| Topic: |
Science > Physics |
| User: |
"Dr. Jai Maharaj" |
| Date: |
21 Feb 2005 04:34:48 AM |
| Object: |
TECHNOLOGIES FOR ASIA |
Technologies for Asia
By Dmitry Kosyrev
Editorial
The Pioneer
Friday, February 18, 2005
Those who attended a seminar hosted by Mr NK Sethi, the
Moscow-based Resident Director of the India Trade
Promotion Organisation, will probably remember for a long
time a woman with short hair and glasses who approached
the podium with something resembling a bundle of ropes.
She shook the bundle, demonstrating that the ropes were
absolutely elastic, and told the audience that what they
were looking at was indeed a bunch of cables that could
be used, in particular, for computer networks.
However, the cables did not contain a single trace of
metal, but were made of Teflon threads produced from the
residual materials of the Teflon manufacturing process.
This technology could, apparently, cause a real
revolution in, at least, one key sector of the global
economy.
The woman, Irina Speranskaya, the executive secretary of
the Russia-ASEAN Cooperation Fund, announced that this
sample of Russia's "future technologies" had been
practically sold, although there were still some
procedures left before the contract could be finalised.
The fund is known in Moscow and many Asian countries as a
body with close links to the Russian Foreign Ministry -
which arranges for Russian businesses to participate in
business forums, exhibitions and seminars conducted under
the aegis of ASEAN. But that is not all. After acquiring
the status of an "ASEAN dialogue partner", Russia joined
APEC in 1998 as a full member, and a body was needed to
conduct similar work in the framework of APEC, which also
includes the major members of ASEAN. There was no point
in creating an additional Russian structure, the more so
that the "Pacific club" of Russian business includes
people who deal with both organisations. Therefore, the
fund took on an additional responsibility to organise
business events within APEC, as well.
What does this have to do with business activities? "Let
somebody tell me that sales of technologies are not a
form of cooperation," Ms Speranskaya said. Besides, she
explains, ever since 1997, technology has occupied a
prominent place in the Charter of the Fund, as even then
it was quite obvious that it was attracting a lot of
interest in Russia from Asian countries. The term "sales
of technologies", she insists, is as misleading as the
more popular "transfer of technologies". She describes
the fate of cutting-edge technological ideas as follows:
"An idea can be sold at any stage of its development,
from a pure concept (which also has a price) to the first
mass-produced models. It is possible to sell a
manufacturing license or to create a joint enterprise,
including abroad. There are plenty of options, although
all of them require a long negotiation process between
sellers and buyers. Each deal demands a different scheme.
Solutions can vary significantly."
So far, the fund has had significant experience of
technology transfer with Malaysia. "We have been
conducting business for the longest time. We started
three years ago," Ms Speranskaya explained. "At the same
time, I cannot say that this particular transfer channel
is very fast. Malaysians are very cautious people by
nature. They check and re-check everything. In addition,
we have to consider that, at the start of perestroika,
certain Russian scientists, inebriated with an addictive
'smell of freedom', privately transferred a number of
technologies to Malaysia, a country without a visa
regime. As a result, Malaysia was literally inundated
with '25th-century ideas'. There were Russian citizens
who attempted to disperse clouds using three boxes while
sitting on a beach, and so forth. Consequently, the
Malaysian government simply denied entry to the country
for some Russian inventors. In the beginning, the Fund
had a hard time to prove its reputation. I would call our
business co-operation with Malaysia a process of
overcoming the initial distrust toward Russian
technologies."
At present, the fund has several dozen technology
transfer projects with Malaysia alone, all at different
stages of completion. The sale of the Be-200 hydroplane
for putting out fires can be considered a success. The
project can certainly be referred to as a technology
transfer deal, because the plane is unique, and its
design uses 18 cutting-edge technologies, and that number
continues to grow. For example, the plane has been
recently equipped with new types of aerosol sprayers. The
aerosol literally "eats away" smouldering fires which are
hard to extinguish even using the 14 tons of water the
Be-200 can carry.
Following contracts in Sukhoi and MiG fighters, Malaysia
has shown interest in purchasing the "flying fire
extinguisher" as it created an emergency relief fleet
using advanced technologies. "Emergency relief is,
unfortunately, a pressing issue for Asia," Ms Speranskaya
said. "The fund is currently negotiating the transfer of
other emergency relief technologies with Malaysia. One of
them is an interesting material for treating wounds. It
is a plaster soaked with a special patented solution,
which heals tropical ulcers as well as common burns and
blisters. In addition, we have special technology for
manufacturing fire-extinguishing suits, which are
completely different from existing suits made from common
fabric soaked with fire-repellent solution. The Russian-
made suits, in addition, are heat-resistant. We can sell
either the fabric or complete sets that include
everything from boots to gloves."
Malaysia, an obvious economic leader among ASEAN
countries, is also considered a preferred partner by the
fund because it is able and willing to serve as a
regional hub for the transfer of Russian technologies.
