rus
DOI: 10.22184/1993-8578.2021.14.1.24.28
Year of science and technology
I.V.Yaminskiy1, 2, 3, 4, Doct. of Sc. (Physics and Mathematics), Prof. of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Physical and Chemical departments, Director of Advanced Technologies Center, Leading Sci. of INEOS RAS
This year, 2021, has been declared the year of Science and Technology in Russia. The science in the Soviet Union was based on state assignments (priorities) and the efforts of scientists. In modern Russia science exists thanks to government support, enthusiasm of scientists and commerce. Commerce in Russia sometimes shoots incredibly well, as has happened in many areas of the IT industry, but often it is also lame – radio and electronics, computers and phones, cars, etc. In this article, we are looking for ways of a scientific breakthrough, removal of obstacles and accelerated development of Russian science and technology, including nanotechnology.
A research team, when its employees are passionate about a good idea, is able to quickly achieve goals, if the number of obstacles and barriers is foreseeable, of course. In 1996, in a very short time, we managed to create the unique software FemtoScan Online intended for managing and processing data in probe microscopy [1–3]. In the same year, its sales began in our country and around the world. This is a simple example of modern creativity, when, in fact, two things are needed to achieve a goal – good brains and fast computers.
In the mid-2010s I often visited South Korea on scientific invitations and joint projects. I constantly wondered how the Korean technological miracle happened: from a technically backward country, it turned into a global high-tech empire in twenty years. As I am writing this article, I have a large 8K monitor from the Korean company LG Electronics behind me. It helps to view and display probe microscopy data. When I have free time during my visits to South Korea I always ask if I can visit scientific laboratories, technological premises and production areas. Still, after all, I once visited the wonderful imperial palace. From visiting scientific laboratories, some kind of dissatisfaction remained. Everything seems to be the same: scientific equipment as in Moscow, the people are the same. I asked myself the question – what is the secret of the success of science and technology? Understanding did not come immediately. The answer is trivially simple. If people decide to build new TV sets and then they all do this together and do it 100%, then the result is the desired. One goal, one impulse, one effort. And all for the result.
Once Rospotrebnadzor came to our laboratory, and gave instructions to hang curtains on the windows. We have a north side and a beautiful view from the window. You take your eyes off the computer, look at the blue sky and trees, and you can continue working again. We hung the curtains, of course. But why? We were told this so that there were no reflections from street light on the screen of monitors. True, we did not notice glare anyway. So I thought, what are we doing? Do we hang curtains or invent new microscopes? Then we were told that the repairs in the building had to be done. We did it on our own. It took a long time to choose the color of the walls – Happy Violet or Wild Flowers. We settled on wild flowers. The rooms have become very very beautiful. Great! Then we came back to science.
At the end of 2018 it became necessary to purchase diode lasers for work on the project of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research. I must say right away that of all funds the RFBR has the highest level of trust and respect for a scientist. Money is transferred to the manager’s personal account, and he independently carries out all payments and purchases. Even in the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, benefits are prescribed for participants in RFBR projects. I think how difficult it was to achieve this. It was recently announced that the RFBR will become a part of the Russian Science Foundation. It is a pity if this fund dissolves in the depths of the Russian Science Foundation. At the RFBR, the whole atmosphere from submitting an application, conducting scientific work and writing a report is very trustfull, thoughtful and friendly. So many people are fighting to preserve the RFBR, its spirit and life.
Let’s get back to purchasing lasers. At the end of 2019, for work on the project of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, it became necessary to purchase diode lasers. I turned to an Australian company that makes lasers ideal for our tasks. The angular instability of the laser beam is at the milliradian level. Right what we needed for. To our delight, they were delivered to us, though not without an incident. The DHL postal company refused to deliver the parcel to an individual. The Australian company first lost the parcel, then in a month and a half it still found it and delivered it with a big hole in the box. But all the lasers were intact. Only, while we were figuring out where our lasers were, we asked our learned friends in Australia to help us to buy lasers again. So in the end we even ended up with two sets of lasers. With the aid of our friends the lasers got from Adelaide to Moscow even faster.
At the end of the last pandemic year, we ordered transparent microbeads of barium titanate from the USA for optical microscopy, which overcomes the diffraction limit. We are implementing this project within the framework of the RFBR in cooperation with the Royal Society of London. The American company very quickly sent the balls to us but the Russian customs detained them and said that they would never give them to an individual. Explanations, persuasion, reference to the rules of the RFBR and the Tax Code – nothing helped. We did not try to prove our case. We found a bunch of friends and they helped us buy some much needed microbeads. We lost four weeks on procrastination, but never mind, now we have microbeads-microspheres in our hands. Let’s start experimenting.
