VEB and NUST MISiS to Establish a Unique Center of Competence for New Materials and Breakthrough Technologies with a Focus on Blockchain

Vnesheconombank and MISiS National University of Science and Technology will establish a Center of Competence for new materials and breakthrough technologies with a primary focus on blockchain, convergent (NBICS) and quantum technologies.

The Center’s mission will be to accumulate knowledge about innovative technologies, to develop platforms applicable in public organizations, to provide training and promotion. This is Russia’s first ever center of such competences, with national state-owned companies and public authorities to become the major users of its services. Thus, Russia is becoming an important player in global blockchain development.

The Center will employ experts from Ethereum and Exonum (Bitfury blockchain platform), the worldwide leaders in the development of blockchain platforms. As specified in the agreement, the Center will be based in Moscow at the premises of NUST MISiS. Its launch is scheduled for September 2017.

VEB’s plans involve: development of the Russian blockchain on the Ethereum and Exonum platforms, including certification for cryptographic systems, process-oriented training workshops and certification of experts and trainers. The platform developers will work together with the employees of the Center of Competence.

Chairman of Vnesheconombank, Sergey Gorkov, and Rector of NUST MISiS, Alevtina Chernikova, have signed a strategic cooperation agreement. VEB and NUST MISiS are interested in the removing of infrastructural constraints on Russia’s economic growth, development of innovations, establishing of a system to train skilled personnel for the innovative economy, commercialization of breakthrough technologies, upgrading of the sectoral and technological appraisal of the investment projects supported by VEB.

“NUST MISiS, as one of the leading technical universities in Russia, boasts a research potential that enables effective solutions for scientific and technological challenges faced by the business community in the University's priority areas. Our competencies in quantum technology development, material engineering and IT, alongside with the University’s unique system for training skilled personnel for the innovative economy, will enable VEB and NUST MISiS to establish a real Innovative Project Factory for leading national manufacturers,” said Alevtina Chernikova.

“We are bringing together all stakeholders and launching Russia’s first ever Center of Competence for state-owned companies and public authorities thus creating an innovation ecosystem. The Center will benefit from the skills and best practices shared by both Russian developers and global leaders in innovative breakthrough industries. We are delighted to enhance VEB’s experience and knowledge with the competencies of Russia’s leading science center - NUST MISiS. One of the priority areas will be blockchain and development of related competencies, and to this end we have engaged the global leaders - Ethereum and Bitfury,” noted Sergey Gorkov.

He reminded of the Work Group created in Russia to introduce the blockchain technology in state administration, which is headed by First Vice Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Igor Shuvalov. It is within this Work Group that VEB has been instructed to set up and monitor the work process.

“The cooperation between Ethereum and VEB provides a unique opportunity for research and development efforts in applying the blockchain technology to state administration, and will accelerate the process of adapting this technology for Russia’s state agencies,” said Vladislav Martynov, Member of the Supervisory Board of the Ethereum Foundation.

The establishment of the Center will be the first step on the path of strategic partnership between VEB and NUST MISiS, which also implies interaction in the following areas:

• development of innovative activities making it possible to identify process innovations as a result of scientific research and to establish conditions for practical implementation in the real sector;
• promotion of scientific research focused on the development of new products and technologies;
• independent assessment of innovative technologies and technical solutions from the investment perspective;
• use of breakthrough technologies having a high market and export potential for creating a factory of innovative investment projects to be evaluated for financing/investment prospects by the VEB Group;
• use of capacities and competencies of the Center for Industrial Prototyping of High Complexity for digital design, modeling and building prototypes of complex functional objects as part of the implementation of innovative projects supported by the VEB Group;
• development of continuing professional education for the shaping of innovative thinking of research workers and business competencies;
• development of highly skilled human resources (managers and engineers) as part of the implementation of investment projects supported by the VEB Group.

The project delivered by VEB and NUST MISiS has already received high accolades at the international level.

“I think that NUST MISiS is the right place for training innovation professionals, as this educational institution has considerable experience in engineering, metallurgy and mining, and recently it has made large investments in biomedicine, as well as robotic engineering and computer-aided systems. All these industries, when functioning together, carry paramount importance for any modern economy,” said Harry Bhadeshia, Steel Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge.

The University is making strategic investments in the equipment for its new laboratories. I believe that a high level of professional expertise, and investments are very important for the future. In the 21st century, such issues as energy, sustainable development, new materials and technologies are coming to the fore, said Lindsay Greer, Professor in the Department of Materials Science, Nuclear Energy and Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge.

According to Harry E.Ruda, Director of the Center for Advanced Nanotechnology, Professor of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto, MISiS has managed to bring together a unique team of scientists - over 100 professionals involved in the development of cutting-edge technologies and ready to share their knowledge and experience.

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