Belarus and Russia realise dozens of joint projects in industry, science and elsewhere
Any mechanical operator would confirm: a modern car shall turn into a heap of dead metal without electronics. Chips and other electronic components — known as ‘brains’ — operate engines, brakes and transmissions, in addition to conditioner and janitors. This is the only way to make a car safe - including from the point of view of ecology and economics. The role of electronics will continue growing. With this in mind, a recent session of the Union State’s Council of Ministers (on May12th, 2016), a Belarusian-Russian scientific and technical programme was adopted: ‘Car Electronics’. Meanwhile, preparations for its realisation were launched much earlier.
Integral JSC has become the basic enterprise for implementation of the project in Minsk. Its chips and other electronic devices — developed as part of realisation of other Union State’s scientific and technical programmes — are widely used in diverse branches. A concept of its further work was adop-ted at the session which featured participation of representatives of our two states’ industry ministries, the Standing Committee of the Union State, leading research organizations and industrial enterprises. Certain performers of the outlined scientific and technical avenues will be named under a contest basis. From the Belarusian side, selection of participants of the programme is overseen by Integral and, in Russia — St. Petersburg’s Radar-MMS, known for its hi-tech developments in the transport sphere.
What scientific and technical problems are supposed to be solved in coming years? It’s primarily necessary to achieve a technological level parity with western automobile machinery — relying on domestic developments and production. Shortly speaking, it’s important to provide a large-scale import substitution in such a major branch as automobile industry. With this in mind, four key directions of the joint scientific and technical search of Belarusian and Russian scientists and experts are defined: control systems of the movement of vehicles, intellectual systems of safety, a control system of electric equipment, systems of collection of information and sensors. The new programme has actually become a continuation of se-veral development programmes of diesel automobile industry of the Union State; much owing to them, cooperation ties have been preserved in this major sphere.
There are many similar examples of scientific and technical cooperation of Belarusian and Russian scientists and production workers: over 40 joint programmes are complete by now. Almost 10 are still being implemented and, the list was replenished with another four at the above mentioned session. Apart from ‘Car Electronics’, these include the ‘Technology-SG’ programme (aimed at development of devices for space equipment), the ‘Luch’ programme (envisaging development of new nano-structural optic-electric devices, and the ‘Spinal Systems’ programme (focusing on new technologies of treatment for children suffering from severe congenital backbone deformations and injuries).
Almost each of these programmes — envisaged for 3-4 years — is a continuation of the Belarusian-Russian co-operation in the certain sphere. ‘Luch’ continues the ‘Pramen’ programme finished in 2015 and the Director of the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences’ Physics Institute — Nikolay Kazak — comments upon its results, “Hetero-structure, laser rulers, solid-state laser radiators and light-emitting — deve-loped by St. Petersburg’s Svetlana JSC and other Russian companies — are the basis for our development of final products: monolithic integrated chips of power amplifiers and converters of frequency, microwave transistors, a new laser radiator in the green zone of the spectrum, diode assemblies and pulse power supplies. Many of these devices have never been produced in the Union State. Accordingly, our joint researches aim at import substitution of high technologies.”
Products — developed as part of the ‘Luch’ programme — will be used in systems of the global space communication, radar-location, mobile communication systems of a dual purpose, optical underwater and surface communication, laser television, medical and hydro-meteorological equipment. Importantly, many hi-tech developments have already ‘stepped in’ factory shops: competitive products are already being manufactured — ensuring plants’ operation and high salaries for many thousands of specialists.
Above mentioned Integral JSC is a typical example. Being among the Union State’s leaders in the sphere of microelectronics, this company has almost completely formed its package of orders — operating in three shifts. This is a true phenomenon in our difficult economic times. The explanation is simple: Integral sees the basis for success in a consecutive performance of certain Union State sci-tech programmes. Owing to the latter, the company has succeeded to finance development of its latest technologies and devices. ‘Osnova’ (the Basis) aims to ensure technological safety of the Union State. About 40 Belarusian and Russian partner enterprises have been involved and, as a result, 62 new chips, 8 new transistors and 16 new stabilisers have been developed. Their area of application involves underwater depths and space. It’s no need to comment how important it is not to depend on imports of foreign microelectronic components.
In the field of machine-tool building, Belarus and Russia have achieved even much closer ties — establishing a joint engineering company: SoyuzStankoInzhiniring JSC. This decision — the first of the kind on the two states’ economic territory — has been approved at a joint session of the Belarusian and Russian industry ministries’ boards. The new structure unites the Belstankoinstrument Holding (with its 16 machine-tool enterprises) and Russian Stan Group "Stan which includes Stankostroyeniye NPO, Stankotekh JSC, the Ryazan Tool Building Plant and the Ivanovo Plant of Heavy Machine-Tool Building. The main goal is to ensure import substitution in this strategic branch which is the base for other major branches of the economy. Russian and Belarusian heads of related enterprises have already visited each other to find the best schemes of cooperation. The first results are already seen: the Minsk Plant of Automatic Lines will soon deliver over 60 tools to process details of carriage carts to Russian customers.
Cooperation in others spheres as part of the Union State is no less active. Adoption of a new programme of joint activities to overcome the Chernobyl consequences has become an important result of the Council of Ministers’ session in Mogilev — held for the fifth time. Heads of the Belarusian and Russian governments have agreed to increase allocations for their joint activity in this sphere. Earlier, three major specialised medical centres in Belarus and Russia which treat inhabitants of affected territories and liquidators have been created and equipped with use of the Union State’s money. An agreement has been achieved recently to make the complex medical care for citizens of our two states more available.
Owing to implementation of similar Union State’s programmes, the two states’ common border with western countries has been modernised; at the moment, this work is being conducted on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. Coverage of the Union State’s transport infrastructure in case of emergencies is another key direction. Moreover, many thousands of Belarusian and Russian young people have found new friends and have become stronger in their patriotic feelings as a result of their annual military patriotic changes of students of Suvorov and cadet military schools and classes.
Such cooperation under the Union State’s assistance will be expanding in the future, with twenty new sci-tech and other Belarusian-Russian projects are under development. As the State Secretary of Union State — Grigory Rapota — has informed, a major share of the Union State’s budget is spent on these, with no cuts expected.
By Vladimir Bibikov
