The conference focused on nanoparticles, laser, photon, mineral and inorganic crystalline materials, medical and power technology.
Dmitry Medvedev’s address:
Breakthrough Technology of the 21st Century Conference
Mr Alferov, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. It gives me great pleasure to be here in St. Petersburg and to be able to personally congratulate Zhores Alferov, a Nobel Prize winner and full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, on his birthday. Please accept my wishes of health and every success.
We are gathered here to congratulate Mr Alferov, a scientist of world renown who commands great respect in Russia and around the world. Academician Alferov is one of the fathers of the semiconductor revolution, without which our life would never have become what it is today.
As you know, Mr Alferov is not only an outstanding researcher but also a talented administrator – qualities that do not always go together but they have concurred in his case. But his most important quality, as Mr Alferov said earlier, is that he never stops thinking about new generations of scientists. There is a reason why we have gathered here, at the Academic University, where his idea of integrating research with education was implemented years ago. This is a great initiative.
Science – real science – is essentially international, and it is the politicians’ job to maintain international research cooperation at all times. The current situation may not be simple, at least in our relations with a number of countries, which is why I’m especially pleased to see foreign colleagues, Nobel Prize winners and the leading scientists from many countries here.
Research is international by its very nature, but the practical results of economic implementation of research achievements often benefit one nation and determine its leading position in the world. Over the past years, we have been doing our best, with due regard for our economic capabilities, to launch a modern infrastructure for supporting research in Russia. An important part of this work is to modernise the system of research innovation and to update fundamental research programmes. We have been working on this in cooperation with the Academy of Sciences, where Mr Alferov’s assistance has been truly invaluable.
The current economic situation is rather complicated, although everything is relative. Back in the past, we had bigger economic problems, crises and what not. But we must move forward no matter what. The Government will prepare the National Technology Initiative by the summer. We also need comprehensive plans and roadmaps for its implementation in many key areas of technological development and research. I will not speak about them here, as you know about them very well. Of course, we must apply all achievements of Russian science, but we should also be able to rely on our foreign partners and colleagues and to develop science on the tried and tested international principles such as the co-financing of research by the state and business. We need to use all of this to ensure a synergy effect.
But whatever we do, we must not forget that our achievements rest on the foundation created by Soviet and Russian scientists. We are proud of them. Zhores Alferov is one of those people. Mr Alferov, we highly appreciate your contribution, we love you, and we will always do our best to help you.
Zhores Alferov: Thank you.
Dmitry Medvedev: Thank you, and happy birthday! I wish you success and all the best.
