Market access and demand
We build demand and bring members together. We help them join the cooperation chains of major customers. We create “solution showcases” and “order exchanges”. We provide access to qualified customers.
2026
Founded 6 April · Moscow · OGRN 1267700132853
Autonomous systems
for the sky, land, water,
space and the digital domain
The National Autonomous Systems Association brings together operators, manufacturers, developers and customers of autonomous systems across all five domains: in the air, on land, on water, in space and in the digital environment.
Autonomous systems — a driver of Russia's economic growth
Adoption of autonomous systems
Higher labour productivity
Economic growth
Technological sovereignty
01 · About
Association — partner of the state in creating and implementing the national strategy for autonomous systems
Presidential instruction
" The Government of the Russian Federation is to develop, with the participation of the Association of Operators and Manufacturers of Autonomous Systems “National Autonomous Systems” , and submit a national strategy for the development of autonomous systems through 2036.
Vision
Russia is a world leader in labour productivity and technological sovereignty through the use of autonomous systems in every domain: in the air, on land, on water, in space and in the digital environment.
Role
NAS is the consolidation hub of Russia’s autonomous systems industry, connecting government, business, science and the regions to shape a unified technology policy and accelerate the adoption of autonomous solutions.
Mission
To drive labour productivity and technological sovereignty by building a mature market for Russian civil autonomous systems in every domain.
Goal for 2030
To create a sustainable ecosystem for mass adoption, serial production and export of autonomous systems.
02 · Operating domains
Five domains — one ecosystem
Five equal operating domains for autonomous systems — water, land, air, space and the digital environment.
Water
Uncrewed surface and underwater vessels.
Land
Highly automated vehicles, autonomous rail transport and robotics.
Air
Unmanned aircraft systems.
Space
Satellite communication and observation systems.
Digital environment
Control software and artificial intelligence.
03 · Key areas
Key areas
01
Community and member services
- Building a community of leaders in the autonomous systems industry
- Business events for the Association’s members and partners
- Guidance in obtaining government support measures
- Technical, organisational and legal consulting
- Media and marketing promotion of members, their products and success stories
02
Demand, deployment and market access
- A showcase of verified solutions for customers
- Helping customers formulate well-defined requirements
- Designing pilot solutions and supporting their testing and rollout
- Adapting proven solutions to new industries
- Forming member consortia for large-scale projects
- Support in raising investment and preparing for an IPO
03
Partnerships: state and corporations
- Representing the industry in dialogue with government agencies
- Building cooperation with public-sector customers
- Advancing joint initiatives with development institutions and industry associations
- Coordination and legal support for international projects
- Organising and taking part in congresses and exhibitions
04
Analytics and lawmaking
- Analytical research on the autonomous systems market
- Contributing to strategic documents and regulations
- Simplifying procedures and obtaining operating permits
- Working with regulators to remove industry barriers
- Proposals to improve standardisation and certification systems
05
Technology and science
- Supporting production localisation and a domestic component base
- Access to manufacturing and testing infrastructure
- Developing national AI platforms and autonomy algorithms
- Partnerships between research institutes and business to commercialise technology
- Accelerating companies from prototype to serial production
06
Talent and skills
- Developing and promoting educational standards for industry specialists
- Supporting the training of autonomous systems operators
- Setting up dedicated university departments, engineering schools and training spaces for members’ needs
- Retraining programmes for veterans moving into civilian professions
- Internships and job placement for industry professionals
04 · Application areas
Areas where autonomous systems make an impact
01
Agriculture
02
Logistics
03
Environment
04
Construction
05
Utilities
06
Emergencies & safety
07
Robotics & AI
08
Communications & space
09
Oversight & inspection
10
Education
11
Shows & exhibitions
12
Energy
13
Mining
14
Medicine & healthcare
15
Culture & media
05 · Who the Association serves
Association for:
For operators and manufacturers of autonomous systems
Support measures
We support companies organisationally and legally. We help obtain grants: we match support measures through the navigator, advise, and help obtain small technology company status. We support applications to Minpromtorg, the Industrial Development Fund, Skolkovo and the Innovation Assistance Foundation. We help join experimental legal regimes.
