Cooperation on cutting-edge technologies between ITMO and FEFU has become one of the first examples of creating major network research and entrepreneurial projects in Russia.

"As of now, our university has identified a number of important areas for development, which includes Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR). The agreement between our universities will enable us to enhance our competencies in the development of new solutions in these areas, including the development of the hardware-software, technical and optical components of the product," - explains ITMO.NEWS Dmitry Zemtsov, Vice-Rector for Development at FEFU.

FEFU. Credit: primamedia.ru

According to Mr. Zemtsov, owing to the favorable geopolitical location of FEFU, the new Competence Center will have great opportunities for bringing projects to the markets of the Asia-Pacific region, which are now considered to be one amongst the most significant and promising in the world economy.

"We will give our current and future students the opportunities for not only studying and training, but also for implementation of network research and entrepreneurial projects. By complementing each other's expertise in the fields of AI, AR/VR, Big Data and other advanced technologies of the National Technology Initiative, our cooperation provides access to the European (ITMO University) and Asian markets (FEFU), while with due respect to the focus on the growing Russian market, – comments Nina Yanykina, Head of Project Management and Innovation Department at ITMO.

Nina Yanykina

"FEFU and ITMO are really similar in both spirit and style, as well as research and business practices.. Now that they have become one of the main drivers of the development in the Augmented and Virtual Reality market, combining the competencies of our two highly-ranked universities can lead to an even greater synergy that will prompt the further development of AR and VR projects," - concludes Oleg Malsagov, Advisor to Rector for Development Affairs at ITMO University.

Translated by Eugenia Romanova