Over the past five years, investments in the scientific sector in Russia have increased by 39%. And today we have something to offer in terms of technology to our partners from friendly countries, including the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. Cooperation with them is becoming more and more promising. And this is due not only to geographical proximity, but also to the economic potential of the region. One of Russia’s main economic partners is China, with interaction developing in all directions and at an unprecedented speed. Chinese partners are interested in receiving technology from Russia, and Russia, in turn, is interested in receiving technology from China. Universities, in particular the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), could play an important role in this regard. It is the largest Russian university in the Far East and could become a “technological bridge” for the transfer of science and technology from the Asia-Pacific countries. How to achieve this, what are the specifics of communication with Chinese partners, what specific technologies does Russia need? These and other issues were discussed by participants at the session “FEFU: Centre for Science and Technology Transfer from Asia-Pacific Countries”, which took place within the framework of EEF-2024.
“FEFU will become a bridge for the exchange of technologies”
Russia and China are becoming a source of mutual best practices. The organization of joint research and the search for technological solutions through the mechanism of university partnership, the so-called “technological bridge”, plays an important role here. For both sides, this is an opportunity to accelerate industrial progress through mutual scientific and technological enrichment.
– The Far East is a unique territory, historically it is oriented towards cooperation primarily with China, and FEFU is the largest university in the Far East, it plays an integrative role and, in fact, today it is a technological bridge for the transfer of science and technology. And, of course, today our main technological partner is China,” said Vladimir Nelyub, moderator of the debate and Vice-Rector for Research of the Far Eastern Federal University.
According to him, FEFU and Chinese universities currently publish 20% of joint scientific articles. FEFU is also opening branches in China. Joint technology parks are being established with Chinese partners.
– Chinese companies want the two universities to create some kind of bridge in the field of technology. They are asking questions because it is not just a transaction between two companies; they need a level of guarantee. Guarantees from the two universities, guarantees from the traditional educational base and the research base that already exists,” said Wang Juntao, head of the international relations department at Xinhua University in Guangzhou.
He said that an agreement has already been signed on the establishment of a FEFU campus in Xinhua. One of the promising areas of cooperation will be the exchange of technologies in the fields of medicine, pharmacy and bioengineering.
– With partners like Xinhua University, nothing is scary. Thank you for your support, we are very pleased that you are establishing complex relations with us,” said Vladimir Nelyub.
Yan Chang, head of the secretariat of the Association for the Promotion of Development of New Industries in Russia’s Heilongjiang Province, said that in July this year, schoolchildren from Russia visited Harbin Polytechnic and Engineering Universities within the framework of youth exchanges.
– We need to start with children! Our universities really want to cooperate with Russia! – he noted.
– We will cooperate! Harbin is 1.5 hours by flight from us, much closer than Moscow and St. Petersburg. In Harbin we will build an innovation center, a research and education center, and a technology park,” Vladimir Nelyub replied.
Vladimir Nelyub. Photo: Evgeny Reutov / Roscongress
– Scientific and technical personnel are always in short supply, so it is better to work together, especially with such developed partners as the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. FEFU could become one of the support points for technology transfer. But I think that it is impossible for one university to cover all areas of our technological cooperation, so each one will specialize in its own area. Only with the interaction of key players, I mean a licensor from the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, ready for technology transfer or joint development in some mirror centers, can success be achieved. We have solvent industries that have a high demand for advanced technologies or affordable technologies. Universities should become centers for personnel transfer, and God himself ordered to start with FEFU,” said Vladimir Pastukhov, Director General of the Agency for Technological Development.
Turn to the East
Deputy Director General of the Scientific and Technical Programs Directorate Oleg Karasev noted that no country can rely solely on domestic resources in science-intensive areas. It is necessary to jointly develop basic platform solutions with friendly countries.
– The concept of a technological bridge is based not only on scientific capabilities, but also on demand. It is necessary to identify the existing and future needs of the economic sectors of the partner countries and jointly determine how to fill these technological gaps. And it is on the basis of universities that technological cooperation centers can be created,” the expert stressed.
The participants of the session noted that large companies that have experience in international cooperation with Europe and other countries that are no longer friends, are increasingly having to turn to the East.
“We see a great interest in working with international partners: scientists, technology companies, major Russian companies, especially those operating in competitive markets, namely oil and gas, petrochemicals and metallurgy,” said Alexey Filimonov, Executive Director of the National Association for Technology Transfer (NATT).
The expert also noted that it is very important to adapt foreign technologies to Russia, to “repaint” them, to make sure that the technology is not just bought, but becomes Russian. After all, Russia has long spent huge amounts of money on the purchase of foreign technologies.
“But it is a well-known fact: if you do not finance your own science, you finance that of others,” said Alexey Filimonov.
VEB.RF Deputy Chairman Igor Drozdov agreed with him.
– Technology transfer is not like coming to a store, buying a car and driving it, and getting a warranty service. Technologies can be transferred even to the operational process, but if you don’t have raw materials and components, or tomorrow those who transfer the technologies to you leave, then it will be unclear what to do, there are risks. Therefore, technology transfer today takes the form of joint research programs. Basically, it is about acquiring competencies and jointly developing them to the next level,” Igor Drozdov explained.
– It was very interesting to organize a series of pilot projects on technology transfer here together with our colleagues from Asia-Pacific countries; they often have such solutions. But localization of technologies in Russia should be carried out at a deep level, with a base of elementary components and materials, and not with large-scale assembly; such technologies do not suit us. And the role of universities and advanced engineering research centers at universities is very important in this process, – said Nikita Shaposhnikov, advisor to the rector of the Tyumen Industrial University.
“It’s time to move from English to Russian and Chinese”
Participants in the session noted communication problems in Russian-Chinese relations.
– With great interest (in the Chinese market – Ed.) on the part of Russian companies, they do not know what is required for the Chinese side, they do not know the specific instructions, the documents that are needed to work with the Chinese side, including legal, accounting and customs aspects. The most important is the financial sphere. Today it is necessary to find a way to manage finances,” Wang Juntao stressed.
And the director of the Russian-Chinese Research Center for Digital Economy, Mehri Aliyev, while demonstrating to the participants of the session exactly how to reach an understanding with Chinese partners, at one point even turned to the Chinese themselves.
– Technology transfer is not just about agreements and signatures, but a very long and painstaking work that begins with communication. You should try to speak Chinese and Russian. This does not mean that you should stop speaking English, but it does not convey the nuances – legal and technological,” said Mehri Aliyev.
