Russia’s first official opening of the Youth Innovation Creativity Centre (YICC “Idea”) has been held today at Technopark “Idea”, Kazan, on February the 27th, 2013.
The activity of the largest Russian network of Youth Innovation Creativity Centres, embracing Tomsk, Irkutsk, Kaluga, Penza regions, St. Petersburg, Moscow region, Krasnoyarsk region and the Republic of Tatarstan, moves into a high gear.
The official opening of the Youth Innovation Creativity Centre at Technopark has been attended by representatives of large and small businesses, relevant ministries and agencies, and what’s the main, the most target audience of the YICC’s – children. Today children have attended their second lesson where they felt confident about the equipment operation. Having mastered the engraving and laser cutting of plastic items, the children attempted the more complicated details. A computer mouse, cut from square pieces, and a scorpion, the details of which they cut by the laser and assembled as a construction kit has become the result of their today’s work.
In spite of the fact that the YICC equipment can be used for the children educational purposes and for commercial use of the equipment in the simulation and prototyping and etc., the Center’s opening format has been based on the children nature.
The ceremony of symbolic ribbon-cutting has been entrusted to the robot assembled by children in the LEGO-center at Technopark “Idea”.
Background of the Youth Innovation Creativity Centres:
In May 2012, the RF Ministry of Economic Development in collaboration with the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia (AIRR) announced a contest on the organization of Youth Innovation Creativity Centres (YICC) focusing on the FabLab model in accordance with the Order of the RF Ministry of Economic Development No. 223 dated April 23, 2012 for the creation of Russian “FabLab” network integrated into the international community.
The Republic of Tatasrtan has become one of the 13 regions of winners. The total number of regional YICCs is over 30, and 9 of which are located in the Republic of Tatarstan. Two centres will be located in Kazan, by one in Zelenodolsk, Chistopol, Leninogorsk, Bugulma, Naberezhnye Chelny, in Drozhannoe and Bogatye Saby rural areas.
The YICC “Idea”- the new generation children creativity center is fitted with modern universal prototyping equipment that can be used from 10 to 15 persons at one time. Laser gravers, 3D-scanners, milling machines and 3D-printers, allowing to produce prototypes of any complexity and dimension in the shortest possible time.
This is a professional workshop which has much in common with a scientist’s laboratory or an expert’s workshop and equipped with a wide range of instruments.
The YICC “Idea” equipment can be used for both: educational and commercial purposes. Opportunities for the youth development are not practically limited.
At present the prospect of 3D-printers is drawn in such areas as: architecture, where you can prototype a single building model using 3D-printer; geology, where such systems can be used to create three-dimensional color maps; industrial design and mechanical engineering, where such printer can be used for prototyping of future products or their separate parts; medicine, where such device can essentially simplify the process of dental prosthesis fabrication and fitting; artistic, theatrical and educational areas, where there is a need to reproduce an identical copy of items, moulages of rare museum pieces or visual aids for schoolchildren and students.
The Association of Innovative Regions of Russia (AIRR) and Organization of Youth Innovative Russia (YIR) are ideological inspirers of the creation and development of YICC network in Russia.
The Ministry of Economic Development and the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia make financial contributions to the project. The total amount of the programme is 350 million rubles. Subsidy rates of the Ministry of Economic Development cumulatively with the regional means in each of dozens of the winner-projects will be amounted to 10 million rubles in the first year.
FabLab reference data:
FabLab (Fabrication Laboratory) – a global network of unified laboratories throughout the world with a common data base and a function to share the experience and consult with the leading global experts using videoconference system.
FabLab – a product of digital revolution: digital photography and digital music are followed by a digital production. Computer-controlled “intelligent” devices process a variety of materials removing all needless or vice versa, adding new elements, giving them the desired form – so this is the way of plane and solid parts production: lever, flywheel, gear, and even electronic board… A man only needs to assemble all the details.
FabLab, born as a university project in the Center for Bits and Atoms, Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2001, due to the principles of openness and accessibility has turned into a global network of digital fabrication laboratories throughout the world which share common principles, use similar equipment and technology, share ideas and resources.
These centres provide a set of computer-controlled devices (tools) for the production of details in various sizes and materials, democratizing production technologies earlier available only in expensive mass production.
