Russia Backs University Tech Startups for Oil and Gas Sector

A new public-private ecosystem in St. Petersburg helps student-founded companies bring AI-powered tools to the energy industry.

St. Petersburg is rapidly becoming a hub for university-led innovation in Russia’s oil and gas industry. At the recent EnergyTechFest 2025, officials from the city government, Gazprom Neft, and top technical universities outlined new programs to support student startups and train the next generation of AI specialists for the extractive sector.

The initiative includes the creation of research and education centers, backed by Gazprom Neft, inside leading engineering schools. One example: ITMO University, which has launched a new AI degree track to train specialists guaranteed job placements in the energy sector, where they will deploy emerging technologies in real-world production.

Together, the city and the company have created “EnergoTechnoHub Petersburg” — an ecosystem designed to bring early-stage student business ideas to market. The next step: a new inter-university tech campus in Kronstadt, which will expand training programs tailored specifically to the digital transformation of the oil and gas industry.