Overview
The automotive industry was a particularly important part of the Soviet Union. As such, the dissolution of the Union brought about profound changes, linking Russia’s car industry inextricably to European industrial groups. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the RAI project will examine the changes in the Russian automotive industry starting with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 up to 2020. It will consider the context of international relations and investigate the policy of foreign investors in the Russian market. Moreover, it will review the factors influencing the industry’s attractiveness for foreign direct investment. Project methodology will include the examination of written and graphic sources as well as interviews.
"Since the fall of the USSR, the Russian automotive industry has undergone enormous changes. The latter is inextricably linked to Western industrial groups. The present study is designed to examine the transformation of the Russian automotive industry since 1991, specifically taking into account the context of international relations. This project will investigate: the policy of foreign investors in the Russian market, the factors influencing its attractiveness for FDI and the impact of international economic sanctions on the automotive industry in Russia.
The action is interdisciplinary by drawing on the economic history, economic geography, economics and the international political economy. It has the potential to enhance the knowledge of the interactions between the economic system, the political situation, social dynamics and cultural values, since it focuses on the automotive industry of the country over a 30-year period.
The methodology combines two methods of data gathering ? the examination of written and graphic sources (public and private archives, public investigations, reports and press) and interviewing. The modern methods of data analysis and communication such as creating a MySQL database and data parsing through specialized software are still rare in the historical field.
The potential impact of the generated knowledge will allow to better understand the formation, state and structure of the automotive industry in the post-Soviet Russia, and the role of different actors: the state, the Russian and foreign car manufacturers, and the investors in the ""hierarchy of relations"". Today, the Russian automotive industry is inextricably linked to European industrial groups. The indirect results include the process development, the engagement with the professional community and the activities with the aim to stimulate the competitiveness of the European industry in Russia by focusing on the investment interests of the relevant European end-users."