Ural Research and Education Center to Continue Development in Chelyabinsk Region

10:32, September 9, 2022

South Ural residents are adopting the experience of the Sverdlovsk Region in supporting projects

The Chelyabinsk Region is interested in all-round development of import substitution projects, and the work within the framework of the world-class Ural Interregional Research and Education Center "Advanced Manufacturing Technologies and Materials" should become the key driver of this process. This was announced in Ekaterinburg by Vitaly Litke, the Deputy Minister of Science and Education of the Chelyabinsk Region. He visited the Ural Federal University as a member of a representative delegation from the Chelyabinsk Region. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen cooperation and to use the opportunities of the Ural Interregional Research and Education Center as much as possible.

"We are interested in the development of the center and our main technological projects that are part of it. We are working extensively in this area, the main driver here is South Ural State University. We want to address issues related to import substitution through the Ural Interregional Research and Education Center. For the selection of new projects we need the expertise of the center's project office. We would also be happy to adopt the experience of the Sverdlovsk Region and local authorities in supporting technological projects in general," said Vitaly Litke.

Aleksandr Wagner, Acting Rector of South Ural State University, also confirmed the readiness to strengthen cooperation.

"The Ural Interregional Research and Education Center is very important to us for the development of our technological projects. One of them is an Arctic bus for the development of northern areas. Many structures, including the Ministry of Defense, are interested in it today. Interest in the project is growing every day. Besides, we continue to develop one more of our landmark projects on the creation of a reentry rocket. The experience of the Sverdlovsk Region may be very useful for the Chelyabinsk Region. We are ready to join and refine the support mechanisms which have shown their effectiveness. In this case, universities act as integrators, centers of expertise that give a clear idea of what new competencies, technologies, products and services are required for the country today," said Aleksandr Wagner.

Igor Manzhurov, Ural Interregional Research and Education Center Development Director, emphasized at the meeting that the center's key objective is to introduce advanced technologies at the leading enterprises of the Kurgan, Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk Regions. Now the center's portfolio includes 51 projects, many of which are directly related to import substitution.

"We appreciate our partnership with our colleagues from the Chelyabinsk Region. The Region has managed to form a worthy lineup of projects, these are world-class top-notch projects. The experience of the Sverdlovsk Region has shown that when the regional authorities get involved in this process, the projects get a new impulse for development. This year, the government of the Sverdlovsk Region has allocated 100 million rubles for these purposes. It is important for us to develop Ural Interregional Research and Education Center, this development comes through promising projects that we nurture. We need teams of scientists who would attract enterprises. It is also important to have an educational component to form project teams as well," said Igor Manzhurov.

Victor Koksharov, Chairman of the Ural Interregional Research and Education Center Governing Council and Rector of Ural Federal University, noted in his speech that the Governor of Sverdlovsk Region has confirmed for the next year the continuation of the project support mechanisms that have already been successfully tested.

"We are talking about reimbursement of up to 50% of the research costs incurred by enterprises and its partners - universities or academic institutes - in order to implement specific developments into production. These are the projects in which Sinara Transport Machines, Prosoft-Systems, Urals Optical-Mechanical Plant, UNIMATIC and Axalit Soft acted as industrial partners of the Ural Interregional Research and Education Center. The corresponding tender is being held through the Industry Development Fund. I am sure that the introduction of a similar mechanism to support Ural Interregional Research and Education Center projects in the Chelyabinsk Region will also give a very good result," said Victor Koksharov.

Reference

Ural Interregional Research and Education Center "Advanced Manufacturing Technologies and Materials" was established to unite the potential of educational and scientific organizations of the real sector of the Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk and Kurgan Regions. The center participates in obtaining competitive technologies and products, their subsequent commercialization, as well as training personnel to solve scientific and technological problems in order to achieve breakthrough development in priority areas and increase the competitiveness of the economies of the subjects in the center's perimeter. The Ural Federal University initiated the creation and performs the functions of the Ural Interregional Research and Education Center project office. The idea of creating the scientific and educational center was supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to UrFU in July 2019.

The news article was translated by UrFU International Marketing Office
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