Since the end of the twentieth century, a significant number of socio-economic and production issues in the Russian Federation have been addressed within the framework of partnership between the state and business. The article presents a concise outline of the main forms of partnerships practiced in St. Petersburg. The author proceeds from the fact that considering the potential of public-private partnership and the specific features of the current situation -primarily, the need for “accelerated solution of import substitution issues”, the mechanism of public-private partnership can be an effective tool in solving a number of infrastructural problems, specifically, the design, modernization and operation of industrial infrastructure facilities, not only in St. Petersburg, but also in the Russian Federation as a whole.

The employment of systematic approach, statistical analysis of data from open sources (Rosstat, specialized agencies, digital platform “Rosinfra”, etc.), content analysis regulatory documents, analytical reports, as well as other available information, has enabled the author to conclude that there is a low interest of public authorities of the region and their business partners in the use of public-private partnership mechanisms. The paper identifies the main reasons for the low interest of partners in the use of the institution, and suggests recommendations for improving certain features of the mechanism of public-private partnership.