SKorea joining Russian Skolkovo project beneficial for both countries-opinion.

26/10 Tass 148

MOSCOW, October 26 (Itar-Tass) -- R&D cooperation between Russia and
South Korea in Russia's Skolkovo research hub project is quite logical and
is in the interests of both countries, Russian Deputy Minister of Science
and Education Sergei Mazurenko said on Tuesday in an exclusive interview
with Itar-Tass and South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo daily ahead of Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to South Korea scheduled for November.
"To my mind, judging by the quantity and quality of our contacts with
Korean research organizations and companies, the Korean side seeks to take
an active part in the Skolkovo project," he said. In his words, "it would
be only logical," since the two countries have already established close
ties in the R&D sector. "We also have business contacts. And it is very
important as well. I think it would be in the interests of both countries
if South Korea joins the Skolkovo project," he added.
The two countries have a long history of active cooperation in
projects both in the area of the humanities and in the area of natural
sciences, Mazurenko said. Thus, Russia's Kotelnikov Institute of
Radioelectronics and South Korea's Institute of Physics and Applied
Physics of the Yonsei University (Seoul) have made an "utterly new step"
in their joint project: they have created major conditions for the
development of solid-state acoustic devices based on metamaterials.
Apart from this, Mazurenko said, the sides are currently implementing
three interesting projects, such as the development of biocompatible
silicon materials based on nano particles to be used in diagnosing and
treating cancer; the study of optical, electric and magnet properties of
composite materials based on broadband oxide semiconductors; and a new
information display system (auto-emission cathodes based on hydrogen nano
tubes).
According to the Russian deputy minister, Russia is interested not
only in joint projects but also in their joint commercialization. "I think
it is important for our two countries not merely to derive joint research
results but also to realize them jointly as innovation products that will
be competitive both on domestic and global markets. I am confident: it is
in the interests not only of our research organizations but in the
interests of our national economies as well," he said.
In his words, the Russian Ministry of Science and Education is looking
at signing a new intergovernmental agreement on R&D cooperation. The
ministry, he said, has already prepared a draft agreement, which has
provisions on the protection and distribution of rights to intellectual
property. "After all formalities are over, the draft agreement will be
submitted to the Korean side through diplomatic channels," he added.
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