The town of Obninsk was formed as a "town of science" according t o the state programmes specifically conceived t o solve the problems of nuclear power engineering and other questions concerning this field of science.
Obninsk is both geographically and demographically very compact. Its radius is no more than 1.5 kilometers and there are approximately 100,000 inhabitants. The concentration of scientific personnel (1,300 Doctors and Candidates of Science) and scientific and research institutes (13) is also very high. In addition, a dense network of educational organizations (15 schools, one institute of higher education, one polytechnic secondary school, two mu- sic schools, one art school, one gymnasia, a "Humanitarian Center," three
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'This paper was written before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Consequently, numer- ous references refer to institutes, committees and organizations by their former All-Union name. While some have disintegrated, most of those mentioned in this paper continue to exist, but under a different but comparable designation under the present Russian government.
'Head of Department, Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Technology Policy, Russia.
3 ~ e a d of Laboratory, Physics-Energy Institute, Obninsk.
'Deputy Director, Central Institute for Re-Training, Obninsk.
156 Development of Soviet Regional Scientific Centers specialized secondary institutions, and a large-scale system of further train- ing and improvement of professional skills) has been established. Together, these factor for the keystones of a favorable R&D environment.
More than 4,000 people work in scientific institutions which belong to various ministries; including the Ministry of Atomic Power Engineering and Industry (Technologia branch scientific-production organization), the Min- istry of the Aviation Industry, the Ministry of the Chemistry and Oil-refining Industry of the USSR, the USSR State Committee of Hydro-Meteorology (Taifun scientific-production organization), the USSR State Committee of Public Education, the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, the State Commis- sion of the USSR Council of Ministers on Foodstuffs and Purchases. This town concentrates considerable scientific and technical potential in differ- ent fields of atomic power engineering, medical and agricultural radiology, theoretical and practical elaboration of problems concerning ecology and environmental protection.
The qualification of Obninsk institutes has changed significantly during last five years: the number of Doctors of Sciences has increased from 140 in 1985 to 173 in 1990, the number of Candidates of Sciences has increased from 1,020 t o 1,155. This tendency has not been affected by staff reduction or by the possibility to work in cooperatives or small enterprises where wages are considerably higher now.
The institutes of the town perform important R&D in various fields.
These include:
1. Institute of Physics and Power Engineering: conducts R&D on nuclear- power engineering plants with different objectives (reactors on fast neu- trons, power engineering for distant regions, and others). The range of R&D activities pass from the stage of conceptualization, projecting, experimental perfection of systems, starting up, and operation.
2. Scientific and Research Institute of Physics and Chemistry named after L.Y. Karpov (Affiliate): investigates materials for modern technologies, including those aimed at protecting nature. Utilization in different in- dustrial branches, such as chemistry, construction materials, microelec- tronics, electro-technic, and public health care. There is a possibility t o apply the results of the institute's work in electronics, space apparatus construction, medical industry, and chemistry.
3. Technologia Branch Scientific-Production Organization: elaboration of materials, and technologies for manufacturing goods of ceramics, glass, composites with polymer, and ceramic matrix for the aviation industry.
B.D. Yurlov, A.P. Sorokin, G.I. Sklyar, I. V . Gonnov 157 T h e consequences of Technologia's efforts are utilized in automobile, agricul t u r d and machine-building industries, and t o some extent in nu- clear power engineering and in chemistry. T h e applied R&D is conducted in cooperation with the institutions of the USSR Ministry of Automobile and Agricultural Machinery and the USSR Ministry of Chemistry.
4. Scientific and Research Institute of Medical Radiology of t h e Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR: studies the fundamental basis of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation effects on biological objects and humans, as well as working out new methods of curing and preventing of radiation- related diseases, reviewing medical and biological circumstances of the Chernobyl Atomic Power Station disaster, new methods of complex ra- diation cures of malignant tumors, and other radiation therapy.
5. Taifun Scientific-Production Organization: explores new methods of bio- sphere estimation, physical and mathematical models of migration and transformation of pollution elements in the atmosphere, soil, and water;
as well as the influence of chemicals on ecological systems and the cre- ation of geoinformation computer systems performing information sup- ply for monitoring.
T h e apparatus plant of Signal (the USSR Ministry of Atomic Power Engineering and Industry) and the above mentioned experimental scientific institutions form the modern production base Obninsk. Table 1 shows the distribution of employment in the town, revealing the bias in favor of scien- tific rather than industrial production.
T h e USSR Council of Ministers thrice (1973, 1980, 1985) adopted the Decrees on the development of Obninsk municipal economy. T h e above- mentioned Decrees made it possible t o combine the resources of different ministries and departments for town construction purposes. Obninsk con- struction was under the supervision of the Physics and Power Engineering Institute (which played the role of a general contractor) by a single developer, the Obninsk department of construction, an affiliate of the USSR Ministry of Atomic Power Engineering and Industry. The fact that the town is su- pervised by the high-priority USSR Ministry of Atomic Power Engineering and Industry allows the resolution of problems concerning socio-economic development in the town, satisfaction of the requirements of the consumer market and also generous development of the experimental base of the R&D institutions.
