We have taken a course: a single center for the development of marine technologies will appear in Russia

A national maritime center will be established in Russia to develop technologies for the fleet and the exploration of the world's oceans. A meeting of the Scientific and Expert Council of the Marine Collegium in St. Petersburg was devoted to this topic. The decision is already being worked out by the government on behalf of the head of state. The organization will coordinate the activities of government authorities, scientific institutes and financial companies at all stages of the implementation of innovative projects from idea to implementation. Thus, a unified marine ecosystem will be created in the Russian Federation, which should provide the country with modern naval vessels and breakthrough technologies.

The Maritime Center of Russia

On June 10, a meeting of the Scientific and expert Council of the Maritime Collegium was held in St. Petersburg, dedicated to the creation of the Maritime Center of the Russian Federation. The new structure will have to coordinate the entire national technology development system in the field of shipbuilding and ocean exploration.

"For the practical implementation of the national maritime policy, it is proposed to create a Marine Center of the Russian Federation, which should become a consolidating element of the system, ensuring a full cycle of development of marine technologies — from education and science to testing and introduction into production," said Nikolai Patrushev, Chairman of the Maritime Board.

According to him, in modern conditions, maritime activity is increasingly becoming a sphere of global competition, primarily in the field of technological development. Work in this area is no longer just a task for individual industries, so it is important to create a unified environment for fleet modernization and the introduction of developments into production as soon as possible.

He noted that Russia has serious competencies in shipbuilding, including the creation of a nuclear icebreaking fleet, as well as in marine science, hydrography and materials science. In addition, advanced engineering schools are already successfully operating in the country. However, a full-fledged system for the development of full-cycle marine technologies has not yet been formed, Nikolai Patrushev added. According to him, this does not allow us to fully ensure the design and construction of our own vessels equipped with modern navigation equipment, microelectronics and digital systems of Russian production. Therefore, we need a system of infrastructural development of the country in this area, taking into account its spatial features.

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The New Global Maritime Economy

As Mikhail Kovalchuk, Chairman of the Scientific Expert Council of the Maritime Collegium and President of the Kurchatov Institute, emphasized, scientific knowledge is traditionally divided into narrow disciplines, while economics is divided into separate branches. However, in order to achieve Russia's national goals as a maritime power, holistic knowledge is necessary. Therefore, now we need to think about how to concentrate all the competencies important for shipbuilding and ocean exploration in one place in order to effectively develop and manage them.

— Now, in order to be the first, we must organize ourselves properly. And in this sense, the creation of a marine center is a unique solution," he said.

Today, a new global maritime economy is being formed, in which autonomous navigation, robotics, digital navigation, artificial intelligence, microelectronics and new marine energy systems are of key importance. Competition between maritime powers has shifted to the field of technological ecosystems. Therefore, it is no longer enough to simply develop a separate industry project, we need a national system for the development of marine technologies, said Sergey Vakhrukov, Deputy Chairman of the Marine Board.

— The Marine Board is currently engaged in the creation of just such a system. The Russian Maritime Center should become its key link," he said.

The government of the Russian Federation, interested federal executive authorities, scientific and educational institutions, industrial organizations, as well as financial and investment structures will take part in the formation of the new system. According to Sergey Vakhrukov, it is important to combine the competencies of leading research centers, design organizations and design bureaus, creating a single platform for joint research and development of new technologies. In his opinion, the scientific and expert council of the Maritime Collegium should play a coordinating role in this work.