Finance
We help raise investment and enter the stock market. We facilitate preferential bank loans and special terms from insurers. We provide access to concessional financing.
Talent
We build a talent pool for the autonomous systems industry. We support operator training and the creation of industry departments at partner universities for the needs of Association members.
Promotion and GR
We ensure direct dialogue with the state. We promote members and represent them at industry events. We work with federal and regional authorities on the company’s agenda.
Infrastructure and growth
We create a single access point to shared-use centres, networks of R&D and production centres and droneports. We help with testing and certification. We track companies from start-up to serial production.
Community
We bring industry leaders together: networking, mentoring, industry clubs. We build partnerships within the Association and engage with other associations, including international ones.
Export
We support international activity organisationally and legally. We run business missions. We take companies to BRICS and CIS markets and arrange participation in international events.
The state’s partner in delivering the national strategy for autonomous systems
NAS — a single entry point to the industry
We act as a platform for consolidating the industry and coordinating business, investors, science and development institutions: we collect regulatory proposals, form a consolidated industry position and improve the quality of communication.
Technological sovereignty
We help increase the share of domestic systems, reduce dependence on foreign components and support the localisation of parts, the component base and software. We take part in developing national autonomy platforms.
Making support measures more effective
We help support instruments be applied more precisely: we help companies prepare applications and roadmaps correctly, and help the authorities receive feedback on barriers, selection quality and programme performance.
Economic growth and labour productivity
We help companies grow and scale, create new jobs and raise labour productivity. We help connect all domains of autonomous systems, synchronising technologies and practices between them for sustainable economic growth.
Lawmaking initiatives
We develop regulatory initiatives for the autonomous systems industry. We take part in creating the national strategy for autonomous systems following the President’s instruction (SPIEF-2026): we monitor the market and help remove regulatory barriers.
Developing every domain of autonomous systems
We develop all domains of autonomous systems evenly, extending support measures from aviation to ground, marine, space and digital systems.
Strategic partners and organisations looking for autonomous solutions to pilot and deploy
A single entry point to the industry
We work as a single entry point: one trusted partner for customers and large businesses in autonomous systems.
A national showcase of autonomous solutions
We maintain a verified catalogue of domestic autonomous systems — so there is no need to search for and vet suppliers yourself. We reduce deployment risks thanks to a base of success stories.
An “order exchange” for your task
We analyse the customer’s task in detail and find the best ready-made solutions and teams for it. We support trials and deployment. We organise demo days and pilots.
Autonomy as a service
We offer a service model: the result as a service — with no fleet, operators or maintenance of your own.
Talent for the industry
We train talent for the industry. We raise labour productivity through automation and robotisation of processes: monitoring, logistics, warehousing, service.
Cooperation chains
We embed members’ products into the production and procurement cycles of large businesses and state corporations.
06 · Partners
Partners of the Association
Organisations with which the NAS Association builds industry cooperation in the field of autonomous systems.
Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya)
MOSTRANSAVTO
GLONASS JSC
Sakhalin State University
Government of the Samara Region
Government of the Sakhalin Region
Povolzhskaya Machinery Testing Station (PovMIS)
HSE University
Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University n.a. R.E. Alekseev
Research and Production Centre for Unmanned Aerial Systems of the Nizhny Novgorod Region
NTI Fund
Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan
Kazan State Power Engineering University
Siberian State University of Telecommunications and Information Sciences
Omsk State Technical University
National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University
National Research Tomsk State University
Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics
Research and Production Centre for Unmanned Aerial Systems of the Tomsk Region
Plekhanov Russian University of Economics
Far Eastern Federal University
Association of Innovative Regions of Russia
World UAV Federation
07 · Supported by
Created with the support of
The Association was created and is developing with the support of federal authorities and development institutions.
08 · Team
The team that leads the Association
The Association’s leaders coordinate work with government agencies, operators and the autonomous systems industry.