In spite of a high concentration of scientific and research organizations in the town, their interdepartmental dissociation precluded any significant
158 Development o f Soviet Regional Scientific Centers scientific and technological cooperation during a number of years. As state enterprises became more independent some signs of a tendency cooperation between organizations of the town slowly appeared. For instance, coopera- tion between the Physics and Power Engineering Institute and the affiliate of the Scientific and Research Institute of Physics and Chemistry facilitated the establishment of the technetsia manufactured generators which are used for diagnosing malignant tumors in a number of medical centers of the country.
This reduced the imports of technetsia generators. Curing patients with ma- lignant tumors using the BR-10 neutron reactor pencil of rays method was implemented in the Physics and Power Engineering Institute. T h e experts from the Physics and Power Engineering Institute and of Taifun Scientific- Production Organization work together on the problems concerning the rem- edying of the Chernobyl disaster circumstances.
T h e Science and Research Institute of Medical Radiology of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR (the State Registrar for more than 500,000 people injured in the Chernobyl disaster) participates in an international program of the World Health Organization (WHO) on research concern- ing the medical effects of the Chernobyl disaster. In order t o ensure the completion of this program Obninsk is considering the establishment of the International Center on Radiation and Medical Problems with affiliates in Bryansk, Belarus, and in the Ukraine. T h e government of Japan has subsi- dized the program with 20 million US dollars for the period of 1991-1995, particularly for pilot projects related t o the research. T h e WHO is studying the possibility t o expand the entire program with an additional financial in- jection of 180 million US dollars t o begin work in such directions as oncology, psychological and genetic effects.
T h e complex program of the RSFSR on scientific study concerning the Chernobyl disaster has been elaborated. The program will be fulfilled by the association of scientific institutions in Obninsk which have highly qualified personnel in different branches of radiology. This association is represented by the All-Union Scientific and Research Institute of Agricultural Radiology, the Scientific and Research Institute of Medical Radiology of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, the Physics and Power Engineering Insti- tute, the Institute of Atomic Power Engineering, and the Central Institute of Improvement of Professional Skills. This complex program is a n integral part of "The state p q m m of the RSFSR on ameliomtion of the Chernobyl disaster circumstances for 1991-1 995.
"
This program is coordinated with 'The State Union-Republican p q m m of urgent measures for 1990-1992,"and there are some positions which were amended t o the Union-Republican
B.D. Yurlov, A.P. Somkin, G.I. Sklyar, I. V . Gonnov 159 program, such as radiation and anthropogenetic pollution effects on humans.
This program also identifies urgent measures for 1991-1992 which are con- nected with the problem of relocating the population of the polluted regions of the RSFSR and also other questions such as personnel training and im- provement of skills of salvage workers at Chernobyl.
The total value of R&D in 1991-1995 is budgeted a t 175 million rubles, including 80 million rubles of urgent measures in 1991-1992. Presently, the RSFSR Council of Ministers are deliberating about the complex program financing.
The suggestion t o establish a scientific and research center with the title
"Physical and Chemical Problems of the Emergency Situations" has been studied. It was suggested t o create such center as an affiliate of Scientific and Research Institute of Physics and Chemistry. Within three years, such a center will facilitate the improvement of methodogical, material, and tech- nical base of specialized research departments including; manufacturing of progressive cloths for overalls, isolation materials, neutralization of spray containers and miasmata, emergency readiness of water-plants and equip- ment, securing ionized radiation in the field, polymer sorbents for extraction of oil products from water, and many others. The position of the Center must be defined in the departmental hierarchy that will, from its budget, finance 40% of the Center's expenditures for three years (6.5 million rubles per year) with the remaining 60% to be earned on a contractual basis. The prospective total value of work of the Center can amount to 16 million rou- bles in the first three years of operation.
Considering the available scientific and personnel potential of the town, there appears a necessity to further transform the Institute of Atomic Power Engineering into the higher educational institution as a State Technical Uni- versity. An expert commission, consisting of the leading scientists of Ob- ninsk, elaborated a proposal for transforming the Institute of Atomic Power Engineering into a University and establishing new faculties in addition t o the existing physics and power engineering faculties in the medical-biological, ecological, radiation, materials for space apparatus construction, humanities fields.
The Obninsk Department of International Conversion Fund was estab- lished in lieu of realizing the proposed conversion in the town. These will be integrated into the complex strategy for the transition of the defence in- dustry to manufacturing civilian goods and as a solution to economic and social problems. The Obninsk Department Program is intended t o promote the spin-off of
R&D
results in such directions as: non-traditional power-160 Development of Soviet Regional Scientific Centers engineering, production of isotopes and implementing of reactor technologies, new non-metallic materials and their technologies, ecology, manufacturing of electronic equipment, machine-building for diary industry, and organization and improvement of professional skills.
As international experience shows, small enterprise activity is very im- portant for demonopolization of the economy, competition and innovation.
At the same time, it is necessary to avoid the collapse of efficient large organi- zations. In restructuring R&D organizations, we proceed from the necessity t o promote cooperation within the groups of large and small enterprises and between these two groups. At present, 240 small enterprises and 274 coop- eratives with a total number of employees amounting t o 6,000 people are registered in Obninsk. The overall revenue collected by small enterprises in 1990 amounted t o 50 million rubles. 61 cooperatives (22.3% of the total number of cooperatives) are engaged in scientific and research activities and in developing computer programmes. Their income in 1990 amounted t o 17.2 million rubles (32% of the total income). For the moment it is very difficult t o estimate the efficiency of small enterprises because the majority of them are engaged in trade operations. The task now is t o promote their industrial innovation activity.