Rusnano opens new nanotechnology center in Russia

DUBNA (Moscow region), July 15. /ITAR-TASS/. A new nanotechnology center has been opened in the Dubna science town in the north of the Moscow region. It is the 8th nanocenter of the RUSNANO management company. The center’s budget is some 60 million U.S. dollars. The portfolio of the new Dubna nanocenter already has more than 40 innovation projects at the initial stage. In total, more than 250 various start-ups are implemented in the network of nanocenters across Russia.

The Dubna nanocenter is focused on commercialization of nanotechnology projects in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and integration into the global innovation system. It specializes in functional coatings and new materials, radiation technology, personalized medicine. The scientific complex is based in a technology development special economic zone, it has a number of sites in the territory of Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU) and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINS). According to director general of the JSC International Innovation Nanotechnology Center Aleksei Gostomelsky, maximum investment in each project of the institute could reach 4.5 million U.S. dollars with the expected payback of 3 - 5 years.

Russia has real chances to become a world leader in the sphere of nanotechnology by 2020 - head of RUSNANO Anatoly Chubais said. To join the club of such counties - leaders, and there are, according to Chubais, 6 or 7 such countries in the world, Russia should expand into 2.5 - 3% of the world nano-industry market. He said the volume of this market “is measured by hundreds of billions and trillions of dollars.”

The open joint stock company RUSNANO was established in 2011 as a result of reorganization of the Russian State Corporation of Nanotechnologies. The volume of its charter capital is $1.5 billion , its staff numbers 267 people. RUSNANO implements the state policy for the nano-industry development and is one of the country’s largest technology investors. RUSNANO has 11 nanocenters all over Russia. Over the past six years, the company has invested in projects more than $3.5 billion, financed more than 100 industrial projects, created 84 innovation production facilities. The first plants for manufacturing nanotechnology products were launched in 2010.