On May 5, 2015, the first conference titled "Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Transport: Models and Experience" was organized by the Research Center for PPP at the Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg University (GSOM SPbU). On May 26, 2023, for the ninth time, young researchers, Bachelor and Master degree students, Doctoral program students, representatives from field, consulting, and government institutions gathered within the walls of the business school.

The conference was opened by Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg University. He stated, "Public-private partnerships are undoubtedly one of the most important mechanisms for ensuring sustainable development in our country. Joint projects between businesses and the government allow for a reduction in budget burdens, risk sharing, and increased efficiency in their implementation and management. When we created the Research Center for PPP at GSOM SPbU, we wanted to establish a platform for the exchange of experience and knowledge among scientists and practitioners from across the country, and I believe we have succeeded. The conference traditionally involves students from Bachelor and Master programs at GSOM SPbU, providing them with a unique opportunity to directly acquire knowledge in this field from the academic community and participants involved in relevant projects."

The main topics of the conference focused on the most relevant issues of developing public-private partnerships in the Russian Federation, including the problems of implementing regional transport projects, the development of urban electric and bus transportation networks, and the contribution of public-private partnerships to the sustainable development of the country and regions.

The composition of conference participants reflected the traditional partnership relations of GSOM SPbU with transport universities. In total, representatives from eight Russian universities, including GSOM SPbU, presented reports. For instance, Egor Starshov, a Doctoral students, shared the results of a recent survey on citizens' transportation preferences.

"We proceed from the understanding that the goal of developing transport infrastructure is to ensure fast movement of people and goods while minimizing environmental damage. To achieve this, it is necessary to increase the attractiveness of public transport. Creating a road infrastructure that meets the demand is impossible. It forms a vicious circle - road expansion, increased car usage, the need for further road expansion. Thus, the development of road infrastructure contradicts the goal of efficient transportation of people and goods. To encourage people to switch to public transport, it is necessary to improve the quality of service and, most importantly, reduce travel time. According to our research, people are willing to switch to public transport if it is reliable, fast, and comfortable. Therefore, PPP projects that aim to reduce operating costs and improve service quality can be very successful in this field, and such examples already exist, such as the tram 'Chizhik'," explained Egor Starshov.

As usual, the conference focused on practical and legal problems in the implementation of specific PPP projects, sharing experiences of successful implementation. Participants of the event learned about the details of the construction of the Vitebsk Interchange of the Western High-Speed Diameter from representatives of the company "PUSK-LIMAK-North" and discussed problems and made suggestions to overcome them in the field of infrastructure development for high-speed bus transport and tram transportation.

The conference concluded with a business visit to Pulkovo Airport, organized by LLC "Vozdushnye Vorota Severnoy Stolitsy" — the operator of one of the most successful PPP projects in Russia.