Forestry clusters as a tool for developing forest infrastructure

The history of cluster policy in Russia is ten years old. The first forestry cluster in 2015 was PomorInnovaLes in the Arkhangelsk region, but by 2025 it ceased to exist.

Today, there are 156 industrial clusters in the country, of which 103 are included in the register of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. They include 900 enterprises from more than 70 regions, implementing over 230 import-substituting projects. By the end of this year, the list may be expanded by another 70 structures.

• Komi Republic. Since 2021, the woodworking cluster unites 13 enterprises, including Mondi SLPK, Luzales and SLDK. It represents all stages of wood processing - from logging to furniture production.
• Tomsk Oblast. The Forest, Wood Processing and Wood Chemistry cluster was included in the register in February 2025. About RUB 8 billion have been allocated for resident projects by 2028. Among the plans is the construction of a plant for the production of urea-formaldehyde concentrate with a capacity of 60 thousand tons per year. Members of the association: Monolit-Stroy, Alliance, Tekhnostroy and Tomsk Furniture Facades.
• Omsk Oblast. The furniture cluster received official status in 2024. It includes six enterprises that produce furniture panels, parquet, sawlogs, and birch logs. Residents expect to expand production capacity and attract additional funding.
• Volga Federal District. The furniture cluster was created in 2021 and today unites 13 companies from Bashkortostan and the DPR. Projects are underway to localize the production of components worth 570 million rubles, which should increase the volume of furniture production by 3.7 billion rubles by 2026.
• Republic of Mordovia. The cluster was formed around the Plyterra company and unites participants from seven regions. Among the projects are the launch of OSB and phenolic film production, and the development of wood-polymer composites production.
• Republic of Karelia. The new forest industry cluster began operating in 2024 and was included in the register of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2025. It includes seven companies, including RK-Grand (pulp production), Zapkarelles (logging), as well as enterprises producing wood chips, paper and cardboard.

The state continues to support the development of cluster policy: in 2025, 28.2 billion rubles were allocated for projects. New measures have also been introduced - subsidies of up to 150 million rubles for starting lots of import-substituting products and preferential loans.

The future of forestry clusters depends on how effectively they can combine the efforts of businesses. Not all structures stand the test of time, but the model itself remains in demand. With the support of the state and the initiative of the companies themselves, clusters can become a driver for the development of the forestry industry and strengthen the industry's position both in the domestic and international markets.