TRENDS also signed a cooperation agreement with Russia’s Agency for Strategic Initiatives, opening new horizons for knowledge exchange. 

Through its Russia office, TRENDS Group concluded its active participation in the Kazan Forum 2026 by joining a panel discussion titled Integrating Advanced Technologies and Digital Transformation into Culture and Creative Industries. 

The TRENDS presence was part of efforts to promote dialogue between Russia and the Islamic world on the future of the creative and technological economy. TRENDS also signed a cooperation agreement with Russia’s Agency for Strategic Initiatives, opening new horizons for knowledge exchange. 

Dr. Mohammed Abdel Moneim Rashwan, Director of the TRENDS Moscow Office, delivered an intervention on behalf of TRENDS during the session, emphasizing that the relationship between creativity and technology is no longer optional but an economic necessity imposed by global digital transformations. He stressed the importance of developing public policies that integrate advanced technologies into cultural and creative industries. 

He explained that the most significant challenges include the absence of clear regulatory frameworks for digital creative products, weak incentives linking technological support with support for creative industries, and the growing complexities surrounding intellectual property rights amid the expanding use of artificial intelligence technologies in creative production. 

The session also reviewed several successful international experiences, including South Korea’s model of linking technology with the digital content, gaming, and entertainment industries, as well as the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s efforts to promote the creative economy and connect it with digital transformation. 

Rashwan affirmed that Russia represents a natural partner in this field, given its advanced technological base in software, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure, alongside the growing demand across Middle Eastern and Islamic world markets for digital content and technological investments. 

The session concluded by emphasizing the importance of developing joint regulatory frameworks, launching investment funds to support startups in creative technology, and establishing clear legal frameworks to protect intellectual property rights arising from the use of artificial intelligence in cultural industries. 

Cooperation Agreement 

TRENDS Global signed a strategic cooperation agreement and knowledge partnership with Russia’s Agency for Strategic Initiatives, aimed at strengthening academic and research exchange between the two sides and opening new and sustainable horizons for international partnership. The agreement includes a package of specialized initiatives focused on empowering youth capabilities and preparing them to become future leaders, as well as launching joint projects in advanced scientific research, technology policies, and artificial intelligence applications.