At the meeting, the President of Belarus and the Governor of Tomsk Region discussed potential cooperation with a focus on industrial electronics. TUSUR University and Micran are proposed as the key coordinators of the partnership representing Russia.
On August 15, the Governor of Tomsk Region visited Minsk for a meeting with the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. Vladimir Mazur proposed to Alexander Lukashenko a new joint program for the development of the industrial electronics sector in the Union State. With the unique competences of its universities and R&D enterprises, Tomsk is prepared to play a key role in the collaboration.
“Tomsk Region is one of the leaders in Russia in the development of R&D-driven economy. 2.75% of its gross regional product is invested in R&D, twice that of the national average. It is time for us to open a new chapter in the relationship between Tomsk Region and Belarus and move toward a science-driven collaboration,” said Vladimir Mazur at the meeting.
In developing a common scientific and technological ecosystem, the Union State of Russia and Belarus are currently implementing more than 60 R&D program, ranging in focus from space industry to IT, from machine building to medicine, but as yet, there are no programs for the development of industrial electronics. At the same time, import-independent microelectronic technologies are currently a topmost priority for both nations, and researchers both in Russia and Belarus invest major effort in the study of new GaN technologies. It only makes sense that this effort should benefit from a major partnership of the two union states. Representing Russia, the partnership program could be coordinated by TUSUR University and Micran.
The President of Belarus welcomed the proposal and immediately instructed the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and competent authorities to commence with the preparation of a framework for the future collaboration project.
Participating in the meeting with the President of Belarus were Vice-Governors of Tomsk Region Lyudmila Ogorodova and Vassily Potyomkin, Rector of TUSUR University Victor Rulevskiy, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia to Belarus Boris Gryzlov, and representing Belarus the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sergey Bartosh, Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology Andrey Khudyk, First Vice Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Sergey Chizhik.