Of course, at every step obstacles, barriers and traps can be put to scientists. Many of the scientists will overcome them. Still, a scientist is not a slave, although he can work like a galley slave. Scientists will work in any environment, but the results may vary. In an atmosphere of free and business creativity the result is faster, better and more complete. I again remembered the Korean scientific and technological miracle.
It is important that the situation with the purchase of tiny batches of consumables, chemicals and components required for scientific work can be resolved quickly and efficiently practically within the framework of existing rules and laws. Confidently speaking, the RFBR has almost completely solved this problem for the participants in its projects. Low and thankful bow to them. But what will happen to you, RFBR?
Why is it impossible to implement a similar procedure without customs delays in practice and to support scientific work of high-tech companies, at least for small enterprises for a start?
Customs carries out instant control and records deliveries in smart electronic databases using the green channel. The recorded parcel is delivered to a small business. Scientists immediately begin to work with the delivered materials, while the accounting department pays all necessary fees, duties and taxes for the import operation. It keeps full accounting in 1C or other accounting program of strict reporting. The Tax Inspectorate or the Federal Customs Service at any time can trace the legality of the entire chain. We must pay tribute to the fact that the modern tax service in Russia began to work very effectively.
I remember how just twenty years ago it was necessary to get up early, take a place in a long line in order to submit quarterly reports by the evening. You were standing in line and thinking that you were an honest taxpayer, paid mandatory taxes, fees and payments on time and regularly, and had to stand in line like the lowest petitioner. Even without respect for yourself. Therefore, now, when the company pushes a button and all accounting reports instantly go to the tax office, you feel joy and pride in new technologies.
Many talented graduates of Lomonosov Moscow State University and other universities work successfully in our companies. I try to help them. For the benefit of the youngest scientists we support the Center for Youth Innovative Creativity "Nanotechnology". We are working. Do we have problems? Of course, we have. But I believe that problems exist precisely in order to quickly solve them. To solve not only bureaucratic problems, but also scientific ones. ■
Our research is carried out with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Royal Society of London No. 21-58-10005 and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project No. 20-32-90036.
I.V.Yaminskiy1, 2, 3, 4, Doct. of Sc. (Physics and Mathematics), Prof. of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Physical and Chemical departments, Director of Advanced Technologies Center, Leading Sci. of INEOS RAS
This year, 2021, has been declared the year of Science and Technology in Russia. The science in the Soviet Union was based on state assignments (priorities) and the efforts of scientists. In modern Russia science exists thanks to government support, enthusiasm of scientists and commerce. Commerce in Russia sometimes shoots incredibly well, as has happened in many areas of the IT industry, but often it is also lame – radio and electronics, computers and phones, cars, etc. In this article, we are looking for ways of a scientific breakthrough, removal of obstacles and accelerated development of Russian science and technology, including nanotechnology.
A research team, when its employees are passionate about a good idea, is able to quickly achieve goals, if the number of obstacles and barriers is foreseeable, of course. In 1996, in a very short time, we managed to create the unique software FemtoScan Online intended for managing and processing data in probe microscopy [1–3]. In the same year, its sales began in our country and around the world. This is a simple example of modern creativity, when, in fact, two things are needed to achieve a goal – good brains and fast computers.
In the mid-2010s I often visited South Korea on scientific invitations and joint projects. I constantly wondered how the Korean technological miracle happened: from a technically backward country, it turned into a global high-tech empire in twenty years. As I am writing this article, I have a large 8K monitor from the Korean company LG Electronics behind me. It helps to view and display probe microscopy data. When I have free time during my visits to South Korea I always ask if I can visit scientific laboratories, technological premises and production areas. Still, after all, I once visited the wonderful imperial palace. From visiting scientific laboratories, some kind of dissatisfaction remained. Everything seems to be the same: scientific equipment as in Moscow, the people are the same. I asked myself the question – what is the secret of the success of science and technology? Understanding did not come immediately. The answer is trivially simple. If people decide to build new TV sets and then they all do this together and do it 100%, then the result is the desired. One goal, one impulse, one effort. And all for the result.
