The IT Space 2026 forum took place on April 2, 2026, at the SKOLKOVO Moscow School of Management, supported by RBC. The forum brought together 1,700 representatives of the Russian IT market, who discussed current approaches to transforming IT distribution, new centers of digital resilience, and the IT image of the future.
The IT equipment manufacturers and suppliers, software developers, resellers, integrators, and customers took part in the event. In the exhibition area, 32 stands showcased over 100 relevant products for building IT infrastructure and office spaces. The central theme of the forum's business program was the fundamental shift in the IT distributor's role, transitioning from standard logistics and supply to becoming an expert project partner.
The Merlion Group of Companies was the title partner of the IT Space 2026 forum. The R7 company was the key partner, the Rostelecom brand pool, including Iqumen, TData, Basis, Berkut, Lukomorye and Turbo Oblako, was the flagship partner. AMUR (in collaboration with TMI (Telecom and Microelectronics Industries)) and Orion soft were the general partners.
The opening speech at the IT Space forum was delivered by Oleg Fomenko, CEO of the Merlion Group of Companies. He defined the main objective of the event as an attempt to "feel out the future". Alexander Chulok, Director of the Center for Science and Technology Forecasting at the Institute of Statistic Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), spoke about the image of the future. He outlined the development strategies of advanced countries, provided a forecast for Russia's scientific and technological development until 2030, and traced the transition from the Human 2.0 concept to the skills required of tomorrow’s top managers.
The topic of changes was the main focus of a conversation between Vladimir Pozner, Journalist, Writer, and Television Presenter, and Alexey Abramov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Merlion Group of Companies. They discussed how technology is transforming people, society, and business, and how to remain in demand in the new environment. Kirill Tokarev, RBC Editor-in-Chief, moderated the conversation.
The plenary session "Balancing Power in the Digital Economy: How to Reach the Customer" focused on the development prospects of Russian retail and customer experience. Participants included Oleg Fomenko, CEO of Merlion Group of Companies; Vladislav Bakalchuk, CEO of M.Video; Evgeny Sokolov, Director of Large Business Commerce at Yandex; Fyodor Virin, Co-founder of Data Insight; and Dmitry Sokolov, Director of E-Commerce and Senior Vice President at Alfa-Bank.
Speakers noted the significant penetration of e-commerce in Russia and the growth prospects for certain segments. Currently, only 8% of food and grocery sales occur online, whereas this figure exceeds 30% in some leading countries. The "Big Three" Russian marketplaces are unlikely to expand into a "Big Four" or "Big Five", but the online commerce model itself could change due to the use of AI.
The panel discussion titled "The IT Landscape of the Decade: AI, Capabilities, Resources, and Meanings" focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on business processes. Participants in the discussion included Evgeny Vasilyev, Project Distribution Director at Merlion; Artur Akopyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors at R7; Alexey Zabrodin, Technical Director at RTK-DC Group of Companies; Sergey Golitsyn, Head at T1 AI (IT Holding T1), and Alexander Didenko, Head of the AI Lab at the SKOLKOVO School of Management.
As it turns out, only a handful of companies – those that clearly understand the need for such solutions – fully invest in AI. Most, however, try things out, testing hypotheses about the applicability of technology in business. An important aspect of AI's impact on digitalization processes is the increase in equipment prices. Arkady Glushenkov, RBC TV Channel Presenter, moderated the panel discussions.
The discussion titled "From Chaos to Management: How IT Distributors Are Becoming Centers of Digital Resilience" focused on the structural transformation of the IT market and the role of distributors. Participants included Arsen Blagov, CEO of the Lukomorye IT ecosystem; Mikhail Sokolov, Strategy and Technology Director at Turbo Oblako; Lyubov Ruslanova, Head of Project Distribution Business Development at Merlion; and Oksana Cherdintseva, Head of Process Analysis and Digital Solutions at Mosgaz JSC. The moderator was Ekaterina Burchina, Sales Director for Commercial IT Cluster Products at Rostelecom.
The state of the system integration market and the distribution of IT budgets were discussed during the discussion "2026 in IT: Stress Test". Maxim Tikurkin, President of System Soft; Alexey Malyshev, CEO of Sonet; Dmitry Rubchenko, Founder and Director of Strategic Development of the Computers and Networks Group; Mikhail Gilyazov, Director of Business Development at Rubytech Group’s Skala^r; Alexey Strelnikov, Director of the Business Development and Sales Support Department at Hitech; and Stanislav Vinnikov, CEO of Abak-2000, shared their opinions. The conversation was moderated by Pavel Goryachkin, Director of the Project Distribution Sales Department at Merlion.
Oleg Fomenko, CEO of Merlion Group of Companies: "The forum brought together all key market participants under one roof, giving partners and customers the opportunity to directly discuss the most important industry trends, current needs, and expectations – including those regarding solution providers. Over recent years, distributors have accumulated expertise and competencies that manufacturers can now rely on to build their supply channels and lay the foundation for future joint projects".
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