External Vector of Rosatom’s Development: Case Studies of Activities in Turkey, Finland and Hungary

Mgr. Nikita Minin

Master's thesis

Abstract:

There is no secret that Russia considers its energy sector being of paramount importance for the country’s global position. Nevertheless, the global nuclear market is highly competitive and special in a way, which influences the behavior of Rosatom and puts it aside from the other Russian energy enterprises. In addition, the Russian nuclear giant had set ambitious goals with regard to the company’s external growth. Hence, the goal herein is to devise and test on the prominent cases, comprised of Rosatom’s Akkuyu, Hanhikivi and Paks projects, the corporation’s external strategy, aiming at understanding what are the company’s chances to succeed in its implementation and how does the enterprise pursue it. The research also focuses on the underlying logic and reasoning behind the named strategy. The structure of the work reflects the way the inquiry proceeds from the analysis of Rosatom’s external strategy to the application of the proposed framework on the corporation’s undertakings in Turkey, Finland and Hungary. Apparently the work reveals that the chosen projects fit into the company’s course of behavior abroad, confirming the existence of the external strategy, which has thorough economic drivers and is characterized by a set of key features, i.e. image-making, expansionism, expedience, integrity, flexibility and superiority. The analysis also shows that so far the implementation of the respective strategy has been quite successful, although political developments may complicate the process and lead to somewhat more moderate results in the long run. All this allows for the application of the results of this inquiry on the whole population of Rosatom’s overseas projects and provides a proper framework for approaching the corporation’s behavior abroad, including in the process of political decision-making.

Abstract:

There is no secret that Russia considers its energy sector being of paramount importance for the country’s global position. Nevertheless, the global nuclear market is highly competitive and special in a way, which influences the behavior of Rosatom and puts it aside from the other Russian energy enterprises. In addition, the Russian nuclear giant had set ambitious goals with regard to the company’s external growth. Hence, the goal herein is to devise and test on the prominent cases, comprised of Rosatom’s Akkuyu, Hanhikivi and Paks projects, the corporation’s external strategy, aiming at understanding what are the company’s chances to succeed in its implementation and how does the enterprise pursue it. The research also focuses on the underlying logic and reasoning behind the named strategy. The structure of the work reflects the way the inquiry proceeds from the analysis of Rosatom’s external strategy to the application of the proposed framework on the corporation’s undertakings in Turkey, Finland and Hungary. Apparently the work reveals that the chosen projects fit into the company’s course of behavior abroad, confirming the existence of the external strategy, which has thorough economic drivers and is characterized by a set of key features, i.e. image-making, expansionism, expedience, integrity, flexibility and superiority. The analysis also shows that so far the implementation of the respective strategy has been quite successful, although political developments may complicate the process and lead to somewhat more moderate results in the long run. All this allows for the application of the results of this inquiry on the whole population of Rosatom’s overseas projects and provides a proper framework for approaching the corporation’s behavior abroad, including in the process of political decision-making.

Keywords

Rosatom, nuclear, energy, external, strategy, Akkuyu, Hanhikivi, Paks, Russia

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 19. 5. 2016

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 22. 6. 2016
• Supervisor: PhDr. Tomáš Vlček, Ph.D.
• Reader: Mgr. Filip Černoch, Ph.D.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Social Studies

Master programme / field:
International Territorial Studies / Energy Security Studies (Eng.)