“Rossiiskaya Gazeta”: “Kurchatov Institute to be a trailblazer”
Government to work out a complex of measures to support high technologies.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin invited the cream of Russian scientists and civil servants to his Novo-Ogaryovo residence to discuss the creation of Russia's first new-look research centre, to be founded on the bedrock of the Kurchatov Institute.
It was no accident that the prime minister's first working meeting this year was devoted to science. As RG reported, the anti-crisis programme published in late 2009 concedes that the Cabinet did not pay enough attention to innovation last year. So, beginning from 2010, the government intends to make amends by developing a range of measures to support the hi-tech sector of the economy.
Back in late November of 2009, Vladimir Putin ordered that the Kurchatov Institute be put under government jurisdiction. Previously, it was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and Science through Rosnauka Agency.
The government intends to make the Kurchatov Institute an umbrella for several research centres including the Konstantinov Nuclear Physics Institute in St. Petersburg, which is part of the RAS, and two Rosatom organizations: the High Energy Physics Institute (IFVE) in Protvino outside Moscow and the Theoretical and Experimental Physics Institute (ITEF), located in Moscow's Cheryomyshki neighbourhood. In addition to research, the government wants to use Kurchatov to try out a mechanism for creating five to seven similar fundamental research centres.
Vladimir Putin warned, however, that a mechanical merger and enlargement is not an option; it is necessary to form an innovation matrix for Russia: from fundamental research to technologies that have a chance to break into hi-tech, science-intensive markets. "Such centres will get the most advanced experimental equipment and a corresponding infrastructure. That will create attractive conditions for the work of both Russian and foreign scientists," the prime minister said.
"Considering the importance of the project, the new research centre will report directly to the Russian government and will be financed directly out of the federal budget," the prime minister confirmed. With an eye to forming the Kurchatov Institute Research Centre, the guidelines for fundamental and applied research, the programme of support and development of research, and the technological and engineering infrastructure have been approved.
The 2010 Federal Budget has allocated 2.5 billion roubles for the programme. An additional 10 billion roubles will be made available to the Institute in the next three years. The prime minister did not rule out further budget outlays. If more money is needed for some interesting projects with a "coherent result," the government will think about allocating more funds.
Vladimir Putin set several goals for the Institute. First, scientists should not concentrate only on areas in which the country has already made considerable progress but develop new fields, for example, nano-, bio-, and information technologies. It should pursue a vigorous nuclear and energy research programme, including the creation of new-generation reactors and experimental units. And, of course, it should pay attention to reducing energy consumption.
Finally, the Kurchatov Institute would do well to become integrated with higher education. It is important to establish efficient interaction with the country's leading universities, Putin argued, adding that it is necessary to organise student participation in research starting from the freshman year. "The optimum format for the participation of Russian scientists in major joint international projects should be developed so that the results could be used effectively to promote technological development in this country," the prime minister said.
On the same theme, the prime minister met yesterday with the head of Roskosmos, Anatoly Perminov, who reported that a programme for the development of Stellar City (a cosmonaut training centre) will be ready by Cosmonauts' Day. The prime minister urged the need to build and repair the housing in the centre. "This is a good occasion to solve all the problems at a modern technological level, and it must be done," the prime minister told Perminov.
By Pier Sidibe
