The highest technologies in Germany are created by young scientists from Russia

Overseas statusYuri Medvedev, Rossiyskaya Gazeta
The strange situation with Rusnano, according to many experts, has become a diagnosis of Russian science.

In almost two years since its formation, the corporation, which received a huge amount of 134 billion rubles at its disposal, allocated money for only 14 projects.

In fact, the portfolio of scientific developments ready for commercialization turned out to be empty. And the plans were Napoleonic: by 2015, to sell on the market products made using nanotechnology, in the amount of about 1 trillion rubles.

How is the scientific nanoportfel filled in the leading countries of the world? To get acquainted with this experience, a group of Russian journalists and scientists, at the invitation of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, visited leading German institutes and firms located here.

It has long been known that the success of scientists begins not only in laboratories, but also in government offices. A striking example is the creation of the Baden–Württemberg Foundation for the Support of Science and Culture.

– The Fund appeared a few years ago under rather unexpected circumstances, when local energy companies were privatized, – says one of its leaders Andreas Weber. – Three billion euros were gained from the sale, but a huge tax was required to be paid from this amount. And the head of the Cabinet of Ministers of the earth decided that the money would go to the development of science, and this, according to our laws, exempts from taxes. The minister was criticized a lot, offering to direct money for a variety of purposes, in particular, social, but he was firm – on science. Although it is a big responsibility and a headache, the decision was made.

But how to divide the money pie? How to objectively choose worthy scientists from a variety of candidates? The founding fathers of the foundation decided to invite the Varangians: reputable scientific experts, and none of them should work in the institutes of the earth, and a third came from abroad at all. The verdict of such an independent jury, which includes world-renowned scientists, does not cause any doubts and misconceptions. The most worthy receive money.

Weber emphasizes that by allocating these funds, the fund does not expect quick results. The goal is world–class fundamental research, and what kind of return they will give may become clear in 10 or 30 years. In short, scientists are not required to make short-term successes, real deep science is needed.

In all leading countries, the main criterion for the effectiveness of science has long been found – the number of publications and citations. And here Germany is showing amazing results. For example, the institutes of the Max Planck Society, significantly inferior in terms of funding to large American universities, are ahead of many of them in terms of the number of publications. And there is no secret here, the "whales" on which German science stands are well known. Transparent distribution of money, strict control over the results of research. They are evaluated annually by a group of international experts. Demand, as they say. according to the Nobel account: do the works correspond to the world level. Otherwise, funding is most often terminated. Another "whale" is the maximum involvement of young people in scientific research, starting from the student bench. And, finally, the creation of a network of implementation firms around universities and institutes, which allows you to quickly implement promising projects.

For example, a business incubator operates under the wing of the Institute of Nanotechnology in Karlsruhe. Here, the institute's employees, who ventured into free swimming with their ideas, turn them into a commercial commodity.

– For two years we received benefits for renting premises, – says Martin Hermatschweller. He and seven other employees of the institute decided to engage in scientific commerce. – During this time, we must establish the production of laser nanosystems of lithography, which are used in various scientific research. They have no analogues in the world. And in two years our company will have to leave the incubator, giving way to another group of scientists.

According to the rector of the University of Karlsruhe, Dr. Horst Hippler, more than 300 implementation firms "flew away" from this educational institution. "We create them, seeing that a scientific idea has good market prospects, but as soon as firms get on their feet, we immediately sell them, since we have no right to earn money from science," explains the rector. "The price, as a rule, does not pay off investments, but in the end everyone wins."

The rector is right, because such firms are just the link without which no commercialization of science is possible. They take fundamental developments out of the "flask", turn them into prototypes and small-scale technologies. And then the market will put everything in its place: it will select something for mass production, and something will remain for the "narrow circle".

In Russia, this most important link of commercialization is, in fact, absent, because until now institutes and universities are prohibited from creating their own small enterprises. Hence, by the way, many of the problems of our Rusnano, which is offered projects in flasks.

The laboratories of German institutes and universities are literally stuffed with the most modern equipment, the very sight of which caused a slight thrill among the Russian scientists who were part of the delegation. For example, powerful tunneling and electron microscopes worth millions of euros have become the main tool of nanotechnology today. This is the highest nanoliga. Without them, you immediately slide into outsiders, it is difficult to find a common language with you.

But the most amazing thing is that almost one youth works on this super-expensive technique. It seems that science in German institutes and universities is done by graduate students. And from all over the world: from Asia, Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe. In almost every laboratory, you can hear Russian speech. These are immigrants from Russia and CIS countries. And the Institute of Polymers, which is part of the University of Ulm, is headed by the Vice-rector of Moscow State University, Academician Alexey Khokhlov. Besides him, several other Russians – two professors and six graduate students - are on "watch" here. And seven of our young scientists have already defended their dissertations in Ulm. By the way, any graduate student, regardless of whether he is a German or a foreigner, receives a scholarship of about 1,000 euros per month from the German treasury. Why invest your own money in foreigners?

– We would like to collect the best brains of the whole world, – explains Rector Horst Hippler. – The cost of training foreigners is repeatedly paid off by the discoveries they make in our laboratories. There is another reason for such attention to young people from abroad. There are about 20 thousand vacancies for engineers in Baden-Württemberg alone.

Although the University of Karlsruhe is one of the largest in Europe, where 19 thousand students study, nevertheless it is living out its last months. It has already been decided to merge it with the Institute of Technology. The goal is to open the way even wider for students to scientific work on the most modern equipment and to introduce leading scientists as early as possible. It is likely that very soon students of the fourth and maybe even the third year will sit down for "golden" microscopes.

Alexey Ustinov left Russia at the beginning of the dashing 90s, when he was just over 30 years old. And already in 1996 he became the first of our physicists who, while remaining a citizen of Russia, received a full professor's degree at a German university. Now he is the head of the Department and Laboratory of Experimental Physics at the University of Karlsruhe, he is the author of 250 articles in prestigious journals in the field of superconductivity, nanoelectronics, quantum computers, etc. In general, Ustinov is doing well, and nevertheless he is ready to return to Russia.

– I received an offer from the former head of Rosnanotech Leonid Melamed to head the Laboratory of the XXI Century, – he says. – I sent my thoughts to the corporation on how such a laboratory should work. There was nothing revolutionary about them, science is based on these principles in all leading countries. However, the case with Rusnano has stalled. Nothing was answered to my suggestions.

Maybe, after all, it is worth returning to Professor Ustinov's proposals, because the Rusnano portfolio is filled with great difficulty? And maybe the heads of our academies should take a closer look at the rules by which world science lives? This will make the work of domestic scientists more efficient.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru/03.06.2009