Moscow: “composite capital”
The numbers of territorial clusters are growing: Moscow Composite Cluster was established. First vice-rector, director of the NRU HSE ISSEK Leonid Gokhberg took part in the meeting of the founding board comprising representatives of organisations which create innovative, advanced and durable materials, and was elected a member of the cluster’s executive board.
The meeting of the founding board which decided to establish Moscow Composite Cluster took place on 30 June, 2014 at N.E. Bauman Moscow State Technical University. The idea to bring together leading research and production organisations and the industry’s business associations was proposed by the following organisations: the university’s “New Materials, Composites and Nanotechnologies” (Russian Composites) engineering research and education centre; Composite Manufacturers’ Union; All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Aviation Materials; RT-Khimcomposite, JSC; Composite Pipes and Products Manufacturers’ Union; Composite Holding Company; and the Higher School of Economics, one of whose divisions is Russian Cluster Observatory.
According to the rector of N.E. Bauman Technical University, Russia lacks centres of excellence in the composite production field, while there’s an obvious need to promote the industry’s development. Despite the fact that the capital region was chosen for the cluster, the newly established association will play an increasingly important role not just on the regional, but also on the federal level. The idea is to organise efficient cooperation between the cluster and the newly established pilot innovative composite industry cluster in the Central Federal District.
Moscow is the largest consumer of composite products; more than 2/3 of potential Russian demand for new materials is concentrated in the capital region, mostly by construction industry and communal services. Meanwhile according to Mikhail Medvedev, chairman of the board of the Composite Pipes and Products Manufacturers’ Union, analysis of purchases made in the Moscow region reveals that composite products still amount to a very small proportion of overall consumption.
The Higher School of Economics which was one of the initiators of novel S&T policy tools (including clusters), is willing to offer the new cluster major analytical, methodological and organisational support, noted first vice-rector, director of the NRU HSE’s Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge Leonid Gokhberg. The HSE has good experience in strategic planning for the industry, specifically research conducted in the course of developing Russian S&T Foresight 2030 (one of its main sections is devoted to new materials, primarily composites) and the roadmap for the composite industry. Leonid Gokhberg stressed the importance of coming up with a high-quality cluster development programme (it must meet the Ministry of Economic Development’s standards), and noted that efficient joint projects may serve as evidence of effective self-organisation, communication and coordination between the cluster’s participants.
“If the HSE is with us, everything’s going to be all right. It’s a guaranty that we’ll be very advanced institutionally, and have access to advanced strategic planning and foresight studies”, commented on behalf of the whole new cluster Anatoly Alexandrov, rector of N.E. Bauman Technical University elected chairman of Moscow Composite Cluster’s executive board.
By Elena Gutaruk