Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, Chairman of the Executive Board of JSC “RUSNANO” Anatoly Chubais and General director of the Fund for Infrastructure and Educational Programs Andrey Svinarenko have opened the first Nanotechnology Centre in Kazan. The total project budget is 3.8 billion rubles, including RUSNANO co-financing in the amount of 1.8 billion rubles.
The main objective of the Centre - commercialization of innovative projects at early stage and providing the applicants with a full range of services – from expertise and consulting to financing of small innovative companies and leasing of special technological and analytical equipment.
The Nanotechnology Centre of the Republic of Tatarstan focuses its activity in three main areas – polymer and composite materials, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. The Centre’s infrastructure is located on two sites – Technopark “Idea” and Technopolis “Himgrad”.
The Centre has an already equipped high-tech research complex that consists of several laboratories – in particular, X-ray methods; mass-spectrometry and spectrophotometry; thermoanalysis; chromatography; physical analysis method; optical analysis method; electronic spectroscopy. In addition, a new technological equipment will be purchased as the approval and financing of new projects.
“Tatarstan – one of the most innovative Russian regions, and therefore it is not surprisingly the first Nanocentre to be opened here, - noted Managing director of the Fund for Infrastructure and Educational Programs Evgeny Evdokimov. – Both the Centre’s services and equipment will considerably reduce financial costs and time spending, arising in the development of start-ups. I am sure that the Kazan Nanocentre will be a launching platform for many investors-beginners”.
According to the General director of the RT Nanotechnology Centre Dmitry Pashin, the Centre’s activity format is unique for Russia: “Developers and entrepreneurs are given a real chance to implement their ideas, capitalizing on results. In fact, analytical and technological equipment require very large sums in the nanoindustry. For example, expenditures for the creation of polymer material prototyping line can be up to ten million dollars. Not all startups can afford to buy such equipment. The RUSNANO Nanocentre Network can provide the developers with all the things needed for the creation and development of their technological business”.
To the point, the project of the Nanotechnology Centre of the Republic of Tatarstan was selected by experts in 2010 in the first open competition on the nanocentres creation in Russian regions.
The Fund for Infrastructure and Educational Programs was founded in 2010 in accordance with the Federal Law No. 211-ФЗ “On the reorganization of the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies”. The objective of the Fund is the development of innovative infrastructure in the nanotechnology including the implementation of educational and infrastructure programs which are already started by RUSNANO.
The highest governing body of the Fund is its Supervisory Council, which is chaired by Vice President of Skolkovo Science and Technology Institute (SkolTech) Alexey Ponomarev. In accordance with the Charter of the Fund, the council determines priorities for its activities, establishes its strategies, and sets its budget. The Management Committee is the Fund’s collegial executive body. It is chaired by RUSNANO CEO Anatoly Chubais. Andrey Svinarenko is CEO of the Fund for Infrastructure and Educational Programs.
Source: JSC “RUSNANO” press service, video report of prav.tatar.ru
