On March 17, the 30th anniversary exhibition of transport and logistics services, warehouse equipment and technologies TransRussia opened at the Crocus Expo IEC | SkladTech 2026. More than 550 companies presented logistics services and samples of warehouse equipment. On the first day of the business program, 13 sessions, conferences and discussions were held. We share with you the conclusions of industry experts.

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30th International Conference for Cargo Owners and Carriers "TRANSRUSSIA"

Analytical Session "Global Economic Changes: The Trajectory of Expectations in Logistics"

The business program in the Main Hall was opened by an analytical session organized jointly with the International Coordinating Council for Trans-Eurasian Transportation (CCTT). The session was moderated by Marat Zembatov, Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at the Higher School of Economics.

The discussion focused on global challenges that are changing the face of the global transport system. Vladimir Kosoy, President of the Center for Infrastructure Economics JSC, presented an overview of the global economy: according to his estimates, key trends will be determined by demographic shifts, the development of digital technologies and the transformation of the energy sector. Shipping is becoming more and more risky, which will lead to changes in tariffs and approaches to the protection of ships. The expert singled out Africa and Southeast Asia as promising areas, and also stressed the need to develop the Northern Sea Route and domestic transportation.

A separate topic of the session was transport sovereignty through the prism of trade with the Global South. Ksenia Klimko, Director, Infrastructure and Project Finance Practice, Strategic Marketing Group at Technologies of Trust, cited indicative figures: the countries of the Global South account for 80% of the world's population, and their GDP growth rates are twice as high as those of the northern economies. Among the steps towards transport sovereignty, the expert highlighted the development of terminal infrastructure, partnerships, fleets and value chains - with the active support of the state.

Plenary Session "Transport and Logistics Market in the Context of Global Instability"

Opening the session, moderator Mikhail Goncharov, Secretary General of the International Coordinating Council on Trans-Eurasian Transportation (CCTT), stated that the growing global instability significantly complicates forecasting, and at the same time opens up new "windows of opportunity" for market participants.

The state of the Russian container market was analyzed by German Maslov, Deputy General Director for the Liner and Logistics Division of FESCO TG: the market as a whole decreased by 5.3%, exports increased by 9%, imports fell by 10%, domestic transportation decreased by 13%. The Far Eastern basin is the leader in terms of volume. The total share of Russian lines in the container market is 20%, of which 65% of the fleet is owned.

The topic of trade diversification from the point of view of European business was raised by Tadzio Schilling, CEO of AEB. He recalled that the current restrictions are temporary, and stressed that tomorrow is shaped by the decisions that are made today.

Konstantin Kim, Director of the Information and Analytical Center for Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, spoke about the dynamics of foreign trade in industrial goods. According to him, business has successfully reoriented cargo flows to new markets, but Russian products are sold cheaper there. As a growth point, the expert singled out countries with which free trade agreements are already in force or are being concluded.

The session was concluded by Alexey Grom, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of UTLC ERA, who reported a 1.5% increase in rail container traffic in March, and the global volume of container traffic reached 200 million TEUs. According to the expert, the industry demonstrates a confident state: "This is no longer a window, but a showcase of opportunities."

Business Dialogue "International Container Logistics: Safety Margin"

The central topic of the dialogue was the stability of the market in the face of ongoing turbulence. Maxim Shishkov, Director of Strategic Marketing at Delo Group, presented the "radar of trends" for the coming year: supply chain security, staff shortages, growth of state regulation, digital platforms and customer-centric models. In five years, the Russian market has grown by 15%, repeating the global trend, but with sharper fluctuations. "You need to learn to live with uncertainty and form solutions for customers in it," the speaker concluded.

Dmitry Kryukov, Deputy General Director of Russian Railways Logistics, drew attention to global trends: a decrease in consumption and an increase in the money supply directly affect transport logistics. The company, according to him, is working to increase the speed parameters of transportation.

