The First International Transport and Logistics Forum, held in St. Petersburg from April 1 to 3, 2026, became more than just an industry discussion platform — it showcased the emergence of a new technological era in Russia’s transport system. The central theme focused on advanced technological solutions that ensure the country’s digital and industrial sovereignty. In his address, Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin emphasized that the Ministry is currently focused on eliminating infrastructure bottlenecks and creating so-called digital seamlessness. A key tool in achieving this goal is the national digital transport and logistics platform “GosLog.” Its implementation is expected to dramatically accelerate border-crossing procedures: the time for freight transport to pass through checkpoints is planned to be reduced to ten minutes through a complete transition to electronic documentation and intelligent algorithms. The topic of high-speed railways (HSR) attracted particular attention at the forum. Andrey Nikitin described the HSR project as one of the largest scientific and technological initiatives in modern Russia, comparing it to a vast iceberg. Behind its visible part — a cutting-edge domestic high-speed train — lies extensive cooperation among more than 150 enterprises from 36 regions and a major restructuring of the education system. The Moscow–St. Petersburg HSR project marks a fundamentally new level of technological maturity for the Russian economy.
According to experts, operating the first line alone will require around 8,000 highly qualified specialists, while the entire network of five HSR lines will eventually employ more than 100,000 people. In response to this challenge, a new academic discipline — “High-Speed Transport Engineer” — has already been approved, with training now underway at the “HSR Academy” within the Russian University of Transport. Issues of scientific and human resource support for the industry were further elaborated by Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov. He reported that since 2023, about 700 research projects have been carried out under the Priority-2030 program, covering the full spectrum of transport technologies — from unmanned systems to advanced structural materials. According to the minister, this synergy between science, education, and the real sector allows Russia not only to achieve complete technological sovereignty in high-speed transport but also to develop competencies ready for export to international partners. Unmanned technologies, already being tested on Russian highways, were another highlight of the forum. Driverless trucks are now operating on the M-11 “Neva” and the Central Ring Road, and are expected to enter the M-12 “Vostok” route in 2026. The results are impressive: travel time between St. Petersburg and Kazan has been reduced from 58 to 24 hours. Meanwhile, Russian Railways presented a model for unmanned freight operations on the Eastern range, where the driver supervises the system from a control panel rather than directly operating the train. The main takeaway from the forum is clear — logistics has finally ceased to be merely a support function. Today, it is a genuine driver of economic growth, built on reliability, digital transparency, and a sovereign technological foundation.