Last week, a delegation of the Russian Association “National Champions: Fast-growing Technology Companies” headed by CEO Alexander Likhanov visited JINR and the SEZ “Dubna”. Delegation members got acquainted with the JINR work and held a meeting at the SEZ “Dubna”.

Fast-growing private high-tech companies represent a special sector of Russian business with a growing influence on the real sector of the country’s economy. Today, more than 80 companies have the National Champion status. The purpose of the Association is to coordinate activities of its members, represent, and protect the common interests of Association members, including by formulating proposals for state support measures. The expert selection of National Champions companies is carried out by Innopraktika together with a Russian Venture Company. The National Champions Project was launched by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia.

“This is not our first meeting with colleagues. One of the main points of mutual interest is attracting new members from SEZ residents to the Association through interaction with our partners in the SEZ “Dubna”. As well as building a dialogue between big science and business in order to use innovative products of National Champions in JINR activities and stimulating the interest of industrial partners in the capabilities of the Institute’s R&D infrastructure. Among the criteria for the selection of National Champions, the innovation of their products and the availability of intellectual property are important. Joint developments with scientific centres are relevant in this context,” Head of IIPD JINR Igor Lensky commented on the visit.

During the visit, representatives of the Association got acquainted with activities of the technical and implementation zone of the SEZ “Dubna”, its high-tech companies, many of which today have the opportunity to become participants in the National Champions project. At the meeting with SEZ residents, the selection criteria for the National Champions Project were announced, as well as the advantages of participating in it. Participants of the meeting discussed measures of comprehensive state support for fast-growing high-tech companies from the outside.

Representatives of the Association visited the Innovation and Technology Centre of the SEZ “Dubna”, SEZ sites, residents’ production sites, met with SEZ residents, representatives of the Dubna Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

At JINR, Association representatives visited the Centre of Applied Physics of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions. Deputy Head of the Centre for Scientific Work Alexander Nechaev presented the capabilities of the R&D infrastructure and spoke about the FLNR experience in the development and transfer of technologies. At the Laboratory of Radiation Biology, LRB Scientific Secretary Igor Koshlan and his colleagues spoke about the possibilities and experience of LRB in performing. They spoke about research on the basis of the SARRP (Small Animal Radiation Research Platform) facility, research into the effects of various factors on the central nervous system, the use of radioprotectors and radiosensitizers to increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy, as well as research on space biology. At the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, guests got acquainted with the possibilities of structural research, including in the fields of life sciences and biotechnology, on the basis of the Xeuss 3.0 X-Ray Scattering Station presented by a senior researcher of the Laboratory Yulia Gorshkova.

“Immersion in the current agenda, awareness of each other’s opportunities and priorities achieved as a result of the visit are undoubtedly creating a good basis for the development of cooperation between the Association of National Champions, JINR, and SEZ “Dubna”,” Igor Lensky highlighted.