RUSAL — one of the world`s largest producers of aluminum, together with NUST MISIS — a leading technological university in Russia, are launching a College of Lightweight Materials & Technologies, a new institution designed within university standards.
The College of Lightweight Materials & Technologies will be Russia`s first platform for joint scientific and research & development work aimed at the development of modern technologies. The works will be done by NUST MISIS, RUSAL, and Aluminum Association.
The College`s main activities will be focused on the creation of new materials for high-tech industries (aircraft industry, ship building, car manufacturing industry), as well as the development of additive technologies and metal-matrix aluminum composites, some of which will utilize power source technology based on aluminum (aluminum-ion batteries).
“A key area of NUST MISIS`s strategic development is the strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperations with the business community. RUSAL is our university`s long-standing partner, with which only in the past 2 years we jointly completed projects worth 850 million Rubles. The establishment of the new College is the next step in strengthening our partnership. The combination of the efforts of the leading university in materials science and metallurgy research and a great industrial partner will allow us to significantly increase competency in the field of new materials and technologies for the Russian market, as well as accelerate the commercialization of the developments”, said Alevtina Chernikova, Rector of NUST MISIS.
The College will consist of research departments, scientific and engineering centers, and testing and accreditation centers. The College`s equipment will be bought at NUST MISIS`s and RUSAL`s own expense. The possibilities of attracting public co-financing are now under discussion.
“Thanks to the joint research activities of NUST MISIS and RUSAL, competency in the field of creating new materials and technologies that are necessary to increase the proportion of output with high added cost in the structure of Russia’s economy will be significantly expanded”, said Victor Mann, Technical Director at RUSAL.
