The base of the innovative scientific and technological center “Mendeleev Dolina” will be a Siberian Federal University
On September 30, 2025, the Government of the Russian Federation signed a decree on the updating of the activities of the Innovative Scientific and Technology Center (Intent) “Mendeleev Dolina”, which was the co-initiator of the Siberian Federal University together with the Russian Chemical and Technology University named after D.I. Mendeleev.
The main production areas of the cluster will be located in the Minusinsk basin – in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia.
One of the conditions for creating a new cluster will be the emergence of a “conveyor of innovation”. That is why the ints is located on the basis of the Siberian Federal District, which has educational infrastructure, competencies and infrastructure, a pool of scientists, engineers, and technological entrepreneurs. The university collaborates with a large number of partners in the mining and metallurgical complex.
“Now Russia is experiencing a new wave of interest in the integrated approach of the economic development of territories due to the global crisis regarding critical and rare earth metals. These metals are used to create digital devices, wireless systems, lithium-ion batteries, and power electronics. Without them, it is impossible to create effective sources of renewable energy and electric vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles based on modern permanent magnets. Since the Russian Federation occupies a leading position in the world in the reserves of many critical metals-for example, it accounts for 21.5 % of the world’s world reserves, we are also in the leaders of manganese, titanium, tungsten and rare-earth metals-it is logical to develop the hangar-Deniysk macro-region in this direction, ”said Sergey Verkhovets, vice-rector for promising Siberian Railways.
The expert noted that now this resource potential is not fully used. In particular, in the extraction of RES, the country occupies only the seventh place in the world – 0.9 % of the global volume. Also, Russia is in seventh place and the production of RMZ – 0.7 % of the global volume. These figures indicate a low degree of use of existing reserves – 23 % of the world. Consequently, the existing model, focused on the export of raw materials, does not provide technological sovereignty and economic development of Russia, the domestic consumption of the RMZ is only 0.4 % of the world.
“The International Center for Competencies in the field of critical metals industry will appear on the basis of the SFU, including the production of high -tech products based on magnets, electrochemical energy systems, computing and power electronics,” Sergey Verkhovets emphasized.
Preparatory measures have already been held universities-initiators, the center management system has been formed, fundamental internal regulatory documents governing its territory are developed and approved. On the basis of the RHTU, the center of collective use, the Accelerator Mendeleev, in the SFU-a startup studio. Together with partners, it is supposed to launch an advanced engineering school in the direction of the “Industry of rare rare -earth metals”, the creation of innovative infrastructure objects.
The engineering center has been created and successfully develop, world-class laboratories are opened in the priority areas of the work of the Angaro-Senisei Valley ints, and certification centers are opened. Currently, joint R&D are underway with potential participants in the project, projects are being implemented on the design and construction of technological lines at the largest enterprises of the mining and metallurgical industry.
The SFU explains: the upcoming stage of the Intent will be aimed at attracting systemic orders for scientific research and large cooperative projects in the field of critical metals industry, supporting the output of the products of resident companies to sales markets, expanding the regions of the presence of the Center, etc.
“The SFU campus will become the main object of the scientific and educational zone. Here they will prepare qualified specialists in specialized for the “Mendeleev Valley” of technological industries, introduce practice-oriented forms of training, create communication points with leading expert organizations and analytical centers, as well as implement joint research projects and intensify the entrepreneurial activities of students and scientists. We work for the future until 2035 and we expect that the expected results of the Intent will maximize the comprehensive development of the priority areas of national projects of technological leadership of the Russian Federation, as well as the most important high -tech technologies determined by the President of the Russian Federation in the decree of 06/18/2024 No. 529, ”summed up Sergey Verkhovets.