Once Rospotrebnadzor came to our laboratory, and gave instructions to hang curtains on the windows. We have a north side and a beautiful view from the window. You take your eyes off the computer, look at the blue sky and trees, and you can continue working again. We hung the curtains, of course. But why? We were told this so that there were no reflections from street light on the screen of monitors. True, we did not notice glare anyway. So I thought, what are we doing? Do we hang curtains or invent new microscopes? Then we were told that the repairs in the building had to be done. We did it on our own. It took a long time to choose the color of the walls – Happy Violet or Wild Flowers. We settled on wild flowers. The rooms have become very very beautiful. Great! Then we came back to science.
At the end of 2018 it became necessary to purchase diode lasers for work on the project of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research. I must say right away that of all funds the RFBR has the highest level of trust and respect for a scientist. Money is transferred to the manager’s personal account, and he independently carries out all payments and purchases. Even in the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, benefits are prescribed for participants in RFBR projects. I think how difficult it was to achieve this. It was recently announced that the RFBR will become a part of the Russian Science Foundation. It is a pity if this fund dissolves in the depths of the Russian Science Foundation. At the RFBR, the whole atmosphere from submitting an application, conducting scientific work and writing a report is very trustfull, thoughtful and friendly. So many people are fighting to preserve the RFBR, its spirit and life.
Let’s get back to purchasing lasers. At the end of 2019, for work on the project of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, it became necessary to purchase diode lasers. I turned to an Australian company that makes lasers ideal for our tasks. The angular instability of the laser beam is at the milliradian level. Right what we needed for. To our delight, they were delivered to us, though not without an incident. The DHL postal company refused to deliver the parcel to an individual. The Australian company first lost the parcel, then in a month and a half it still found it and delivered it with a big hole in the box. But all the lasers were intact. Only, while we were figuring out where our lasers were, we asked our learned friends in Australia to help us to buy lasers again. So in the end we even ended up with two sets of lasers. With the aid of our friends the lasers got from Adelaide to Moscow even faster.
At the end of the last pandemic year, we ordered transparent microbeads of barium titanate from the USA for optical microscopy, which overcomes the diffraction limit. We are implementing this project within the framework of the RFBR in cooperation with the Royal Society of London. The American company very quickly sent the balls to us but the Russian customs detained them and said that they would never give them to an individual. Explanations, persuasion, reference to the rules of the RFBR and the Tax Code – nothing helped. We did not try to prove our case. We found a bunch of friends and they helped us buy some much needed microbeads. We lost four weeks on procrastination, but never mind, now we have microbeads-microspheres in our hands. Let’s start experimenting.
Of course, at every step obstacles, barriers and traps can be put to scientists. Many of the scientists will overcome them. Still, a scientist is not a slave, although he can work like a galley slave. Scientists will work in any environment, but the results may vary. In an atmosphere of free and business creativity the result is faster, better and more complete. I again remembered the Korean scientific and technological miracle.
It is important that the situation with the purchase of tiny batches of consumables, chemicals and components required for scientific work can be resolved quickly and efficiently practically within the framework of existing rules and laws. Confidently speaking, the RFBR has almost completely solved this problem for the participants in its projects. Low and thankful bow to them. But what will happen to you, RFBR?
Why is it impossible to implement a similar procedure without customs delays in practice and to support scientific work of high-tech companies, at least for small enterprises for a start?
Customs carries out instant control and records deliveries in smart electronic databases using the green channel. The recorded parcel is delivered to a small business. Scientists immediately begin to work with the delivered materials, while the accounting department pays all necessary fees, duties and taxes for the import operation. It keeps full accounting in 1C or other accounting program of strict reporting. The Tax Inspectorate or the Federal Customs Service at any time can trace the legality of the entire chain. We must pay tribute to the fact that the modern tax service in Russia began to work very effectively.
I remember how just twenty years ago it was necessary to get up early, take a place in a long line in order to submit quarterly reports by the evening. You were standing in line and thinking that you were an honest taxpayer, paid mandatory taxes, fees and payments on time and regularly, and had to stand in line like the lowest petitioner. Even without respect for yourself. Therefore, now, when the company pushes a button and all accounting reports instantly go to the tax office, you feel joy and pride in new technologies.
Many talented graduates of Lomonosov Moscow State University and other universities work successfully in our companies. I try to help them. For the benefit of the youngest scientists we support the Center for Youth Innovative Creativity "Nanotechnology". We are working. Do we have problems? Of course, we have. But I believe that problems exist precisely in order to quickly solve them. To solve not only bureaucratic problems, but also scientific ones. ■
Our research is carried out with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Royal Society of London No. 21-58-10005 and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project No. 20-32-90036.
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