December 1, NSU Rector Mikhail Fedoruk, Director of the Advanced Engineering School Sergei Golovin, Director of the Institute of Intelligent Robotics Alexey Okunev, and Head of the Aerospace Research Department Vitaly Prokopyev presented the 2023 results of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science " Priority 2030" Program to the Grants Council. All universities that received grants in the “Research Leadership” and “Territorial and/or Industry Leadership” categories presented their reports.
Fedoruk noted that the Priority 2030 program opens up additional opportunities for the University to conduct promising scientific developments, implement new partnership models, and create technologies that are used in various industries,
Currently, three strategic projects are being developed at NSU: “Radiation Technologies of the Future”, “Digital Future”, and “Scientific Engineering”. Strategic projects have a significant impact on the University and its major policies. There is a transformation of the scientific and innovation policy that involves the development of applied scientific research that is not being conducted at Akademgorodok institutes. As a result, an important objective is to increase the University budget through the innovation component. The total sum for completed R&D orders in 2023 was 600 million rubles and by 2030 we plan to increase it multiple times to reach least 3 billion rubles.
Brief summaries of results for two projects:
Strategic project “Digital Future”
· The iOk platform was developed. This includes a set of unique cloud digital services for automatic image analysis using artificial intelligence methods. With the help of this solution, the processing time for microscopy images – counting objects, determining their sizes, etc. – is greatly reduced. Currently, about 500 specialists in the field of microscopy and materials science from institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Russian universities use NSU services.
· Work is underway to create autonomous agents with elements of AGI (artificial general intelligence). An autonomous industrial AI platform is being developed - a universal complex for industrial video analytics. The main characteristics of the platform: affordable high-performance processor with a neural network accelerator, freely distributed software developed at NSU, and industrial design. In 2023, industrial processes will be automated at eight enterprises in the Novosibirsk region based on the platform.
· In 2023, the Institute of Intelligent Robotics of NSU was created. The greatest demand for AI graduates is from real sector companies that want to use AI technologies to increase labor productivity, product quality, or enter new product lines and services.
Strategic project “Radiation Technologies of the Future”
· NSU is actively involved in testing a promising unique method for treating malignant tumors - boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). The method is based on selectively accumulating the stable non-radioactive isotope boron-10 in cancer cells. After irradiation with neutrons, a nuclear reaction occurs in these cells with a release of energy that leads to their death. Currently, 60% of preclinical BNCT studies on large mammals have been completed (more than 60 cats and dogs). The work is being carried out in a consortium with the Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS. Clinical trials on patients are planned in 2025 at the Blokhina Oncology Center.
· NSU hosts the only Center for Collective Use (CCU) accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) in the Russian Federation that conducts carbon dating using the C-14 isotope. The CCU has international certification. Their method for radiocarbon dating has been used to analyze more than 8,000 objects related to archaeology, geology, paleontology, soil science, ecology, virology, medicine, and forensics. The income generated by orders for carbon dating at the end of 2023 was 25 million rubles. Together with the Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS, a preliminary design for a domestic AMS was created to support import substitution.
The University is building a modern infrastructure world-class NSU campus within the framework of the national “Science and Universities” project. The second phase of construction includes the construction of a research building and the Educational and Scientific Center of the Institute of Medicine and Psychology that will be combined into a single Science Park.
The University is currently working on functional content for the new buildings. Research laboratories will be located there along with the conditions to support students’ project work. In three years, students will be able to participate in advanced developments for NSU Science Park priority areas: oil and gas sector technologies, artificial intelligence, optoelectronics and photonics, satellite instrumentation, new materials, chemical technologies, and bio and genetic technologies.
