Posted: Oct 06, 2010

Nanotechnology research - bridge to Siberia

(Nanowerk News) Nanotechnology is considered in Russia as an engine for innovation and growth of the technology sector. To compensate for developmental deficits and create international competitiveness, an ambi-tious government program from May 2008 is meant to build by 2015 a nanotechnology industry with a turnover of approximately 30 billion Euro. A first step was the establishment of the federal RUSNANO organization in September 2007 with an investment of approximately € 4.3 billion for the commerciali-zation of R&D projects, the construction of infrastructure and training programs in nanotechnology.
In the city of Tomsk is created with high investments, a 100-acre innovation park, which offers as a special economic zone tax benefits for Russian and foreign companies and provides a building com-plex for nanomaterials and nanotechnologies. In addition, the university has since 2007 a competence and training center "Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies", which is equipped with modern analytical equipment and the necessary infrastructure. There took place from 16.-17. September 2010 a German-Russian Forum on "Nanophotonics and Nanomaterials". The event was organized by the East-West Science Center Hessen in collaboration with the Nanonetwork Hessen, the Nano Initiative Bayern GmbH and the Center for Nanotechnology (CeNTech GmbH), North Rhine-Westphalia, and financially supported by the International Bureau of BMBF.
24 German experts from science and medium-sized enterprises were guests at the Technical Univer-sity of Tomsk. In the two-day meeting, they agreed with their Russian colleagues on the formation of project groups which are designed to lead to bilateral research projects. Afterwards the group visited regional research institutes and the already completed, representative administration building of Inno-vation Park Tomsk where newly established Russian nanotechnology companies introduced them-selves. As argued by the management, the innovation park with its modern infrastructure and attrac-tive tax incentives offers attractive conditions for foreign partners.
The German and Russian participants pointed out in discussions that by cooperation in science and industry, both countries benefit from technological developments and the implementation of research results into marketable products. The bilateral synergies accelerate the creation of innovations and strengthen the competitive position on the national and international markets. The scientific expertise and technical skills of Russian and German forum participants were outlined by oral and poster pres-entations and extensively tested for potential cooperation. Presentations on funding opportunities for joint projects completed the Nanotechnology Forum.
The first results of the forum are 7 jointly prepared proposals of bilateral projects that are to be devel-oped further by the German and Russian partners. Participation in the tenders of the German-Russian project programs funded by the BMBF and FASIE (funding in Russia) or the application for funding from the EU and the exchange of young scientists are planned. Both return visits to Germany as well as the continuation of the first contacts were agreed.
Source: Ost-West-Wissenschaftszentrum Hessen