Park of Nuclear Technologies – Connecting Link Between Science and Industry
Abzal Kussainov, President of Park of Nuclear Technologies JSC answers our questions.
Park of Nuclear technologies JSC was founded four years ago. Could you tell us about the job fulfilled in this period?
For four years of its existing there was conducted a large job on formation of infrastructure and commercialization of scientific development works. The construction of the Complex of radiation technologies was finished and the complex passed the state acceptance. The first ELV-4 industrial electron accelerator was mounted, the license for its operation was obtained and the production lines, which have no analogs in Kazakhstan, were put into commissioning. Four joint enterprises were founded. These are Kaz-Kor NuTech Company LLC where production of roofing hydraulic insulating material will be organized, Kazfoam LLC for production of radiation-cross-linked foamed polyethylene, Dempurg-PNT LLC which will engage in production of motor brake equipment for rolling stock of railway transport and Xsenon LLC where it is planned to produce radiation-cross-linked pharmaceutical products and carbonated medical-table water with fluorine.
The construction of the second object of the industrial park’s infrastructure comes to an end. It is the Complex of administrative and manufacturing purpose where besides administrative premises a business incubator, a business centre and laboratories will be located. This will make for the scientists and entrepreneurs of the country for searching out financial and technical solutions of realization of joint development works on creation of new science intensive productions.
“Nurturing” of science intensive high-tech companies in the sphere of nuclear and accompanying technologies is the chief aim of the technopark. The activity of the technopark will make its contribution to industrial and innovative development of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The important tasks of the technopark are as follows:
· Creation of present-day infrastructure for technologies development in priority directions of the activity;
· Attraction of high-tech development works and provision with their promotion to the market and industrial commissioning;
· Making favourable innovative conditions for formation and development of high-tech science intensive companies;
· Creation of favourable investment climate and new workplaces in the city of Kurchatov.
What role does the technopark play in increasing the scientific and technical potential of our country?
All over the world technoparks are a connecting link between science and industry and play a significant role in scientific-technical development of the country. Our technopark is not an exception; it is focused on commercialization of prospective scientific development works. The nuclear branch is always considered a high-tech and science intensive direction of the economy’s development and will remain such in a long-term outlook. Successful promotion of innovative scientific development works to the market will allow to improve the competitive ability of our economy on the whole.
We plan to realize the following innovative projects in the near-term outlook: “Chemical and technological mobile complex for purification and deactivation of oil and gas equipment”, “Production of radiation-cross-linked thermocontractable collars and bands”, “Production of radiation-synthesized pharmaceutical products”, “Radiation hardening of carbide cutting tools”, “Production of X-ray diagnostics systems” and others.
What jobs are conducted for creation of infrastructure and strengthening of the material and technical basis of the technopark?
As a matter of principle, the whole activity of the technopark on realization of innovative projects is aimed at creation and strengthening of the existing infrastructure of the Kurchatov city nuclear objects and at creation of new production complexes. Besides that social infrastructure is developed: commissioning of a dwelling house for the industrial park employees.
What manufacturing lines are there in the complex of radiation technologies? What technologies do they use? What kinds of production will be created in future?
As it was noted above, the construction of the Complex of radiation technologies was completed; its basic equipment is an ELV-4 industrial electron accelerator. In the basis of the complex technologies there are used different physical phenomena connected with interaction of electron bunch with substances as a result of which the properties of materials are changed. Using these technologies dampproof properties of roofing materials, performance characteristics of radiation-cross-linked foamed polyethylene, pharmaceutical products, etc may be improved.
It is planned to organize in future the production of radiation-cross-linked thermocontractable collars and bands, energy saving heat-insulated floor, X-ray diagnostics systems, etc.
Which is the contribution of the technoparkin development of social and economic welfare of Kurchatov city?
After collapse of the Soviet Union the city of Kurchatov experienced technological and social shocks. Due to the support of the state the Kurchatov city revived and retained its scientific cadre and infrastructure. Formation of the technopark made for the development of social and economic welfare of the small city of Kurchatov and the region.
Inperspective, with the active participation of the technopark, the existing infrastructure of the most part of the city will be modernized, and namely restoration of houses, repair of roads and communications, etc, new workplaces will be created. It is planned to create during 10 years about 1200 new workplaces at enterprises due to the own activity of the technopark, and about 2000 workplaces in adjacent and servicing branches.
There arise prerequisites for development of the city goods and services market. As a consequence of it, there appear new enterprises focusing their activities on rendering services – shops, servicing workshops, after-sales services, freight traffic, etc. It will make for formation of a favourable climate for development of small- and medium-scale business, social and economic development of the small city of Kurchatov and the region.
The further development of Park of Nuclear technologies JSCassumesthe inflow of new generation of young highly educated specialists, this will considerably increase the average level of education and culture of the people. Formation of teaching and educational centres in the city on the basis of the nuclear station will cause the inflow to the city of the youth wishing to get high-quality education in the sphere of nuclear science, to study applied engineering and working specialists necessary for the work at enterprises with advanced (including nuclear and radiation ones) technologies.
