State support can be provided to 20 Russian projects in high-speed water transport, shipboard automation and underwater robotics
20 new projects in the sphere of high-speed water transport, shipboard automation, underwater robotics and technologies for the development of global ocean resources have been approved at the meeting of MariNet (working group of the National Technology Initiative), Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) told IAA PortNews.
According to Aleksandr Pinsky, deputy head of the MariNet group, representative of Transas, special attention was paid to the projects in the segment of high-speed water transport.
“These are new airfoil boats, hydrofoil boats and control facilities for them. MariNet considers them attractive as Russia has retained unique production facilities and world class technologies from the soviet period”, he said adding that they hardly have competitors in the foreign countries.
Aleksandr Pinsky thinks this type of transport can be in demand in the Mediterranean and in the South-East Asia where high-speed boat can be used as an alternative to aircrafts and ferries. In Russia, they can be deployed in remote regions where air transport infrastructure is difficult and expensive to maintain.
The projects approved by the working group will be submitted for further expert evaluation to obtain financial support from the government.
The meeting of the expanded working group involving over 100 representatives of the leading companies, scientific centers, maritime education institutions, state authorities and bodies was held on 28 February in Nizhny Novgorod, one of the centers of Russian shipbuilding, IT and instrumentation technology.
The projects of airfoil boats, hydrofoil boats and air-cushion vessels were presented by Design Bureau named after Alexeyev, RDC Aqualines and Central Design Institute Kurs in cooperation with Aerohod.
RF President Vladimir Putin defined the National Technology Initiative (NTI) as one of the state policy priorities under the long-term programme of the Russian Federation to create conditions ensuring leadership of Russian companies in new markets of high technologies that will determine the global economy in the coming 15-20 years.
NTI is aimed to support hi-tech companies of Russia for their promotion in the global market. This support includes both financing through a number of institutions – Russian Venture Company (RVC), Skolkovo Foundation, Foundation for Assistance to Innovations etc – and nonfinancial support related to the development of regulatory framework and promotion of exports through available state mechanisms.
Related link:
MariNet and Hydrotechnika journal announce joint contest for development of innovative solutions for maritime industry >>>>