by Yaroslav RENKAS, journalist

The Moscow Expocenter played host to the Fourth International Forum "High Technologies of the 21st Century" featuring firms and organizations of defense industry, the Russian Academy of Sciences, companies from Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and Lithuania, representatives of Russian and foreign business circles.

Organizers proceeded from the fact that high technologies are a key factor of economic development in the 21st century and a major source of budget proceeds. Creation of science-intensive industry and capturing of key segments of the world market of hitech products and, hence, the quest for a concrete edge in this sphere and participation in the international division of labor have no reasonable alternative in terms of forming a long-term sustainable structure of the real economy sector and national security. In that context Russia, as demonstrated by the forum, has made a good headway. It showed an enormous scientific and technological potential, the broad capabilities of Russian

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industry to supply the world market with competitive hi-tech products.

The attention of visitors was traditionally captured, primarily, by billboards of scientific organizations, enterprises and firms of the Russian capital. Many were interested in items manufactured by the Moscow Computer Plant named after V. Kalmykov, in particular, most complex electronic modules for controlling atomic and thermal power plants, equipment for the Ministry of Railways, automated telephone switch stations and other users.

Visitors' interest was also stirred by the products of the Moscow mechanical engineering enterprise named after V. Chernyshov which exhibited modern technology for molding parts operating under alternate loads in high temperature environment. The technology ensures the maximum integrity and durability of manufactured items. The company displayed achievements in laser technology for cutting plates of carbon and stainless steel, copper and heat-resistant alloys. Also demonstrated was equipment for high-precision manufacture of aircraft engine parts of special steels. Here visitors could also observe the operation of the Tegra laser station for cutting holes and slots in ring-shaped parts to preset parameters.

Next to the machine tool builders the open joint-stock company Computer Technologies placed its stands. It integrates the scientific, production and technological potentials of 13 Moscow enterprises oriented to the output of digital signal processing equipment under the state defense order and federal programs. It engineers powerful cluster systems of different configurations, super-computers and work stations for real-time process modeling, computer complexes and interface devices, on-board digital computers for jet spacecraft and mobile control systems, equipment for software. The company runs a line of high-density composite boards and electronic units based thereupon. They perform a wide range of projects in the interests of defence and law enforcement agencies, the fuel and energy complex, civil aviation and the sea fleet.

An impressive display was prepared by the K-Systems Moscow company manufacturing off-the-shelf personal computers under its own trade mark (over 18 thousand PCs monthly), servers, monitors, laptops, industrial computers to individual orders, electronic LED screens and information boards. They also develop new models on the basis of state-of-the-art technologies, perform meticulous selection of components with compulsory testing of parts for compatibility, a complete cycle of pre-sale testing and so forth.

Many technical innovations were demonstrated by Moscow Region

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companies. The scope of an article prevents me from covering all of them, but, to mention just a few, it is of course the Krasnogorsk plant named after S.A. Zverev. Its record includes development and manufacture of optical and electronic instruments, including aerospace ones, designed for surface monitoring, infrared imagers and night observation devices, laser range and velocity measuring equipment, micro-analyzers, high-speed photorecording devices and nanotechnologies.

Hi-tech products were given prominence in expositions from St. Petersburg whose tercentenary has recently been celebrated in Russia. For example, the Prometheus Research and Development Institute offered materials for ship building, mechanical engineering, atomic power engineering, oil/gas production and processing, the latest technology for welding, functional finishing and so forth to interested firms and organizations. Representatives of Lenpolygraphmash displayed special communication equipment, UD-M (A4 format) matrix printers, terminal devices, perforators and transmitters, all of top quality guaranteeing operation in hard mechanical-and-climatic conditions and providing reliable prevention of information leak for technical reasons.

This year the forum had a much broader representation from other regions of Russia. A prominent place in the pavilion showing technical innovations was by right devoted to the world famous Aircraft Production Association KNAAPO named after Yuri Gagarin (Komsomolsk-on-Amur), the biggest in the Asia-Pacific region producer of the SU family technology. Its scientific developments have for a number of years been

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repeatedly awarded prizes at international aircraft shows.

The South of Russia was represented by products of Azov optical and mechanical plant. Those were the AMI-1 illumination engineering for devices adjustment of helicopter external and internal equipment to night vision goggles. Along with traditional items, the southerners have also put on line high-class sewing machines on the basis of Yamato Company technology (Japan), technology for cultivation and harvesting of sugar beet, telephone network compression systems, medical equipment, etc.

Incidentally, medical equipment and its application technologies also occupied a substantial place at the show. For example, the Central R & D Institute of Automatics and Hydraulics (Moscow) demonstrated computer-aided modeling and manufacture of individual bio-composite implants for prosthetics of facial supporting tissues, instrument-software complex for cardio-monitoring of mother and child, equipment for computer diagnostics of optic nerve pathologies, an automated place of an urinologist work and many others.

Diverse items were presented by some of the CIS countries e.g., Ukraine. Thus, Bolshevik enterprise offered heavy equipment for rubber and plastic processing; Burevestnik showed a state-of-the-art radar for high-speed sea vessels and on-shore surveillance posts; Arsenal displayed geodetic and optical instruments, photo equipment, gas torch devices and automatic machines; the Paton Plant-diverse welding equipment of recent modifications.

Belarus at the Expocenter was also represented by several enterprises. Particularly, the Minsk Instrument Engineering Plant demonstrated radiometers and dosimeters, strategic weapons control systems, a broad range of electric instruments: electrometers, nano-voltmeters, analog oscilloscopes and digital ones with memory and the passband of 10 MHz to 100 MHz, antenna parameter meters, telecommunication equipment, domestic appliances, special-purpose electronic control systems, etc.

The Byelorussians had as their neighbors Moldavizolit of Moldova, the CIS biggest manufacturer of foiled printed board dielectrics and electrotechnical materials, and the Lithuanian joint-stock company Viliyanus Vingis which designs and engineers TV color tube deflectors and line transformers.

The importance of the show is hard to overestimate. It is sure to foster effective tapping of the intellectual and scientific and technological potentials of the Russian hi-tech sector, expansion of its contribution to the development of interregional and interstate ties, implementation in the real economy sector of the most top-notch designs and developments, and attraction of investors into the Russian producing sector.

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