A practical example of new logistics solutions was the presentation by Dmitry Digodyev, General Director of Global Group Holding, of a new service of the Russia-Kazakhstan Freight Express (Perovo-Almaty). According to him, freight express trains are able to compete with road transportation due to a clear schedule and the absence of road traffic. The expert announced plans to create an extensive network of freight expresses.

The problem of imbalance in trade between Russia and India was raised by Manish Kumar, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, member of the Board of the FBA EAC, President of the Soltex Group. In particular, they talked about the issue of container reloading: according to the expert, the solution of basic trade issues is a necessary foundation for the development of cargo transportation.

Salum Hossam Eddin, Counsellor of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Russian Federation, drew attention to the role of logistical aspects in the development of relations between the countries and expressed hope for further friendship and cooperation between the Arab countries and the Russian Federation.

Discussion session "Digital Transformation of Logistics"

The session was held with the support of the Digital Transport and Logistics Association. Moderator — Polina Davydova, Director of the Digital Transport and Logistics Association.

The discussion focused on the industry's readiness to switch to electronic document management. Vitaly Tekhtelev, Deputy Director of the Digital Development Department of the Ministry of Transport of Russia, announced the official launch of the GIS EPD from September 1, 2026: the system has already proven its relevance — 33 million documents have been issued in it, the most popular of which are the consignment note and the electronic waybill.

Fyodor Novikov, Head of the Electronic Document Management Department of the Federal Tax Service of Russia, spoke about the formats that have yet to be implemented. The waybill will become mandatory from September 1, forwarding documents are at the final stage of approval, and the air and railway waybills are still under development.

Dmitry Surovets, Deputy General Director for Information Technology of FESCO (FESCO), shared his experience of digital transformation at the level of a major player. The company is constantly expanding the list of asset monitoring metrics to increase fault tolerance and reduce the cost of repairs. The main goal, according to the speaker, remains unchanged: to improve the quality and speed of logistics.

Interview on stage

As part of the business session "Interview on Stage", Vera Timoshenko, LL.M., Consultant in the field of strategic communications, Managing Partner of CREDO Communications, presented an unexpected view on the interaction of business and culture. She noted that by combining business and art, we combine intellectual and financial capital, which mutually enrich each other. After all, when business supports art, art ennobles business.

6th Industry Conference "Logistics in E-Commerce"

Panel Session "Strategies for the Development of Logistics in E-Commerce"

One of the central topics of the session was changes in the logistics model of e-commerce and the growing role of hybrid sales channels. Maria Alekseenko, head of the TransRussia Connect project, presented the results of the study "Logistics Trends in E-Commerce 2026": online sales have gained a foothold as a significant sales channel, but 24% of companies still do not work online. The market is moving towards a hybrid model – 59% of companies expect online channels to grow by more than 20%. Among marketplaces, Ozon (49%), Wildberries (43%) and Yandex Market (33%) are in the lead.

The session participants paid special attention to changes in the operating environment for sellers and logistics companies. Ivan Groshev, Development Director of YM Trans Rus, commenting on the study from the perspective of participants in foreign economic activity, outlined the key trends: legalization of business, reduction of gray schemes, increased competition and changes in tax regulation. Separately, he highlighted the problem of imports for SMEs: "There is still no simplified procedure for medium and small companies, which complicates the inspection and import of products." The expansion of the pick-up point network in the regions, according to him, changes the distribution model itself.

Maria Zaitseva, Sales and Marketing Director at X5 Transport, shared her practical experience in organizing logistics for e-commerce. The company is scaling solutions originally built for its own supply chains to work with external customers and sellers. The focus is on the development of pickup services, improving the quality of delivery and expanding the partner network. According to the speaker, speed, predictability and quality remain the key factors of competitiveness in e-commerce: "Customers are ready to pay for speed."

