Can Russia develop a nanotech industry?

Can Russia develop a nanotech industry?

Nicolas Mokhoff
EE Times
10/07/2009 11:20 AM

MANHASSET, NY — Russia's president Dmitry Medvedev wants Russia to move full speed ahead in developing a nanotechnology industry to weed the country from its dependency on profits from its vast oil and gas natural resources.

In an address to the International Nanotechnology Forum, held in Moscow this week, Medvedev emphasized that Russia "has all the intellectual, organizational and financial resources necessary to become a leader in nanotechnologies."

That is well-known sentiment. The question is what are the concrete steps needed for private business to tap the resources in a constructive manner for both them and their Russian partners.

Medvedev claimed that Russia has the world's largest government investment program in this field. By 2015 it will have allocated 318 billion rubles (more than 10.5 billion dollars) to the program, and sales for Russia's nanotechnology industry are expected to reach 900 billion rubles, according to Medvedev.

In his address to a friendly audience, Medvedev again called for the government to "make the necessary changes in legislative, tax and customs regulations," for private businesses to invest in the government program.

However, true to the thinking process of many Russian leaders, Medvedev said Russia "needs a system of state orders for the long-term procurement of innovative products as well as an up-to-date system of national standards."

The task of developing a Russian nano industry is onerous.

Estimates indicate Russia needs between 100,000 and 150,000 new nano workers. To that end, Medvedev would like to facilitate the return of Russian researchers who fled the country in the 1990s after the demise of the Soviet empire. Medvedev called for "creating favorable conditions for their scientific activities."

That will take more than money.

The new innovations should be created by small and midsized businesses, said Sergei Mazurenko, head of the Federal Science and Innovations Agency, in an interview with The Moscow Times.

If the conditions are set for private business to be engaged, Western nanotech experts will surely want to explore common interest in nanotech research.

Lofty goals are again set:

"I fully support the funding program that will be in force until 2015, but beginning from 2016 the state should abandon funding and private capital should seize the initiative by that time," said general director Anatoly Chubais of Rusnano.

Earlier this year Chubais met with bankers to solicit loans for nanotech projects.

At the Moscow forum this week Chubais and Sberbank chief German Gref signed an agrement under which the state-owned bank will provide 45 billion rubles ($1.5 billion) in loans.

Readers are encouraged to comment on the future of a Russian nanotech industry.

COMMENT:

Last years I've seen many publication of European and American journalists concerning the Russian ambitions to establish high-tech or using the modern language nano-tech and bring it to the leading positions across the globe.

In all these papers I've seen the fear of stuffed bear. People interpret the information based on their own experience. If someone go to gym 3 times a week and make a diet plan, some people would think, that he or she is trying to get fit. But if we knew a bit more about that person, then we probably would say that person has lost his girl- (boy-) friend and is looking for the new relations or just feels lonely and looking for a society.

It's much better to build conclusions based on the proven information and logic.
If someone has a cancer can you imagine, that such a person would spend all his money in Vegas casinos? Does it sound logical? - Obviously not. If that is your best friend, would you do surgical intervention by yourself without relevant knowledge and experience? - The answer is clear.

kicker24
CEO

commented on Oct 7, 2009 5:58:06 PM