SPIEF 2026 Results: BRICS as a "Platform of Sovereignty" in a Multipolar World
The 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) marked an important shift in the discourse surrounding BRICS. The group is increasingly viewed not only as an association of major emerging economies, but also as a space toward which technological leadership is gradually moving. BRICS countries possess significant digital potential and are already becoming a "platform" for sovereignty in a multipolar world.
The greatest interest among forum participants was generated by President Vladimir Putin’s speech during the plenary session, in which he spoke about artificial intelligence primarily as an issue of technological sovereignty, infrastructure independence, and the future competitiveness of Russia and the BRICS countries.
The Russian president noted that over the past 25 years, BRICS nations have significantly increased their high-tech exports and now account for more than one-third of global supplies, reflecting a shift in the geography of technological development worldwide. BRICS has emerged as one of the main drivers of global economic growth. The group’s share of global GDP measured by purchasing power parity is approximately 40%, while its contribution to global economic growth over the past five years has been around 49%, compared to approximately 18% for the G7.
Vladimir Putin identified three technologies that will shape citizens’ lives, business operations, and government activities: artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and platform-based solutions. Artificial intelligence is a technology that enables the processing of vast amounts of information and supports optimal decision-making across virtually all sectors. Autonomous systems, in turn, are associated with dramatic gains in labor productivity and the transformation of entire industries, while platform solutions enable direct, automated, and real-time information exchange and transaction execution among market participants.
Because the technological agenda can no longer remain the monopoly of traditional centers of power, these three technologies are becoming a kind of "infrastructure of multipolarity." Countries that possess them are capable of building their own industrial, financial, educational, and governance systems. Countries that remain merely users of externally developed solutions risk falling into a new form of dependency.
Notably, the SPIEF business program also evolved beyond last year’s discussion of BRICS technological alliances toward a more practical objective: creating effective mechanisms for economic connectivity within the group.
In 2025, the BRICS session focused on practical formats of international cooperation, including the establishment of long-term technological partnerships, the promotion of Russian digital solutions in foreign markets, the development of common standards, the advancement of open-source technologies, and joint product development. This year, discussions centered less on the principles of cooperation and more on specific infrastructure barriers: transport and logistics harmonization, convergence of accounting standards, simplification of international settlements, expansion of export channels, and closer integration of national "single-window" systems for investors. BRICS was presented as a space for business diplomacy, where new rules for trade and investment should emerge through practical cooperation among companies, banks, development institutions, and export agencies.
Another major focus of SPIEF 2026’s digital agenda was the need to create open datasets that reflect national cultural identity. Discussions on AI development emphasized that national strategies must take into account the importance of preserving cultural heritage and identity. AI models should be not only functional but also capable of operating effectively within a country’s language, social norms, and value systems.
SPIEF 2026 demonstrated that BRICS is gradually evolving from a platform for political and economic coordination into an infrastructural platform for a multipolar world. The discussion is no longer limited to trade growth, membership expansion, or declarations about a more equitable global order. Instead, it increasingly centers on the more complex challenge of achieving technological leadership.