Nanotech in Russia: still a dream?
Published: 06 October, 2009, 13:14
Edited: 28 February, 2010, 21:29
TAGS: Russia, SciTech, Politics, Nanotechnology
Russia has got some big plans for the future of nanotechnology, the mechanics of using atom-sized particles, which is already making major leaps forward in developing everything from new medicines to airplanes.
On Tuesday, President Medvedev underlined a multi-billion ruble commitment at an international nanotech forum. According to the president, 318 billion rubles (around US$10.5 billion) will have been allocated to the industry by 2015.
Medvedev has also said that industry sales will have reached 900 billion rubles (US$30 billion) by then, a quarter of which will come from exports.
The Unikhimtech factory near Moscow is producing “prepregs” – composite materials soaked in nano-particles that give them their unusual properties. The factory’s clients use them to construct next-generation airplanes
“This our chance to be competitive – to produce something the whole world wants,” said Unikhimtech general director Viktor Avdeev.
That is also exactly the thinking behind the Russian government's desire to pump more than one billion dollars a year into nanotechnologies.
The step is much-needed, as in Russia the industry still accounts for less than one percent of the economy.
”There is a gap between the theoretical findings and how much these can be used by the existing Russian industries,” said the Head of National Nanoindustry Association, Mikhail Ananyan.
Despite promising ready funding for those with ideas, the State Nanotechnology Corporation has yet to allocate all of its money.
Moreover, while billions of dollars seems impressive, other countries are still spending more.
“We were too late on the nanotechnology scene – governments were giving funding when we could not afford to,” said Ananyan. “We are not just behind the leaders, but those in the second tier. And the gap is getting bigger, not smaller.”
From lighter spaceships, to better medical treatment, to socks that don't smell, nanotechnology – the manipulation of tiny particles – promises to revolutionize lifestyles.
However, it seems unlikely to play a major role in Russia's economic recovery and growth in the next few years.
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Right after you spend all that money on all the nano stuff, you might discover that nanoparticles are just like tiny asbestos fibers and cause cancer! Then you will ask yourself 'Why didn't we spend all that money mining gold, diamonds, nickel (or fill in the name of nearly every other kind of valuable element on Earth which is found in Russia, that very few other countries have, and everyone needs), instead of trying to compete with Germany, Japan, China, USA, France, the UK, and a bunch of other countries with nanotech, which might someday be a very competitive, low profit-margin industry ?' You'll be able to buy a whole bunch of future nanojunk with the money from selling a bar of gold, a few diamonds, or a ton of nickel. And China might buy a lot right now. Look at Australia. They dig it up and sell it to China. How easy is that! Return on investment is very important. Just saying.
Lets assume that Russia succeeded with this plan. Even though, it is questionable, considering traditionally "crude" processes and bad quality materials in Russia. But, lets assume that. What will happen next -- a tons of those Russian nanotech specialists will ... move to the West. To make life better there. If Russian government is planning to allocate certain amount of money for this industry, it should allocate ten times more for creating living conditions which would prevent the "leak of brains" to the West and other parts of the world... where there is running water in every house.
Sounds good, but we are already doing it in the West, successfully too, just imagine Russia building a Hard Drive that can reduce power consumption by better than 40%, it's possible, but not without a significant investment in plant and people, the technology we have now. Is the Russian government up for a real challenge to prove it is ready to step into the Nano-tech arena? We can also already coat steel billets so they not only exceed the new EU green criteria but reduce processing costs and all but remove waste processing costs -yet not one single Russia steel producer has asked us how they can get this technology and beat the Europeans at steel production by making a joke out of the EU's new standards by leaving them cold. Don't the Steel barons of Russia want to keep thier businesses working?