The study, prepared by the Moscow state University named after M. V. Lomonosov together with the Roscongress Foundation, is a comparative analysis of how the Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States and France aim to increase the export trade turnover of high-tech goods using their national business missions.

The study notes that the Russian Export Center (REC) is one of the key organizers of business missions in the Russian Federation. Its records identified over 100 export-oriented meetings, including 17 business missions, held in 2018. Russian business missions are organized around the paradigm of the following goals: developing exports and international cooperation, attracting international investment, technology transfer, and improving national reputation. The Russian approach to organizing business missions has several strengths, including centralized support of exporters, a high-level of comprehensive assistance for exporters, and a high level of cooperation between central offices and representative offices abroad.

However, the study also identified areas where organizing Russian business missions could be improved, including: developing assistance programmes to encourage SMEs lacking international experience to enter foreign markets; establishing closer relations between government institutions and SMEs; and studying the unique characteristics of the national cultures at which these business missions are targeted.

According to the overview’s authors, business missions further on should focus on developing and implementing instruments for managing the complete lifecycle of scientific research and designs, increasing the effectiveness of their future practical application, and commercialization on both the national and international levels.