Moscow Region Strengthens Its Position in the Creative Economy: Research Results and Acceleration Programs

On December 4, 2025, the results of a study on the development of creative industries in the Moscow Region in the post-COVID period were presented at the AKI.lab space. Over the past five years, the region has become one of the leaders in revenue, employment, and the value of fixed capital and intangible assets of creative sector enterprises. The Moscow Region's creative sector is growing faster than related industries, with growth driven by the most dynamic areas—gastronomy, IT, performing arts, design, fashion, and audiovisual content production.

The study's results and recommendations for developing the regional business ecosystem were presented at the final event of the Acceleration Program for Creative Industries, organized by the Moscow Region Investment Development Agency and the My Business Center of the Moscow Region with the support of the Federation of Creative Industries.

The experts emphasized the special role of creative industries as one of the drivers of socioeconomic development. Revenue at innovative enterprises in the Moscow Region increased by 23%, equity capital by 45%, and the value of intangible assets by 78%.

"Despite relatively low investment, the Moscow Region's creative industries have grown very rapidly since the pandemic. This makes it all the more important that the Moscow Region Investment Development Agency has been overseeing the sector since this year. The region's accumulated creative potential, coupled with targeted support measures, can lead to stunning results in the coming years," noted Igor M. Namakonov, CEO of the Federation of Creative Industries.

The accelerator program aimed to disseminate relevant entrepreneurial practices, strengthen horizontal business ties, and develop competencies in promoting creative products. Accelerator participants studied key domestic and international trends in the creative economy, intellectual property management tools, modern brand management, effective media promotion strategies, and the application of artificial intelligence systems in entrepreneurship.

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Following the program's completion, aspiring entrepreneurs and creative project owners received certificates and practical recommendations from experts from the Federation of Creative Industries, the Scientific and Educational Center for Intellectual Property and the Digital Economy (Digital IP), and Alfa-Bank.

The accelerator's final discussion, held in a talk show format (a proprietary format of the Federation of Creative Industries), focused on the experiences of regions with similar infrastructure models and priorities in the creative industries. Speakers presented tools for supporting creative entrepreneurship in the Moscow Region and shared successful business development cases in this field. Representatives of the Moscow Region Entrepreneurship Support Center, the Moscow Regional Duma, and experts from the Russian Center for the Circulation of Rights to the Results of Creative Activity participated in the discussion.

"Creative industries are becoming one of the drivers of economic development in the Moscow Region." We are creating a favorable ecosystem—from infrastructure and educational programs to financial support—so that talent and ideas can be transformed into competitive businesses,” says Kirill Zhigarev, Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry, and Science of the Moscow Region.

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