On October 2, 2017 the Ministry of Education and Science announced the results of a project competition in the research and experimental developments sector for priority directions under the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development in Russia. One of the winners was the joint project by the microelectronics centre GS Nanotech, the Petrozavodsk State University and the company Opti-soft on creation of solid-state data storage systems using highly integrated microelectronic circuits. To bring this about the Ministry will allocate 250 mln roubles by the end of 2019. The competition is being held under the federal targeted programme "Research and development in priority directions for development of the science and technical sector in Russia for 2014-2020".
Only 21 of the 141 competition entries to obtain a subsidy from the Ministry of Education and Science under the federal targeted programme "Research and development in priority directions for development of the science and technical sector in Russia for 2014-2020" were selected. The Ministry will allocate around 5 bln roubles by the end of 2019 to finance the more promising projects aimed at the implementation of applied scientific research and experimental developments to resolve scientific and technical problems in priority directions under the Strategy for Scientific and Technical Development of the RF. Among the winners was the joint project by the microelectronics centre GS Nanotech (part of the innovation cluster Technopolis GS in the town of Gusev, Kaliningrad oblast), the Petrozavodsk State University (PetrGU) and the company Opti-soft - "Creation of solid-state data storage systems using highly integrated microelectronic circuits manufactured using 3D multi-chip encapsulation”. During the implementation of the project the first Russian energy-independent devices and DSS will be developed and brought into mass production. The Russian Ministry of Education and Science will contribute 250 mln roubles for the project, which will have a total cost of 375 mln roubles.
Evgeni Maslennikov GS Nanotech Managing Director
«It is a great honour for us that the project we submitted was recognised as one of the most promising for the scientific and technological development of Russia. The amount of data transmitted and stored is increasing day by day which naturally means that so is the number of projects to create the systems necessary for data processing and storage, as is demand for the individual components, key amongst which are solid-state storage devices. There is increased demand for Russian-developed and Russian-made solid-state storage which offer the required level of security, and the need for security solutions and better quality digitisation of data is continually on the rise. The unique for the Russian market set of competences offered by GS Nanotech, PetrGU and Opti-soft for the development and mass-production of solid-state storage and complex systems, including the creation of micro-module memory, printed-circuit boards, component insertion, mounting and manufacture of software, together with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science means that we can be sure of a successful outcome for this project».
The competitive selection process for the most promising projects eligible for government finance is traditionally held in an anonymous format, by an independent scientific and technological panel. Among the criteria to assess the quality of the material submitted are the market potential of the project, the reputation of those involved in it, the scientific and technological basis used to bring it about, the topicality of the proposed work and the results and risks as well as other aspects. Alongside the GS Nanotech, PetrGU and Opti-Soft project, other winning projects in the competition were related to scientific research and experimental developments: Creation of a Neurally-Controlled Means of Transport for the Mobility-Impaired (Lobachevsky University), Developing the Technology and Setting Up Production of a Range of High-Tech Zeolite Materials for Advanced Refining of Hydrocarbons (Moscow State University), the Development of Technology and Components for Integrated Microwave Radiophotonics (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute) etc.
The federal targeted programme "Research and development in priority directions for development of the science and technical sector in Russia for 2014-2020" has been held since 2014. Its purpose is to establish a competitive and efficiently functioning applied science and research and development sector.