A sensor for science

Innovative companies under the management of InnoInvest supply filters for nuclear icebreakers. The project is overseen by President Putin.

Of course, this is not the only project of innovative enterprises under the patronage of InnoInvest. However, the two most successful companies that we would like to discuss are AeroFilter and Omiteks.

EXACTLY ON TARGET

AeroFilter is engaged in the production of new-generation filtration equipment for nuclear power plants, chemical, pharmaceutical, metallurgical, and other enterprises engaged in radiochemistry. The company already holds 8 patents. Last year, the company introduced an aerosol iodine filter to the market, with 158 units supplied to the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant. The project involved developers from Obninsk, Moscow, and Kaluga.

Another example is filters for beryllium production (metallic beryllium is used in aviation, rocket, and space technology, as well as in gyro-instrumentation). By the way, there is an interesting story here. There is one such production facility in the Moscow region. However, for the past three years, the plant has been idle, as the filtration equipment installed in the 1970s did not meet modern standards and was unable to perform its cleaning duties. The authorities have prohibited operations. And here comes AeroFilter from Obninsk, offering its products and essentially bringing production to the light.

Another interesting development by this company is the so-called vacuum cleaner for nuclear production. In general, any production process generates a lot of local dirt. Of course, there should be powerful filtration systems everywhere. However, it is much faster to remove small amounts of "garbage" using compact equipment. The vacuum cleaner sucks up all the dirt, and all that needs to be done is to change the filters, while the entire global cleaning system remains inactive, resulting in significant cost savings. This concept was quickly recognized, albeit initially not in our country, but in Bulgaria, which funded the project for its nuclear power plant. However, Russian companies have also started moving quickly, and these vacuum cleaners are now selling well in the domestic market.

"We are primarily managers," explains Leonid Katukhin, CEO of the management company InnoInvest. "That is, we find money for a project, designers, an idea, and ways to commercialize it. By the way, scientists, without whom the entire chain would collapse, are like a doctor who graduated from medical school a long time ago. Yes, they know how the body works. But if they haven't worked for a while, they might not even have heard about modern techniques like laparoscopic surgery. We keep track of all innovations, look for new materials, and offer them to scientists for use in research and development. Due to their unique mindset, they quickly adopt and implement these materials. This means they don't have to spend time searching for them. Instead, we do the searching for them. This results in significant cost savings for research and development projects. As a result, we can accurately target and offer innovative products to the market."

OUTPACING OUR COMPETITORS

The second "success company" is Omiteks. It is engaged in the creation of microwave disinfection units for medical waste. Medical waste poses a serious threat, as if it is not disposed of in time, hospital infections can spread rapidly. This poses a significant risk to people's health and lives.

In the early 2000s, scientists in Obninsk had a revolutionary idea: to develop a microwave-based disinfection system. The first delivery was ordered by the government of the Kaluga Region.

At that time, the WHO recommended that chlorine and its fractions should not be used for disinfection. What should be done? In principle, there is an alternative method of disinfection, which is radiation-based. However, this method is extremely expensive for clinics and is not safe. The microwave method has become a breakthrough in this regard. However, Omiteks faced a significant challenge: in order to bring the devices to the market, changes must be made to the SanPiN regulations. This was a challenging task, but the "paper" wall was eventually breached. The next step is to conquer the market. Again, success — today, the small Obninsk enterprise owns 70% of the domestic market, with about 2,000 installations in Russia alone. In addition, the devices are sold to neighboring countries such as Belarus, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Even Western competitors (such as Austrian or Israeli firms) cannot compete with the Obninsk products due to their high prices.

It seemed that everything would go as planned. However, a few years ago, a company in St. Petersburg, despite having a patent, used the Obninsk experience. The developers only changed the size of the installation, applied to the Bortnik Foundation, and won a grant. However, this only encouraged Omiteks, as the scientists created an installation that not only disinfected but also reduced the volume of waste, effectively destroying it by incorporating the use of special presses and destructors. For example, the device shredded syringes and transformed needles into metal pieces that could never be used again.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

These two companies, AeroFilter and Omiteks, are currently investing in the construction of a new building in the innovation zone on Krasnykh Zor Street. For InnoInvest, this is a significant step, as it will provide them with collateral and real opportunities for obtaining loans. "The current economic situation has significantly reduced profitability, as our production processes rely heavily on imported components," explains Leonid Katukhin. "Additionally, obtaining a loan has become increasingly challenging. We have companies that have completed their startups and are ready to enter the market, but they are not taking any risks yet. For example, we are working with a large company called Baltic Coast, which specializes in seafood processing. They have a lot of energy costs. We have proposed a way to reduce them. However, due to the current crisis, the project has been postponed. In 2015, we plan to focus on our production tasks and postpone our active development for later."

However, there are also very ambitious goals that InnoInvest intends to achieve this year. For example, Omiteks is currently working with a company in Vladimir to supply mobile waste disinfection units. Imagine a hospital that is powered by a generator and has no electricity. In such a situation, it is crucial to perform medical waste disposal quickly. However, medical waste can accumulate rapidly, with up to 8 kilograms of waste per patient per day. This is where a vehicle equipped with four disinfection units comes in handy, quickly addressing the issue. By the way, Moscow's healthcare institutions have already ordered 12 such machines. And this year, the project will definitely be launched.

And the AeroFilter company has won a competition for the development, supply, and installation of filters for reactors that will be installed on three nuclear icebreakers. The project is being overseen by President Vladimir Putin. The goal is to ensure year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route.

The project has already been completed. It has been sent for examination to the customer, the Baltic Shipyard. The science city hopes that the equipment will be delivered by the end of this year.

Source: Narodnaya Gazeta weekly, №4, February 6, 2015