Translated material
Archimedes' lever of power
Dmitry Medvedev was able to surprise gunsmiths
On February 19, Izhevsk hosted the 2nd congress of the all-Russian public organization "Union of Russian Mechanical Engineers", created on the initiative of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Rosoboronexport" and passing the baton to the state corporation "Rostechnologies" . From 57 regional branches of the union, 243 delegates gathered in the Udmurt capital. Mainly managers of leading enterprises of the machine-building complex, representatives of government and business circles. President Vladimir Putin's greeting to the congress participants was read by the plenipotentiary representative of the head of state in the Volga Federal District, Alexander Konovalov. But the key figure at the congress was First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.The presidential candidate stayed for two hours at the opening of the forum - he inspected the biathlon school and ski stadium named after the great Soviet athlete, multiple Olympic champion in cross-country skiing Galina Kulakova. Then he visited the workshops of Izhmash, where he personally turned a barrel for a Kalashnikov assault rifle on a machine. This event amazed the workers so much that one of them exclaimed enthusiastically: “You are the first president of Russia to sharpen the barrel of a machine gun.” “I’m not the president...” Mr. Medvedev tried to clarify, but the factory worker stood his ground. That's where we stopped.
Meanwhile, while waiting for the First Deputy Prime Minister, the participants and guests of the congress toured the exhibition, which presented various types of weapons produced at enterprises in Udmurtia. In particular, the short-range air defense system "Tor-M2E", some samples of automatic weapons, models of "Iskander" and "Topol-M". All this was created at the Votkinsk plant. A Vremya Novostei observer managed to find out that the Topol-M, which will be shown during the parade on Red Square, will be completely empty from the inside - only the body of the launch vehicle. Due to this, the weight of the complex will decrease from one hundred tons to just over ten.
Entering the hall where guests and participants of the congress of the Union of Russian Mechanical Engineers had already gathered, Mr. Medvedev first of all approached the world-famous designer Mikhail Kalashnikov and hugged him. Having begun his speech, the presidential candidate explained that he chose the rostrum of the congress of the Union of Mechanical Engineers to give battle to critics of Russia’s development strategy until 2020. Those who believe that the document with which Vladimir Putin introduced the country at the last meeting of the State Council does not spell out implementation mechanisms.
Dmitry Medvedev believes that the specification of the country's development plans will occur after discussion of the strategy in society. The Forum of Mechanical Engineers became, the First Deputy Prime Minister said, one of the first such discussions. The goal of the strategy is for Russia to become one of the world's technological leaders and to transition to a post-industrial society. Technological leadership can be achieved through the redistribution of investment, innovation, human and other resources and the creation of a new technological structure. All this needs to be done in a short time in parallel with social and institutional innovations.
The basis for such a transition can only be innovative development, and the springboard for innovative transformations and the core of the entire economy can be mechanical engineering. Therefore, today mechanical engineering is acquiring system-forming importance, said Dmitry Medvedev. According to the First Deputy Prime Minister, investments today are needed not only in innovative technologies, but first of all in human capital, in a qualified workforce. This is precisely what all national projects are aimed at. “We must form a new engineering and management generation in the near future,” he said.
A generation may be formed, but what about fixed assets - means of production, the wear and tear of which has reached a critical level - up to 75%, and the modern production base of mechanical engineering is only 8%? The First Deputy Prime Minister promised state support for this area - both finances and effective regulatory policies, where there will be a place for public-private partnerships. Especially taking into account Russia's upcoming entry into the WTO.
The presidential candidate agreed with the priorities for the development of mechanical engineering proposed by Russian Technologies specialists. Firstly, it is necessary to develop enterprises that have the potential for the development of high technologies. These are the aerospace industry, nuclear and electrical engineering, production of telecommunications and communications equipment, rocketry, and optical instrumentation. Secondly, production with development potential. These are energy and electrical engineering, chemical and petroleum engineering, machine tool and instrument engineering. Thirdly, it is necessary to support import-substituting industries - these do not require government intervention and large capital investments. These included road construction engineering, mechanical engineering for the light and food industries, trade and public catering. And finally, fourthly, enterprises that produce the simplest products.
Mechanical engineers call their industry an “Archimedean lever” with the help of which Russia can rise to a new level. This is true, since mechanical engineering is closely connected with all leading sectors of the economy and determines the state of the production potential and defense capability of the state. Therefore, the problems of mechanical engineering have a painful impact on other industries. The delegates of the congress noted in their speeches that in order to create an industrial base that is completely renewed every seven to eight years (in such periods developed countries rearm their industries), the volume of investments should not be 20-22% of GDP, as planned for the next three years , and at least 30%. The development and acquisition of new technologies and the repurposing of production facilities in mechanical engineering will require $100-150 billion.
The delegates especially noted the need to develop a state strategy and a comprehensive program for the development of mechanical engineering, which would reflect the modernization of mechanical engineering itself and the technical re-equipment of other industries, the transition to technologies of the fourth and fifth mode (by analogy with generations in the same aviation). True, the fourth way is already on the decline, the fifth is at the peak of its rise, and even technologies of the sixth way are emerging, including bio- and nanotechnologies.
According to Boris Aleshin, First Deputy Chairman of the Union of Mechanical Engineers of Russia, who spoke at the forum, only the fourth technological order dominates in Russia today, which will reach its highest point of rise only by 2015. Russian mechanical engineering will need to overcome the gap from the world level of one and a half to two technological generations (each lasting 10-15 years), while simultaneously introducing the most effective areas of the fifth and sixth modes. And all this will not be later than 2025.
Much was said at the congress about the need to improve federal legislation in the tax, tariff, customs, educational and social spheres. Long-term goals in the field of mechanical engineering were also named: by 2015 to create a material, organizational and economic base for the development of post-industrial technologies, by 2025 to reach the sixth technological structure.
To solve such ambitious problems, it was decided to organize permanent special committees and commissions under the bureau of the central council of the Union of Mechanical Engineers of Russia on various problems of the industry. There are also plans for the participation of representatives of the union in specialized committees and commissions under the President and Government of the Russian Federation, expert councils under ministries and departments implementing industrial policy. It is planned to create centers for investment support for the modernization and development of enterprises in the machine-building complex, and centers for social support for industry workers.