VEB.RF to Invest in Rehabilitation Centres

VEB.RF together with development institutions is actively involved in financing the production of rehabilitation tools and creation of the rehabilitation centres network. The news was announced by First Deputy Chairman of VEB.RF Alexander Braverman at the Hope for Technology forum on rehabilitation industry and universal design in Moscow.

“VEB.RF and the development institutions operating under VEB.RF’s umbrella, primarily RSMB Corporation, Industry Development Fund and Skolkovo Foundation, are actively investing in projects in two areas: first, the production of rehabilitation tools and their components; and second, the creation of rehabilitation centres network,” Alexander Braverman said. 

VEB.RF offers unique tools for such projects, including low-interest loans (5% p.a. and above) to diversify defence industry companies, loans to be issued under the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s cluster investment platform (7.8%), and VEB.RF’s guarantees and surety bonds against IDF’s and commercial banks’ loans. Social impact projects are implemented using the PPP and concession mechanisms. PPP- and concession-based projects for school construction are currently being implemented in 23 Russian regions. This project is supervised by VEB.RF’s subsidiary, the ProSchool Group. The concession mechanism has been applied for building 69 schools and one inter-university campus.

“In addition, VEB.RF delegates projects to the members of the VEB.RF Group subject to their ability to apply the unique concessionary products. We are ready to interact with companies in stages, starting from developing production and investment programmes by project initiators, including the selection of applicable support measures, and support the project at all stages of its implementation until the result is achieved,” Alexander Braverman added.

To illustrate, RSMB Corporation and SME Bank support innovative companies with the revenue growth rate above 12% for three years under the Vysokotech programme. Entrepreneurs are provided with loans totalling up to RUB500m at 3% p.a.

Specifically, VEB.RF supports CITO to modernise the production of medical products used in trauma surgery, external fixation devices, intramedullary fixation systems and spinal systems in Kurgan. The total project value is RUB1bn. VEB.RF also supports Motorika, which produces upper extremity prostheses and is also planning to manufacture lower extremity prostheses. Moreover, VEB.RF and Region company are analysing and structuring the idea to create a network of comprehensive rehabilitation centres in Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has supported the project, which is currently being considered by the Russian Ministry of Labour.

More than 70 Russian leading manufacturers of rehabilitation tools participate in the exhibition held within the framework of the Hope for Technology forum. According to Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov, over 300 various technological solutions have been introduced in the sector since 2017, upon approval of the Strategy for developing industrial production of rehabilitation products.

“The exhibition shows that we have actually covered all the key segments: bionic prostheses, exoskeletons, various rehabilitation complexes, a wide range of wheelchairs,” Anton Alikhanov said.

He noted that Russian manufacturers had made considerable progress over the past years and had reached an international level.

“This gives hope that we have managed to protect our interests using the failures of our competitors. Our goal is to get the maximum benefits of the current situation. We intend to capture not only the Russian or Eurasian markets, but also the markets of other foreign countries,” Anton Alikhanov noted.

The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade is seeking further import substitution of certain components, such as pressure reducing valves. According to Anton Alikhanov, the Ministry is upgrading the requirements for product localisation in Russia.

The Hope for Technology 9th national forum on rehabilitation industry and universal design is held on 24-25 June 2024 in the Lomonosov cluster in Moscow. The event is attended by CEOs of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Russian Ministry of Labour, the Russian Ministry of Health, related agencies and associations, medical, scientific, public associations, and rehabilitation tools manufacturers. The participants discuss R&D, introducing new developments, expanding the production of Russian products and training specialists.