Dmitry Afanasyev
Chairman of the Board, NAS Association
More
Education
- 2005 — Financial Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation. Major: crisis management and mathematical methods in economics
- 2016 — St Petersburg Law Institute. Major: law
- 2023–2024 — Higher School of Public Administration, talent pool, 6th cohort (“School of Governors”)
Work experience
- 12.2004–06.2005 — lead specialist, IBG NIKoil Bank (Uralsib Financial Corporation)
- 02.2005 — present — CEO, Perviy IT Alliance LLC
- 03.2007–02.2008 — project manager, International Association of Twin Cities and Territories
- 01.2009–12.2010 — adviser to the SCO Secretary-General (pro bono)
- 05.2009–05.2014 — development director, INSI group of plants and construction holding
- 04.2010–08.2013 — projects director, MarketGid LLC
- 07.2010–06.2013 — director, MGID Investment Limited (Hong Kong, China)
- 01.2014 — present — sole proprietor
- 08.2019–02.2025 — public adviser to the Governor of the Novgorod Region
- 05.2020–12.2021 — adviser to the chairman of the board, VR Logistic LLC
- 11.2023–10.2024 — adviser to the CEO, Roskadastr Public Law Company
- 01.2022 — present — chairman of the board of directors, VR Med LLC
Anna Manakhova
Director, NAS Association
More
Education
- 2005 — MGIMO University (Russian MFA). Major: international economics, finance and credit
- 2015 — Moscow State University. Major: art history
- 2024 — RANEPA, Higher School of Public Administration, talent pool, 6th cohort (“School of Governors”)
Work experience
- 2003–2013 — senior manager, Investment Services Department, Rosbank
- 2017–2018 — CEO (consulting), NEF LLC
- 2018–2021 — director of the Department of Organisational Support and Communications, adviser to the Minister, Ministry of Economic Development of Russia
- 2021–2025 — head of the office of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration M. S. Oreshkin, Presidential Administration of Russia
- 2025 — present — adviser to the CEO, Sberbank
- 2025 — present — Director of the NAS Association
Grigory Gorchakov
Executive Director, NAS Association
More
Education
- 2012 — Bauman Moscow State Technical University. Degree: engineering for the renovation of industrial equipment and facilities in mechanical engineering
- 2021 — MIRBIS. Presidential professional retraining programme. Degree: management and organisational development
- 2023 — Skolkovo Moscow School of Management. Expert in public and social development strategy
Work experience
- 10.2012–10.2016 — adviser to the owner and chief of the owner’s staff, Plaza Group
- 10.2016–09.2018 — executive director, Russian-Qatari Business Council
- 10.2018 — present — president, Youth Chamber interregional NGO
- 05.2025–05.2026 — CEO, Entrepreneurs’ University autonomous non-profit
Vitaly Gudin
Head of the Government Relations Department
More
Education
- 1982 — Bauman Moscow Higher Technical School
- 1995 — Russian Foreign Trade Academy
Work experience
- 08.2016–04.2017 — head of the International Activity Coordination Directorate, Bank of Russia, Moscow
- 04.2017–04.2019 — director of the Department for Development and Regulation of Foreign Economic Activity, Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, Moscow
- 04.2019–09.2020 — Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Sakhalin Region — head of the Sakhalin Region’s office at the Government of the Russian Federation
- 09.2020–02.2023 — director of the Department of Special Programmes and Projects, Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, Moscow
- 02.2023–04.2026 — director for government relations, EFKO Management Company, Moscow
Svetlana Eroshkina
Head of the Educational Projects Department
More
Area of responsibility
- Supporting government assistance measures for industry participants.
- Engaging with development institutions and support programmes for technology projects.
