Innovation and Industrial Cluster ‘Micro-, Opto- and Microwave Electronics’ Sums Up Its Activities for 2017–2018

At the end of March, an extended meeting of the Coordination Council of the innovation and industrial cluster ‘Micro-, Opto- and Microwave Electronics’ was held at Minsk Research Institute of Radiomaterials JSC (MNIIRM). Minister of State Authority for Military Industry Roman Golovchenko and Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Vladimir Gusakov co-chaired the meeting. The participants summed up the activities for 2017–2018.

Now, the cluster is the most effective association of this type in our country. It ensures the development of solid-state electronics as one of the main breakthrough and critical technologies directly related to national security.

During the presentations, it was stated that by now an essential result of the cluster ‘Micro-, Opto- and Microwave Electronics’ has been the creation of applied research laboratories at the premises of participating organisations, which has made it possible to minimise the time needed to manufacture scientific products developed by academic organisations and universities.

The development of promising technologies for manufacturing light-emitting and photo-integrated structures on silicon for the UV, visible, near-IR wavelength ranges and nonvolatile elements was high on the agenda. Within the framework of this activity, MNIIRM plans to master the pilot and small-series production of detectors for various purposes, sensors and sensing elements.

Director of Minsk Research Institute of Radiomaterials Yuri Kernasovsky noted that the development of microwave microelectronics, sensors and special and dual-use systems increases the competitiveness and economic potential of cluster members.

The participants also discussed issues of raising funds in the microelectronics industry, the possibility of joint participation in the formation of state research programmes for the next five years and a special programme on the cluster’s activities with appropriate funding.