Between 22 and 25 August, the 10th International Forum of Technological Development Technoprom 2023 was held in Novosibirsk. It took place in the exhibition facility Novosibirsk Expo Centre. A large number of participants took part in the week of science and technologies held in the form of online and offline discussions. The programme of the forum included exhibitions of advanced technologies, presentations, meetings, and round table discussions involving the government representatives, heads of investment funds, development institutes, research and academic institutions, and public corporations from over 20 countries.
Among the participants of the exhibition devoted to technological development there were national leaders in the area of scientific and technological development from various regions of Russia, as well as representatives of international and Russian partner companies. They demonstrated the latest scientific and industrial breakthroughs.
The Siberian Ring Source of Photons (SKIF) centre for collective use, which is now under construction, is to become one of the most promising and advanced sources of synchrotron radiation and a world class megascience facility.
VSU scientists have been collaborating with their colleagues from SKIF from the start of the construction of the centre, when its functional characteristics were determined. This collaboration is a part of a VSU’s project “Distributed infrastructure of precision diagnostic methods in ultra-soft X-ray spectrum of synchrotron radiation for functional materials and nanoscale structures, including nano-, bio-, and hybrid materials, for the benefit of promising technologies and technical systems: from education technologies and fundamental research to practical application”. The project is implemented within the framework of the federal scientific and technical programme of development of synchrotron and neutron techniques and research infrastructure for 2019–2027 (part of the federal project “Development of large-scale scientific and technological projects in top-priority areas of the national Science and Universities project”).
During the forum, SKIF representatives organised several events to discuss the current construction stage of the synchrotron centre, the development of its infrastructure, international cooperation, and collaboration with real economy enterprises in order to solve possible production problems. One of the key events of the forum was the first meeting of the scientific advisory committee of the SKIF centre for collective use. The functions of scientific advisory committees of megascience facilities (i.e. synchrotron centres) include reviewing research plans, plans for the development of such facilities and their research infrastructure, operation plans, suggested research projects and experiments, as well as organising all forms of collaboration at any level. The head of the scientific advisory committee of the SKIF centre for collective use is Stepan Kalmykov, Vice-President and a Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The secretary of the committee and its member is Sergey Turistchev, Head of the Department of General Physics at the Faculty of Physics of VSU. Here is his comment regarding the results of the meeting.
“Our first meeting demonstrated that the organisation and effective functioning of the committee is crucial for the functioning of the SKIF centre for collective use, which is to open in 2025. At the end of August, the construction works were in a very active phase. The engineering equipment is more than 90% ready and the equipment for the main storage unit is more than 60% ready. We have contractors for six first-priority research units, and we are working on the design of second-priority research units.”
Valery Bukhtiyarov, a Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and director of the Federal Research Center Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, said:
“We have passed the ‘point of no return’. All the technical facilities are due to be ready by December 2024: the injector, the storage unit, six experimental units, and all the infrastructure.”
Alexander Blagov, Associate Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Vice-President of the National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, stressed that it is important to subsequently plan and implement all the activities at the SKIF centre for collective use on both national and international levels.
The first meeting of the scientific advisory committee was very effective and constructive. A highly professional approach dominated all the discussions. The meeting thoroughly considered all the issues and adopted corresponding resolutions.
The construction of the SKIF centre for collective use and its effective operation are crucial for the federal scientific and technical programme of development of synchrotron and neutron techniques and research infrastructure.
Photo: SKIF centre for collective use
