ITMO To Receive 400 Million Rubles From Priority 2030 National Program

ITMO’s Development Strategy describes the university’s transition to the model of a research-, education-, and technological corporation through product thinking and shared “win-win” objectives and tasks with industry leaders. At the core of its development strategy are national projects: for example, the university’s professional training project Education for Technological Leadership aligns with the national project Data Economy, while the initiative Breakthrough Research – with the national project New Materials and Chemistry. 

In 2026, the financial aid within the Priority 2030 national program decreased compared to previous years. In this regard, the university opted to use the current situation as the opportunity to stimulate new partnerships with leading companies and increase the profitability of its technological products. 

“Our goal in the coming years is to raise the level of the university’s financial stability without the need for additional subsidies and infusions. Product thinking, joint pursuit of promising fields with our partners, and accelerated development of highly-demanded technologies and solutions – these are the foundations of our “code” and the key to our financial independence. We plan to invest the funding into those of our high-tech projects that will help us make it happen,” notes Vladimir Vasilyev, Rector of ITMO University.

As a research and educational corporation, the university will be able to not only test and apply experimental training models with comfort – but also develop products with unique applications. Here are some examples: 

• a digital software and analytical system will make it possible to produce new industrial catalysts on a fast-track basis and reduce the number of experiments needed; 

• optical switches will accelerate the process of distributed computing and improve the energy-efficiency of data processing centers;

• an ontology framework for normative acts will help specialists to automatically convert disparate documents into a machine-readable database, which will simplify construction procedures for buildings and other structures.

One of the university’s interests lies in end-to-end AI, for instance, for fundamental research and AI products. The teams at ITMO are developing the open-source infrastructure AI4Science – a project that relies on machine learning and other AI tools to process large datasets, identify patterns, and forecast and acquire new knowledge that is hard or impossible to obtain using conventional methods. Moreover, ITMO researchers have rolled out AI assistants for the fields of chemistry and new materials. Many of the university’s projects are implemented in partnership with major companies:  e. g., an AI-powered sensor for predictive diagnostics of motor oil with Gazprom Neft, AI models for managing collaborative robots with Sberbank, or an AI knowledge base management system with Tatneft.

Additionally, ITMO University strives to improve the quality of AI training in Russia. Firstly, the university has developed a role-based competency model for training AI specialists. The model is built on a set of professional competencies, knowledge, and skills that are required for different roles in business and industry. This approach allows students, lecturers, and business experts to see what the market needs at the moment. Secondly, in 2025, ITMO launched an AI-focused professional development program that welcomed 50 heads of educational programs, 500 lecturers, and 115 teachers. The program aimed to improve the qualifications of lecturers who teach AI-related courses at universities and schools. 

“Today, the world’s moving away from perceiving AI as an entertainment media; it becomes an essential tool for work and studies. In order to work with AI, not against it, we should serve our students,  know how to work with AI, and be able to teach others who are probably even more AI savvy. ITMO shares its expertise with schools and other universities; we help them master AI tools and offer a flexible and convenient model on how they can transform their educational process,” says Daria Kozlova, the head of ITMO's Development Strategy. 

ITMO University applies the role-based competency model not only for its AI-focused programs. During their studies, students try out different professional roles following their set of competencies – this approach allows the university to work efficiently on high-tech solutions and successfully promote cooperation with industrial partners. For instance, PhD student Maria Moshkova has created a technology for producing pure lithium to create a domestic battery. Based on her experience and competencies (physical chemistry / polymers, project and management activities, product approach / idea generation), she can claim the following roles: a principal investigator (PI), an R&D project manager, and a chief technologist.

Priority 2030 is a national program that was introduced in 2021 to support universities in Russia. Its missions are to ensure the contribution of Russian universities to achieving the national development goals by 2030, increase the academic excellence of Russian universities and scientific organizations, and involve higher education institutions in the socioeconomic development of the country’s regions.