Oct 13 2009
The Second Nanotechnology International Forum organized by RUSNANO has come to an end. The plenary session of the Forum was opened by the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, who emphasized that the nanotechnology development is of special importance for the national economy. As noted by the head of the state, the nanotechnology investment program implemented in the country is the largest in the world with 318 billion roubles to be allocated for this purpose until 2015.
Forum events were also attended by Sergey Ivanov, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government, Boris Gryzlov, the Chairman of the State Duma, and other public officers. The leaders of the state visited the exhibition of the latest nanotechnology developments, paying special attention to the exhibits presented by Russian participants.
The key topics on the Forum’s business agenda were: using nanotechnologies in conventional and hi-tech industries, identifying promising areas of nanotechnology development and generating nanotechnology project strategies, building up sound financial and technological infrastructure for the innovation economy, training academic managers. Representatives of foreign companies and universities talked about experience in start-ups, tools for financing nanotechnology developments and country-specific innovation systems in Israel, Finland, the USA, France, Germany, the UK, South Korea, and some other countries.
The Forum involved over 11,000 politicians, businessmen, and scientists from Russia and other countries. The nanotechnology project exhibition was visited by over 10,000 people.
The “scientific block” of the Forum consisted of 17 science and technology sections with 221 panel and 197 poster presentations made, plus 508 poster presentations by the participants of the Second International Competition of Scientific Papers for Young Researchers.
RUSNANO’s portfolio of cooperation agreements has been expanded over the three days with new agreements with the Administration of Perm Region, Sberbank of Russia, URALSIB BANK, LUKOIL OJSC, and the State Polytechnic Museum.
In the course of the Forum RUSNANO presented a number of investment projects. These include modernized production of germanium and its highly recycled products, as well as production of innovative thermal insulating materials from recycled broken off-grade glass based on nanotechnology principles. The investment projects presented for the first time were: commercial production of optic fiber using nanotechnology, unique instruments for blood coagulation diagnostics, and mass production of super-strength springs using nanotechnology. Furthermore, RUSNANO was declared to have been involved in VTB Capital and DFJ’s project of a venture capital fund in the field of nanotechnology.
The Forum events included awarding ceremonies for the winners of the First International Nanotechnology Award, RUSNANOPRIZE-2009, the First Russian Youth Prize in the Nanoindustry, and the International Young Researchers’ Competition. Details on the prize and competition winners can be found on the web site of the Second Nanotechnology International Forum. Also, the results of the competition of projects in the field of high-capacity computations, jointly organized by RUSNANO and Intel, have been summarized at the Forum.