Russia is a springboard, not only to big companies. That is why we sincerely advise SMEs that have proven themselves worthy back home to open up an office in Russia as well. Russian business life is one of the fastest evolving and changing in the world. It is catching up to international business faster and faster every day, business environment is becoming more and more convenient, the banking system is developing, the economy is growing and judiciary-security is rapidly improving.

Spending ability of the Russians has grown by 8,7 % in real value in 2005, which is immensely quicker than those of Europe or the USA. According to GDP data, it is the world’s 9th and Europe’s 5th biggest market. Moscow is one the world’s most expensive metropolises, meaning the possibilities are endless.

No market can be highlighted. In recent years the banking system has developed amazingly, the pharmaceutics industry has huge perspectives (not only due to the size of the market, but also because of the state-sponsoring system) and in real-estate (square-metre prices have doubled in the past year and a half regarding new built apartments in Moscow). ’Smaller’ cities are not well behind the capital either (which is why several Hungarian construction companies were able to expand towards the east), the commerce is ever-growing, shopping centres and hypermarkets are popping out of the ground everywhere.

Hundreds of thousands of ’upper crust’ foreigners live in Moscow, next to the Russian and ex-Soviet states’ elite.

Source: Ernst&Young, Wikipedia, HVG (weekly world economy magazine)