Ilya Makarov
Adviser to the Chairman of the Board, NAS Association
Evgeny Vasilenko
Adviser to the Chairman of the Board, NAS Association
Olga Pakhomova
Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Board
Vitaly Mzokov
Head of the Project Management Department
Natalia Kartseva
Head of the Research Department
Yulia Valiulina
Head of the Member Relations Department
Evgeny Rebizov
Deputy Head of the Government Relations Department
Irina Volshina
Deputy Head of Corporate Governance
Alexander Efimenkov
Deputy Head of the Analytics Department
Viktoria Petrova
Chief Accountant
08 / News
All news →
Latest news
The NAS Association hosts a session at EEF 2026: “Developing autonomous systems in the Far East”
On 3 September, at the Eastern Economic Forum, the NAS Association organised and hosted the strategic session “Developing autonomous systems in the Far East”.
Read →
Dmitry Afanasyev in an interview with Zvezda: the low-altitude economy as a growth driver for the Far East and the whole of Russia
On the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, Dmitry Afanasyev, Chairman of the Board of the NAS Association, gave an exclusive interview to the Zvezda media holding.
Read →
The NAS Association at EEF 2026: from isolated experiments to scaling up the low-altitude economy
On 2 September the Eastern Economic Forum hosted the strategic session “From the Far East to the whole country: launching the low-altitude economy in Russia”.
Read →
At the Eastern Economic Forum, NAS Association Director Anna Manakhova held a working meeting with Vladislav Kuznetsov, Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
The parties discussed the region’s need for autonomous systems — above all unmanned aircraft and ground transport — taking into account the climate, logistics and communication constraints of the Far North.
Read →
The NAS Association and the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia sign a long-term cooperation agreement
At the Eastern Economic Forum, Dmitry Afanasyev, Chairman of the Board of the NAS Association, and Alexander Smekalin, Director of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia (AIRR), signed a long-term cooperation agreement.
Read →
The NAS Association and Far Eastern Federal University sign a cooperation agreement to develop the industry in the Far East
At the Eastern Economic Forum, Dmitry Afanasyev, Chairman of the Board of the NAS Association, and Boris Korobets, Rector of Far Eastern Federal University, signed a strategic cooperation agreement.
Read →
The NAS Association and Plekhanov Russian University of Economics agree to develop the economics of autonomous systems
At the Eastern Economic Forum, Dmitry Afanasyev, Chairman of the Board of the NAS Association, and Mikhail Nachevsky, Vice-Rector of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, signed a strategic cooperation agreement.
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The NAS Association and the Tomsk Region UAS Centre agree to cooperate on developing and testing unmanned systems
At TECHNOPROM 2026, the 13th International Technology Development Forum, the Association of Operators and Manufacturers of Autonomous Systems “National Autonomous Systems” and the Tomsk Region Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research and Production Centre signed a strategic cooperation agreement.
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The NAS Association signs systemic cooperation agreements with three leading Tomsk universities at TECHNOPROM 2026
At the XIII TECHNOPROM International Technology Development Forum in Novosibirsk, the National Autonomous Systems Association, which brings together operators and manufacturers of autonomous systems, signed strategic cooperation agreements with three key research and education centres of Siberia:
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The NAS Association signs a cooperation agreement with Omsk State Technical University at TECHNOPROM 2026
The agreement on interaction and cooperation was signed by Grigory Gorchakov, Executive Director of the NAS Association, and Pavel Korchagin, Rector of Omsk State Technical University. It covers the industry’s full development cycle: from fundamental research and innovation projects to training highly qualified specialists.
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Siberian State University of Telecommunications and Information Sciences joins the NAS Association as a partner at TECHNOPROM 2026
The XIII TECHNOPROM International Technology Development Forum in Novosibirsk hosted the signing of an agreement on interaction and cooperation between SibSUTIS and the National Autonomous Systems Association, which brings together operators and manufacturers of autonomous systems. The document was signed by Yuri Zazulya, Rector of SibSUTIS, and Grigory Gorchakov, Executive Director of the NAS Association.
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The NAS Association and Kazan State Power Engineering University sign a cooperation agreement
The IV ROSTKI International Forum hosted the signing of an agreement on interaction and cooperation between the National Autonomous Systems Association (NAS) and Kazan State Power Engineering University (KSPEU).
Read →09 · Contacts
Get in touch with the Association
Contact us to take part, partner with us or get expert support.