Mastermind "Evolution of logistics in e-commerce: from automation to intelligent management"

The continuation of the business program at the Academy Arena was a mastermind dedicated to key changes in e-commerce operational processes. The focus was on the automation of routine operations, data-driven approaches and the use of artificial intelligence in e-commerce logistics. The moderator was Elena Obraztsova, an independent expert.

One of the key topics was the efficiency of logistics in the face of a high load on infrastructure. Alexander Dzvonovsky, Head of the Directorate for the Development of Warehouse Commercial Products at Russian Post, provided data on the scale of the market: e-commerce turnover is 13.8 trillion rubles, the number of orders on marketplaces has reached 5.5 billion. As a solution, the speaker presented a model of cooperation with marketplaces based on the infrastructure of the Russian Post - more than 40 thousand branches and 650 sorting centers: the pilot project has already ensured the delivery of 22 million goods in four months.

Ivan Frolov, Development Director of KUKA Russia, spoke about the technological side of the transformation. The average annual growth of the warehouse robotization market is about 7%, while the mobile robot (AMR) segment shows an increase of up to 30%. About 90% of market participants are already considering or planning to introduce mobile robots, and this figure, according to the expert, will only grow.

Talk show "Logistics as a product for the buyer"

A cross-cutting topic of discussion was the transformation of the last mile from a logistics function into an element of the brand and customer service. Maria Trifonova, Head of Partner Development at Lamoda, noted that in the fashion segment, the courier is increasingly acting as a brand representative, and packaging, presentation and communication work as a marketing tool. The key task is not only to ensure redemption, but also to minimize returns, since reverse logistics is much more expensive.

A similar position was taken by Kirill Airapetov, Director of Logistics and Procurement at Aesthetic Beauty Group LLC: for the premium segment, saving on delivery often turns out to be counterproductive. The quality of service, accuracy of performance and compliance with special conditions, including temperature conditions, are critically important to the client.

A direct relationship between the quality of delivery and conversion was recorded by Dmitry Yurasov, the leader of the Last Mile direction of Latoile: "As soon as some parameters for the quality of delivery change, the conversion drops." He also noted the ongoing flow of traffic from offline retail to e-commerce and the associated optimization of the formats of the physical presence of companies.

The development of pickup and the new role of pick-up points were discussed by Pavel Domnin, Head of Omnichannel Development and E-Commerce at Mega. According to his observations, the pick-up point is gradually turning into an independent service format: it is no longer enough for the buyer to just pick up the order - he is waiting for a consultation, the opportunity to choose an alternative and make an additional purchase.

Alexey Sokolov, Logistics Director of the MTS retail network, spoke about service points as multifunctional spaces where logistics is integrated with sales. The delivery model, according to him, is increasingly determined by the specifics of the product category, and the flexible redistribution of stocks within the network ensures the availability of goods for the buyer.

Practical session "Accurate Hit: Why Logistics Needs Integrated Business Planning"

The discussion focused on the transition from formal planning to integrated business planning (IBP). Valentin Tolkunov, an independent consultant and expert on S&OP and IBP, outlined the main problems of companies: meetings without real solutions, reliance on outdated data and late connection of finances. The key difference between IBP is the shift in focus to margins and working capital management. According to the expert's observations, most companies get stuck at the initial stages of maturity, never achieving systemic efficiency.

Denis Shulga, Head of Supply Chain Management at Axenix Russia, highlighted the key challenges of 2026: the exit of operations from the "gray" zone to the "white" zone, high competition, and the need for total digitalization based on AI. As a priority measure, he called the optimization of inventories - "quick money that can be directly picked up from the floor." Schulga's three vectors of digital transformation: AI-powered demand forecasting, supply planning, and "orchestration" of all data on a single platform.

