia has some of the largest deposits in the world — Lovozersky, Tomtorsky, Chuktukonsky, Zashikhinsky, Beloziminsky. The cluster of deep processing of critical metals in the Angara-Yenisei macroregion will form an extensive system of cooperation in the rare earth metallurgy circuit, from technology to the final product.
What is a cluster of deep processing of critical metals in the Angara-Yenisei macroregion?
A cluster is an ecosystem that unites science, education, industry, and investment. The project is being implemented in Greater Siberia and unites dozens of enterprises, scientific institutes and universities into a single network. The total investment is estimated at more than 700 billion rubles, and the number of new jobs is at least 3.5 thousand at the first stage alone (personnel data is provided without taking into account the growth of personnel of related and service companies and, most importantly, qualified scientists and engineers attracted to Siberia to create new scientific and engineering schools).
Both during the period of the Russian Empire and in Soviet times, the state sought to create such conditions that citizens would voluntarily and gladly go to Siberia to build and develop the national economy. It is very important to strengthen people's enthusiasm, faith in the country, in the success of a great undertaking and pride in their work. And today, initiatives to develop Siberia as a center of Russia's new industrialization must be built on a similar basis. We need decent salaries, subsidies, benefits, etc. For example, a specialist came to work in Siberia and got a loan to purchase housing and an interest—free car loan. I have lived and worked there for 10 years, and the loan is repaid, so to speak, on its own. This is a good incentive mechanism. And for businesses involved in Siberian development projects, preferences are also needed.
Therefore, a system of tax benefits and administrative preferences is provided for cluster members, depending on the stage of business development, and most importantly, a unified business strategy for joint development is being formed. Such measures are necessary in order to accelerate the launch of production and stimulate the attraction of private capital.
In addition to rare and rare earth metals, new materials, semiconductors, power electronics, 3D printing, robotics, and artificial intelligence will be developed in the cluster. In fact, the cluster will be a place where research laboratories and production workshops will be adjacent, where an engineer will work together with a scientist, technologist and a skilled worker in a single information and technological space. And the processes of professional development will also take place there: students, postgraduates and young scientists, as well as students of specialized secondary educational institutions — young people will acquire knowledge and practical experience by being directly immersed in scientific, technological and production processes. This approach will allow us to grow new staff who will surpass teachers in their knowledge and skills and will subsequently grow an even more effective shift. This is how the mechanism of growth and accumulation of competencies in the Russian economy will be built.
Economic sense: from raw materials to technology
According to experts, Russia annually loses up to 7 trillion rubles by exporting unprocessed raw materials. It cannot be said that our country is an outsider in this regard. A more or less similar pattern is observed in other REM-producing countries. So far, only China can boast that it has fully mastered the cycle of working with rare earth metals.
The REM industry is difficult to develop: it requires technology, high-quality personnel, huge investments and political will.
In the Russian Federation, the situation with the development of rare earth metals is further aggravated by the fact that our deposits are difficult to develop: their ores are difficult to enrich, and the content of valuable components in them is relatively low. Therefore, the challenges listed above are becoming even more acute for Russia.
However, in modern conditions, our country is simply obliged to extract 100% of the benefits from its natural resources, including from the REM. It is vital for Russia to create a "sovereign industry" independent of China and the United States, as well as to develop integrated projects covering the full production cycle — from mining to final products. To solve this problem, a powerful impetus from the state is needed.
The cluster project offers just such a way: the creation of high-tech industries with high added value. The government provides the infrastructure, business receives a platform and incentives, science receives an order and financing. With this approach, a new economy will be formed, where every ruble invested in Siberia will start working for the whole country.
Siberia is the center
Contrary to the stereotype that has developed over the centuries, Siberia today is not the edge of geography. And in fact, she never was. Throughout history, Siberia has been a place of spiritual strength, a place of human exploration of nature — from Ermak to the builders of BAM.
And today, this amazing land is naturally becoming the center of attraction for people and ideas. The Krasnoyarsk Territory, Irkutsk Region, Khakassia, and Tuva are together becoming a macroregion of economic and scientific potential. The negative consequences of the first years of post-Soviet reality are still making themselves felt. The eastern regions of the country still continue to lose their population, and the outflow of young people remains one of the main threats to the future of Siberia. The cluster should make a significant contribution to overcoming this trend: new jobs, affordable and high-quality education, comfortable housing and developed infrastructure will turn Siberia into a place where you want to work, live, and raise children.
