Commercializing nanotechnology
A center for commercialization of nanotechnology will be created in St. PetersburgRIA News
The nanotechnology commercialization center will be created in St. Petersburg by the fund for infrastructure and educational programs of Rusnano OJSC and the city government, the goal of the project with a budget of 200 million rubles is to "grow" new high–tech companies, Sergei Khmelevsky, general director of the project nanotechnology center, told RIA Novosti on Friday.
St. Petersburg participated in the first competition of projects organized by the state Corporation Rusnano in 2009 to create nanotechnology centers in the Russian Federation, but was not among the winners. The main purpose of creating nanotech centers is the development of institutes for the commercialization of research results. In September, Evgeny Evdokimov, Managing Director of the Rusnano Infrastructure Projects Department, told RIA Novosti that "we have models of infrastructure projects similar in business functions to nanocenters - these are commercialization centers and technology transfer centers." According to him, such projects are planned to be implemented in Penza and St. Petersburg.
"The nanotechnology commercialization center currently being created in St. Petersburg is a simplified model of nanocenters. Its main difference from nanocenters is that no equipment is purchased for it. This decision was made jointly by the city government and the Fund for Infrastructure and educational programs on the grounds that the city now has sufficient equipment purchased by universities and research institutes under various programs, mainly related to the development of innovative infrastructure," said Khmelevsky in an interview with the agency on the sidelines of the Fourth International Innovation Forum in St. Petersburg.
Khmelevsky noted that the new center is a regional listing company, its main task is to "grow" high–tech startup companies that will further develop into production or will be able to sell their technologies. It is possible that companies not directly related to nanotechnology will develop in the center, such an opportunity is inherent in the concept, he added.
According to Khmelevsky, the total budget of the nanotechnology commercialization center is 200 million rubles, Rusnano and the government of St. Petersburg will invest this project in equal shares. Currently, a business plan of the center has already been formed, which has been approved by Rusnano and the city government, the next step in the implementation of the project is the signing of an investment agreement.
"Currently, nine pilot projects have been announced in the business plan (of the center), which will be put into operation in the first year of the center's existence. As a rule, pilot projects are projects with a high degree of readiness. This means that the development work has been completed in the project, there is a prototype. Ideally, these are companies that have released a small series of products, their idea is to capitalize in order to improve the technology and enter the market with a new, improved product," said the CEO.
He noted that currently there are about 30 promising projects that will be put into operation "in the second or third year of the center's existence." It is planned that the center will, in particular, help them attract external investments from the partner funds of the center.
In accordance with the law "On the Reorganization of the Russian Nanotechnology Corporation", the functions for the development of innovative infrastructure in the field of nanotechnology have been transferred to the fund for infrastructure and educational programs.
JSC Rusnano was established in March 2011 through the reorganization of the Russian State Corporation of Nanotechnology. The state owns 100% of Rusnano shares.
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05.10.2011