The 3rd Annual Conference of CNCP in Tashkent, September 2007

The 3rd annual conference of the UK Closed Nuclear Centres Programme was held in Tashkent, from 24-27 September. The Programme covers Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, and focuses on commercialisation of scientific and technical R&D, to create new jobs for former nuclear weapons specialists. The conference's main goals were to discuss the results achieved last year, to talk about on-going and new projects and to exchange opinions.

The participants included representatives of Great Britain (Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and HTSPE), Uzbekistan (Academy of Science, Institute of Nuclear Physics, and Samarkand State University), Ukraine (Kharkov Physical-Technical Institute; Sevastopol National University of Nuclear Energy and Industry), Kazakhstan (Institute of Nuclear Physics at Almaty; Institute of Atomic Energy and Nuclear Technologies Park in Kurchatov), and also representatives from Armenia (Armatom), Georgia (Institute of Physics, Tbilisi; Sukhumi Physical-Technical Institute) and Russia. The conference was organized by the Moscow office of HTSPE, which manages the CNCP Programme, and the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Uzbekistan, which hosted the conference.

The conference participants were greeted by Umar Salikhbayev, Director of the Nuclear Physics Institute and Uktur Rasuleyev, a representative of the Uzbekistan Academy of Science. The speech of CNCP Director Trevor Hayward reflected the latest international cooperation in the areas of non-proliferation and the Global Partnership, and CNCP's role in these processes. Key reports were given by the Programme Leader, Patrick Gray and the heads of the programme activity areas, Alexander Tsibulya, Jonathan Perks and Chris Bailey.

Commercialisation of scientific and technical R&D in the nuclear institutes of Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Kazakhstan became the main theme of the Conference. The reports given by Umar Salikhbayev, Director of the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Tashkent, Adil Tuleushev, Director of the Nuclear Physics Institute in Almaty, Abzal Kusainov, President of the Nuclear Technologies Park in Kurchatov, Vladimir Chizhov, Deputy Director of Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology, and Bekmukhamed Utkelbayev, Deputy Director of the Institute of Atomic Energy in Kurchatov, were actively discussed at the first topical session on Commercialisation Priorities in the Future.

Such issues as optimisation of business models, compliance with the business plan, job creation, and ways of overcoming challenges typical of the start-up commercialisation period, were raised in a round-table discussion on the experience of the most successful CNCP projects. The most advanced projects included Radiological Colouration of Natural Minerals (INP, Tashkent), Vacuum-Dense Beryllium Foil Production (INP, Tashkent), Desalination, Purification and Disinfection of Drinking Water (INP, Tashkent). The challenges these projects facing underline the difficulties with commercialisation, market penetration and job creation in scientific-research organisations. In this regard, the speakers brought up the importance of assistance provided by the British Programme.

The topic of the next round-table, Energy Saving as a Basis for Sustainable Business, is attracting more and more attention from the former Soviet Union Republics scientific-technical sector, given the possibility of tackling a large-scale problem through commercially successful projects. Issues relating to efficient energy use, energy audit and energy-saving technologies have been repeatedly raised at CNCP conferences. An Energy Saving and Diagnostics Centre in Snezhinsk is now operating as a commercially sustainable company thanks to CNCP support. A similar entity named GEFEST is now being set up at the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Almaty, with the aim of breaking into the market for energy saving and energy efficiency services.

The outcomes of the CNCP workshop on energy efficiency, held in Moscow in September with 42 participants from Great Britain, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Bulgaria were presented at the round-table.

The first day of the conference finished in the best traditions of Eastern hospitality with the sounds of the National Symphony Orchestra, the aromas of Uzbek cuisine and the sight of fiery national dancing.

The second and the third days were devoted to CNCP projects implemented in Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Over twenty projects were presented in detail, demonstrating the possibility for developing the commercial sector in nuclear research institutes and creating new jobs, despite all the challenges.

Armenian and Georgian organisations were presented by Sergei Simonyan, the head of Armatom laboratory, Guram Bokuchayev, the Acting Director of Sukhumi Institute of Physics and Technology, and Vladimir Paverman, the head of the Scientific Connections Group at the Institute of Physics in Tbilisi.

The conference agenda included a tour of the Institute of Nuclear Physics, during which the participants were shown the WWR-SM research reactor, a powerful gamma device, which among other things is used for gem stone colouration as part of CNCP-supported business venture.

Other key topics discussed in the working sessions included creation of commercialisation divisions in the institutes, working experience of business development in Russian Closed Nuclear Cities, incentives for commercial initiative, sales techniques improving competitiveness.

At the end of the Conference participants expressed the idea that the Conference had been very useful and informative and expressed gratitude to CNCP for helping to create worthwhile commercially oriented employment for many of their personnel.