The competition was organized for research teams of ITMO University and non-affiliated centers included representatives of the University. Thus the scientists focused on natural sciences, IT, smart technologies, robotics as well as optics and photonics took part in the competition. According to the rules, a labs staff has to include at least one international researcher and a Russian specialist who previously collaborated with researchers from other countries or worked abroad. The judges evaluated projects taking into account the following criteria: the number of published papers, research experience of potential lab employees as well as the relevance of the field chosen by lab.
Some five labs were announced as the best. The lab called International Research Center “Bioinformatics” focuses on translational medicine. It was presented by Alexander Krasnok, representative of Nano-Photonics and Metamaterials Chair. The researchers of the center plan to analyze biological objects using dielectric nano-photonic methods, provide “bioimaging” and diagnostic activities based on peptide libraries. The lab will become a part of International Research Center for Nano-Photonoics and Metamaterials.
Some experts presented the industrial-oriented projects. Thus the Committee supported International Center “Geometric Methods and Applications,” which aimed at robot manipulators` development. The project was presented by Anton Pyrkin, head of Department of Control Systems and Industrial Robotics.
The next project, which entered the list of the most promising labs, was International Research Center “Managing of Multiagent, Distributed and Network Systems.” Its` specialists will develop ways and algorithms for power circuits and air drones` management. According to Alexander Fradkov, professor at Chair of Control of Complex Systems, the lab plans to collaborate with several chairs such as Chair of High Performance Computing. The lab will join Adaptive and Nonlinear Control Systems Center.
The researchers of the lab “Physics and Smart Lighting Technologies” will analyze high-efficient white laser diodes. The project was presented by Grigory Sokolovsky, Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute researcher, who announced that the lab will become the part of Educational Center “Functional Materials, Electronic and Optical Electronic Devices.”
Andrey Chugunov, head of Chair of State Information Systems Management, talked about the lab “Technologies of Electronic Management and Smart City.” The specialists of the lab are going to research the interaction of society and government through information technologies, make models of social processes and develop e-government system. The lab will join International Center “Urban Informatics.”
Irina Melchakova, head of International Research Office of ITMO University, commented on this competition: “The lab will launch their activities right after required paper work. The projects prepared by researchers comply with requests of 5-100 Project. The main target is to provide world-class research projects to present them at international conferences and publish articles in the top scientific journals. Furthermore the researchers should collaborate with colleagues from other countries and apply for prestigious grants.”
