CEO of the Laser Center of the Republic of Tatarstan (resident of Technopark “Idea”) Nikolai Nasonov told how to combine business success with the creation of activities for the development of children’s creativity.
— The Laser Center of RT was opened in Technopark “Idea” in 2009. The company helps enterprises of Tatarstan to develop innovative laser technologies for the modernization of production, improvement of competitiveness and product quality.
— In addition to the main activities the Laser Center oversees the work of the Center for Youth Innovation Creativity “Idea” (CYIC), participates in the creation of children’s technoparks, the establishment and development of laser schools across the country, and the company was the initiator and organizer of a competence of the “Laser technology” at the All-Russian Championship of working professions on WorldSkills standards.
— Nikolai, you have the successful business in the field of laser technology. Tell us where and when you began work with the children?
— I developed a concept of creation and functioning of competence centers, which was supported by RT Prime Minister Rustam Minnikhanov, within the framework of the works conducted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Tatarstan in 2008-2009. One of the areas of the concept was the work with young people. In 2011, I won a competition of the Russian Venture Company (RVC) and the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises in the scientific and technical sphere (FASIE) for the development of the concept of youth prototyping centers. In 2012, the Laser Center of RT jointly with Technopark “Idea” with the support of the Government of the republic filed an application for participation in the competition of projects of efficient use of the open youth innovative creativity centers network, announced by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, where the Republic of Tatarstan was one of the 13 regions-winners. The first opening of the CYIC in Russia was held in Technopark “Idea” on February 27, 2013, and we have opened 10 centers in the republic. Now there are 14 CYIC in Tatarstan. The first center, opened in Russia, is the CYIC “Idea” (it is located and works in Technopark “Idea”). Classes in the CYIC are divided into two types: in the school curriculum and additional education. As part of the school program middle-school students come to us on the technology lessons, and within the framework of additional education we work with the youth of the republic: study laser technology, basics of design, modeling, and more other. And basic that is actually why I created the CYIC is to support a project by creating a real prototype.
— Why, in your opinion, the children reach for technical knowledge? Because it is popular and fashionable, isn’t it?
— Children are interested in everything new, moving, blinking, like robots, drones, thereon they are children. Unfortunately it is fashionable, but not demanded. There are a few problems. The first problem and maybe the most important is the lack of professional orientation work with children, the second is that the parents do not see their children engineers and, the third one is that employers for the most part do not ready to work with talented youth, the salary of lawyers and economists is much more, but at the same time the technician work is harder and more responsible.
Young people can develop their project or to become a member of our team in the CYIC “Idea”, but there should be systematic work of all parts of the system of youth work. Region, which is the first to be able to create an innovation management system, will significantly steal a march – the market is estimated to ASI – $3.7 trillion.
— In addition to active participation in the development of CYIC you still are the initiator and organizer of the competence of the “Laser technology” at WorldSkills Russia in 2016. Tell me, what are the findings of the championship and whether this competence is introduced in the compulsory program of the championship in 2019?
— In 2015, we filed a request to the technical committee of WorldSkills for inclusion the competence of the “Laser technology”. In the framework of this competence, our company has proven that the technical solutions that we offer in Russia are relevant to all industrial enterprises in almost all industries (for example, we equipped the Kazan Helicopter Plant; “Rostvertol” is our partner; automobile manufacturing – Mercedes and Autovaz and KAMAZ structures, instrument making – “Elekon Plant”, Schneider Electric, Tavrida Electric). We have also proved that we are able to hold the championship anywhere in the world.
We support both adult participants and the program of early vocational guidance and the foundations of professional training of students JuniorSkills at WorldSkills Russia. 4 adult participants and 8 pupils passed in the final of the All-Russian competition in our competence.
Currently, we are working on the issue together with the leadership of the movement WorldSkills Russia to the purview of the “Laser technology” will become international. The Laser Center has about 75 partners worldwide; all of them have posted information about the competence on their websites. We tell them about our initiative in the framework of WorldSkills and invite teams to take part in the championship.
It is necessary to organize the competencies in 5 countries in order to become it as international. We are now studying this question. It would be great in 2019 at the WorldSkills in Kazan to have technological competence, which Russia introduced. As soon as we make a final decision, it will become clear whether the competence of the “Laser technology” at the International WorldSkills Championship in 2019 in Kazan.
— You have initiated the creation of the laser schools just for the promotion of laser technology among children and students, hasn’t it?
— Laser technology is a request of modern society. Therefore it would be correct to say that the interest in technologies with the use of laser on the part of children led to the idea of creation and development of such schools. Moreover, active work is conducted on creation of children’s technoparks where we also do specialized area “Laser quantum”. One of such kvantoriums we created in Naberezhnye Chelny. Such platforms are useful for children because here they consciously study physics: learn to apply their knowledge in life and understand how this knowledge can be monetized.
We tell about modern and advanced laser and associated with the use of the laser quantum and additive technologies.
— Nikolai, now a lot of talk about socially oriented business. Would you call the Laser Center of RT, given its experience in working with children and youth, socially-oriented enterprise?
— —I do not believe in social business, in fact, we often discuss this issue in the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI), we considered it in the Foresight Fleet 2016 and came to the conclusion that it is not replicable history. All depends on the individual businessman in the region, the region, its people and this experience in any way can not be transferred.
— We work in the framework of the National Technology Initiative (NTI), but it is another life story. We in Tatarstan since 2009, we have accumulated a huge experience and now we show how to replicate high-tech business in the regions, and how it must be carried out there. In the framework of this model we have concluded an agreement on cooperation with the Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan and the ITMO University (St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics), we work in 5 working groups of ASI, and soon you will observe our progress in the matrix of NTI.
Text: press service of Technopark “Idea”
Photo: screen recording from youtube.com
