On May 14, 2026, Ryazan hosted the annual "Aerospace Innovation Valley – 2026" (AKID) conference. The central event of the forum was the opening of a new building of the Innovative Scientific and Technological Center (ISTC) with an area of over 7,000 square meters. It was here that the plenary session took place, attended by representatives of government, industry, and high-tech businesses.
Opening the event, Pavel Malkov, Governor of the Ryazan Region, noted that the AKID project is of strategic importance for both the region and the country as a whole. According to him, the innovation valley is becoming one of the key platforms for the development of domestic technologies and strengthening Russia's technological sovereignty. One of the main directions of the ISTC's work today is the development of the "Protos" scientific and production center for unmanned aerial systems.
Currently, more than 150 residents operate within the ISTC ecosystem, and about 50 more companies are preparing to join the project. Residents are engaged in developments in the fields of aerospace technologies, radio engineering, information technologies, and biotechnologies. As the head of the region emphasized, many projects have already reached the stage of practical application and serial production. In particular, one of the design bureaus in the valley produces the "Scalpel" attack drone, while another company produces promising drones at a volume of up to 20 thousand units per month.
During the conference, AKID CEO Pavel Novitsky signed a number of agreements with new residents, the National Technology Initiative Fund, and the Ryazan State Radio Engineering University named after V.F. Utkin.
Special attention at the conference was paid to the digitalization of the transport and aerospace industries. By official invitation of the AKID management, the Russian IT company "Oblako" participated in the event.
LLC "Oblako" specializes in the development of multimedia platforms and digital ecosystems for aviation, railway, bus, and water transport. The company uses entirely domestic software, which makes its solutions in demand in the context of active import substitution and the development of national IT technologies.
Representatives of the State Corporation "Roscosmos," PJSC "United Aircraft Corporation," State Duma deputies, and members of the Federation Council also participated in the conference.
The business program of the forum included cooperation sessions and thematic round tables. Experts discussed ISTC resident projects in the interests of "Roscosmos," the development of aviation systems, overcoming regulatory barriers, training specialized professionals, as well as measures to support technology companies and the development of the innovation valley's infrastructure. A separate section was dedicated to current challenges in the IT market and prospects for the development of digital solutions for high-tech industries.