On June 17, 2015, St. Petersburg International Economic Forum for the first time included the Russian forum of small and medium-sized businesses, conducted by Russian public organizations "Support of Russia" and "Business Russia". The forum was attended by Head of innovation and production activity of PetrSU O.Derbeneva.

The Forum was an open platform for discussion between businessmen, representatives of federal and regional public authorities and institutions of execution of orders of the State Council of the Russian Federation, which were formed following its meeting on April 7, 2015, dedicated to the development of small and medium-sized businesses. The purpose of the forum was to promote small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as the basis of the Russian economy.

O.Derbeneva took part in the plenary session "Decision of the State Council, new opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses" and round tables "The potential of small business. Supply and demand. Public procurement" and "Innovation and industrial small business. The infrastructure for the business." The forum discussion sites included talks by the President’s representative of the Russian Federation on protection of consumer rights Boris Titov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Anatoly Aksakov, president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Russian Federation Sergey Katyrin, Deputy Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia Andrei Tsyganov, chairman of the commission on development of small and medium-sized businesses of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation Dmitry Sazonov, executive director of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia Ivan Bortnik, president of the All-Russian public organization of small and medium business "Support of Russia" Alexander Kalinin, Head of SME development of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Natalia Larionova, executive Director of the Regional Integrated Center of St. Petersburg Maxim Balanev and others.

The forum participants suggested the need for a state strategy of development of small and medium-sized enterprises and the creation of a federal corporation of SME development, which will coordinate the work of all problematic areas: legal regulation, the tax field, administrative barriers, financial and credit incentives, innovation and education. The talks of the participants focused on the importance of enhancing the role of SMEs in the development of the Russian economy and its restructuring. The forum formulated one of its main tasks - creating a competitive environment and a market of innovative products. It was noted that there aren’t enough economic incentives for large businesses to begin cooperating with small and medium-sized businesses in the field of innovation. There is also a lack of awareness about important changes in the field of government support programs for SMEs. Most entrepreneurs in small and medium-sized businesses do not know that there is government support of the industry. Not enough attention is paid to marketing, that is, in particular, sales and marketing channels. It was proposed to create business support centers in the regions and to coordinate measures of state support.
O.Derbeneva met with the executive director of the Regional Integrated Center of St. Petersburg Maxim Balanev and exchanged views on the problems and prospects of development of the Regional Integrated Center of the Republic of Karelia, which was created in April 2015 at Petrozavodsk State University.

Conclusions and recommendations that the participants developed at the Russian Forum of small and medium-sized businesses were represented at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, including in the speech of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin on June 19, 2015 at the plenary session of St. Petersburg Economic Forum.

Head of innovation and production activities of PetrSU O.Derbeneva believes that participation in such a representative business forum is an opportunity to obtain information directly from primary sources: on government policy, on public entrepreneurial organizations’ initiatives, on prospective development programs for small and medium-sized businesses, on immediate priorities in the economy, in the sphere of high-tech and industrial entrepreneurship and innovation. All of this is familiarity with the successful experiences in supporting innovative companies in other regions of the Russian Federation, which allows to define a strategic vector of development of innovative activity and small innovative enterprises of PetrSU.