Addressing the Second Nanotechnology International Forum, titled, “Nanotechnologies and Business: the Conditions for Moving Upward” in Moscow, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia has all the intellectual, organizational and financial resources that it needs to become a leader in the global nanotechnologies industry, currently valued at $250bln.
However, some experts expect this figure to rise to $2trln-$3trln by 2015, thus putting on par with the global oil market. Specifically, the president noted that his government has already made a series of systematic decisions in this aspect. These included the adoption of the National Nanotechnologies Industry Development Program until 2015, establishment of a state Rosnanotechnologies Corp., and setting out five priorities for the overall technological development in the country.
“By 2015, we will have allocated 318bln rubles for this purpose, which should boost the sales of Russian nanotech industry products by about 900bln rubles,” he added. “These arrangements should promote quality transformations in the economy and social sphere, which are vital for the successful development of nanotechnologies.”