Science and youth: the return of meaning
The main resource of industrialization is intelligence. Today, most of the R&D centers are concentrated in Moscow and St. Petersburg.‑St. Petersburg. The cluster project will create a new model — "science next to production": universities, academic institutes and technology parks will work in a single system. This will give Siberian youth a chance to realize themselves at home, instead of "seeking happiness" somewhere outside. Angaro‑The Yenisei cluster can become a new "Komsomol construction site" — only instead of sleepers and concrete, strikers and enthusiasts of the 21st century will create microchips, lasers, sensors and intelligent systems here, which are necessary for the strategic leadership of their native country.
To attract young people and valuable specialists, it is possible to use the methodology of competitions and professional selections, previously tested on other tasks of public and corporate governance. The colossal scale of Siberian projects creates the opportunity to launch high-quality social elevators and ensure guaranteed career growth for real professionals who have proven themselves in real cases and projects.
Energy industry
Siberia has enormous energy potential. The installed capacity of the commissioned HPPs in the Angara-Yenisei macroregion is 25 GW. In addition, there are a number of promising facilities in the region, including the Sredne-Yeniseiskaya HPP, Igarskaya HPP and other large hydroelectric power plants, with a combined capacity of another 19 GW. The Kansk-Achinsk Fuel and Energy Complex has enormous unclaimed capacities. All this enormous energy can be transformed into new technological developments and high-tech deep-processing industries. Some of the energy can be directed to new "smart" cities that organically arise on the basis of historical settlements in Siberia, changing the principles of territorial connectivity and development of territories.
Transport and logistics
A cross-cutting factor determining the efficiency of the economy is speed. The 21st century is the age of high speeds. Today we have mastered the technologies of high-speed transmission of information, finance and energy. We are actively working on speeds in transport and logistics. The unique geographical location of Siberia creates an opportunity for the reassembly of logistics of the entire Eurasian continent, the creation of new transport corridors, the formation of agglomeration and synergetic effects from the growth of mutual penetration of qualitatively new innovative and business activities. Projects such as the Central Eurasian Transport Corridor, the Northern Latitudinal Passage, and others will inevitably prove their necessity and importance as Siberia's industrial and innovation activity grows. The high-quality implementation of these projects will lay down new principles of communication and movement of people and goods between the regions of Siberia, increase the mobility and inclusion of the Global South, and create a global innovation hub involving high-quality human capital in the development of Siberia.
Ecology and responsibility
The main concern of local residents in the territories where projects for the development and processing of natural resources are being implemented is environmental pollution. The cluster project makes such fears groundless from the very beginning. It lays down the principles of environmental monitoring and closed-loop economics: automatic emission control, waste reuse, and treatment technologies. The symbol of the cluster's environmental mission is "White Snow of Krasnoyarsk‑2050": clean industrialization as a real KPI, not a slogan.
Security and dual-use technologies
Critical metals are not only the economy of a new technological order, but also defense: they are used in navigation systems, engines, and radars. The creation of our own metallurgical base of the REM is an element of strategic security. The cluster will integrate civil and defense technologies, ensuring the sovereignty of the Russian Federation.
For business
Businesses receive not just benefits, but an effective long-term development model. The cluster will include several tax regimes and assumes not only tax breaks, but also access to infrastructure, guaranteed demand from state corporations and PPP programs. For medium—sized companies and startups, this is a chance to become real participants in the high-tech industries of the future. With this approach, the "construction site of the century" also becomes the "market of the century."
For regions and their residents
For the residents of Siberia, the project is a guarantee of new jobs, high—quality infrastructure and social stability. The growth of the tax base, new roads, housing, universities, hospitals, sports complexes and other benefits of civilization will create a new, higher standard of living. It is important that the benefits are distributed fairly: part of the tax revenues will remain in the municipalities, and public control is being formed.
International cooperation and competition
Russia is capable of being not only a supplier, but also a technological partner. China controls 80% of the global market, but Russia has unique reserves and an engineering school. The cluster will create an alternative to Western supply chains, offering countries of the Global South a model of cooperation without sanctions dictate.
A new meaning for the country
Russia is building again. Not just cities, but a future based on knowledge, technology, and respect for nature. The cluster of deep processing of critical metals in the Angara-Yenisei macroregion is a symbol of this era and the return of self—confidence. Its mission is to turn Siberia's resource potential into an active driver of innovation, making the country a territory of great meanings. This is a project that unites economics, science, people and faith in the future. This is a model of Russia's future: scientific, technological, responsible to people and nature.
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