6th Conference on Intralogistics Management in the Enterprise | SkladTech

Panel Session "Warehouse Evolution: A New Level of Operational Efficiency"
The session was opened by the report of Vasily Demin, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Executive Director of the KSL, who shared information from a meeting with the country's leadership with the participation of Maxim Oreshkin, Anton Alikhanov and Andrey Vorobyov. The state has set a strategic task to radically increase the level of automation of the warehouse sector. The policy will be based on the principle of "carrots and sticks": among the incentives are subsidies for robotization and discounts on Russian equipment, among the coercive measures are a possible ban on the commissioning of large warehouses without robotization and a multiple increase in insurance premiums for those who refuse automation. Today, more than 30 types of warehouse robots are available in Russia, 22 of which are produced domestically, and the total capacity of the robotization market for the next 5 years is estimated at 230 billion rubles.

The state of the warehouse real estate market was analyzed by Viktor Afanasenko, Regional Director of the Department of Warehouse and Industrial Real Estate, Nikoliers Land. The peak of the market was in 2024 — then it was completely a landlord's market; The expert described the current year as "a year of preparation for subsequent growth." According to forecasts, a reduction in the key rate is expected at the end of 2027. Until then, he advises tenants to actively negotiate: the rate discount reaches 10%, long-term contracts and severance preferences are available.

The step-by-step path of one of the largest retailers to high technology was described by Alexey Guryanov, Director of Logistics at PJSC Magnit: 2023 — mechanization and growth in staff productivity, 2025 — automation of "dark" processes in a warehouse in Podolsk, 2026 — the launch of the first fully robotic warehouse in Kolomna. Other priorities for this year include the development of electronic document management and corporate culture.

Discussion session "Warehouse automation: from point solutions to a single ecosystem"

A general map of trends and barriers was drawn by Vladimir Lykov, Commercial Director of EME. Among the main driving forces are the acceleration of digital transformation, import substitution, robotization and personnel shortages. He attributed the high entry threshold, vague payback periods, and a shortage of IT specialists among customers to the barriers. In response to this request, EME has developed a unified product ecosystem covering both large and small customers.

Alexander Kobylin, Executive Director of Technopribor Design Bureau JSC, elaborated on the topic: many companies do not have specialists in logistics and cannot formulate competent terms of reference. For such customers, the best way out is ready-made template solutions based on the best market practices. "If you automate chaos, there will be automated chaos," the expert concluded.

Anti-crisis session "Warehouse on the brink: surviving without money and people"

The experts of the session agreed that the main task of business today is to optimize processes and offset cost growth. Artem Khomyshin, Commercial Director of the Orientir Group of Companies, outlined several working strategies: the opening of warehouses in the regions to reduce the transport leg, partial automation, the use of energy-saving technologies and the transition to renting instead of buying.

Alexey Shevtsov, Head of the Warehouse Infrastructure Department of Trans Atlantic LLC, said that optimization is possible even without large investments: the volume of processing in a small temporary storage warehouse was multiplied thanks to the introduction of the 5C system, production analysis and standardization of processes. According to him, success is determined by the clarity of the manager's tasks and the willingness to encourage the initiatives of line personnel.

Elena Obraztsova, an independent expert on warehouse automation and robotization, noted that in Russia there are less than 1% of fully automated warehouses, and many companies do not understand what exactly they need. She proposed a simple algorithm for choosing technologies through three sequential filters: the type of operations (which is the most expensive per operation), cargo flow and the specifics of the assortment.

A cross-section of demand was presented by Andrey Derkach, CEO of Smart Service Group: since January, every second appeal to the company is not related to the purchase of a robot, but to a request to rent it. According to him, renting is a promising way to reduce capital costs and test new tools without large investments.

Ceremonial Signings

Solemn signings were held at the Dialogue Arena:

// JSC "Center for the Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure Facilities" and FAI "Russian Maritime Register of Shipping".
// The Center for Corporate Transport Services is a branch of Russian Railways and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
// Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and JSC "WAY GROUP"

TransRussia Exhibition | SkladTech 2026 continues to work on March 18 and 19. Ahead are two more days of business communications and discussions on the tasks and prospects of the transport and logistics industry.

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TransRussia | SkladTech 2026: key takeaways from day one