The transfer of technologies through Malaysia to
neighbouring countries would be faster than their direct
sales to each country.
Certainly, every country requires an individual approach.
For instance, the fund has signed four agreements with
various Chinese provinces. In technological terms, China
is growing fast because its provinces compete with each
other. Northern provinces have their own ties with
Russian laboratories in Siberia. However, Southern
provinces do not have this possibility, and have
expressed genuine interest in a series of Russian
technologies offered on APEC markets. The results of such
interest can be quite surprising: One of the provinces,
for instance, is particularly interested in technologies
related to sturgeon breeding.
Fund specialists, however, consider the deal on
information security software development the most
successful. Ms Speranskaya points out that the transfer
of technologies has unpleasant nuances, with the Teflon
cable mentioned above being a good example. "We spotted
attempts to buy this product in order to 'kill' it
later," Ms Speranskaya said. "The owner of the technology
rights does not want to part with the product in such a
way. The agreement that he has with the Fund includes the
concept of an 'end user', and the owner wants to sell the
technology only to an 'end user'. Certainly, from the
point of view of the global metal-based cable
manufacturing industry, the new technology will cause
problems for many manufacturers. Yet it is a standard
obstacle for any cutting-edge technology, which might
change the face of an entire industry branch."
Another point is the need for expert evaluation, both on
the part of the seller and on the part of the buyer. The
fund has a general agreement on the sales of "double-
purpose" technologies with Rosoboronexport, the state
body regulating the sales of military equipment.
According to Russian legislation, if Rosoboronexport
approves the sale, then there are no problems. However,
there have been negative experiences, as well.
The fund has concluded an agreement with the Russian Fund
for Fundamental Research, an organisation that recommends
independent experts. And expert services cost money. The
buyer, in its turn, can repeat the procedure. In such
cases, the fund requests assistance from its major
partners abroad. Normally, it would be a single
organisation in each country that performs functions
similar to those of the Russian Fund, Ms Speranskaya
said. Unfortunately, she added, it may take months or
even years for a product to appear on the market after
going through the lengthy process of expert evaluation of
the deal.
More at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com
Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti
Hindu Holocaust Museum
http://www.mantra.com/holocaust
Hindu life, principles, spirituality and philosophy
http://www.hindu.org
http://www.hindunet.org
The truth about Islam and Muslims
http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate
The terrorist mission of Jesus stated in the Christian bible:
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not so send
peace, but a sword.
"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in
law.
"And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
- Matthew 10:34-36.
o Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used for the educational
purposes of research and open discussion. The contents of this post may not
have been authored by, and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the
poster. The contents are protected by copyright law and the exemption for
fair use of copyrighted works.
o If you send private e-mail to me, it will likely not be read,
considered or answered if it does not contain your full legal name, current
e-mail and postal addresses, and live-voice telephone number.
o Posted for information and discussion. Views expressed by others are
not necessarily those of the poster.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This article may contain copyrighted material the use of
which may or may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. This material is being made available in efforts to advance the
understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic,
democratic, scientific, social, and cultural, etc., issues. It is believed
that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title
17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included
information for research, comment, discussion and educational purposes by
subscribing to USENET newsgroups or visiting web sites. For more information
go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this article for purposes of
your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the
copyright owner.
.
|
|
| User: "Dr. Jai Maharaj" |
|
| Title: Re: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ASIA |
21 Feb 2005 04:32:21 PM |
|
|
Technologies for Asia
By Dmitry Kosyrev
Editorial
The Pioneer
Friday, February 18, 2005
Those who attended a seminar hosted by Mr NK Sethi, the
Moscow-based Resident Director of the India Trade
Promotion Organisation, will probably remember for a long
time a woman with short hair and glasses who approached
the podium with something resembling a bundle of ropes.
She shook the bundle, demonstrating that the ropes were
absolutely elastic, and told the audience that what they
were looking at was indeed a bunch of cables that could
be used, in particular, for computer networks.
However, the cables did not contain a single trace of
metal, but were made of Teflon threads produced from the
residual materials of the Teflon manufacturing process.
This technology could, apparently, cause a real
revolution in, at least, one key sector of the global
economy.
The woman, Irina Speranskaya, the executive secretary of
the Russia-ASEAN Cooperation Fund, announced that this
sample of Russia's "future technologies" had been
practically sold, although there were still some
procedures left before the contract could be finalised.
The fund is known in Moscow and many Asian countries as a
body with close links to the Russian Foreign Ministry -
which arranges for Russian businesses to participate in
business forums, exhibitions and seminars conducted under
the aegis of ASEAN. But that is not all. After acquiring
the status of an "ASEAN dialogue partner", Russia joined
APEC in 1998 as a full member, and a body was needed to
conduct similar work in the framework of APEC, which also
includes the major members of ASEAN. There was no point
in creating an additional Russian structure, the more so
that the "Pacific club" of Russian business includes
people who deal with both organisations. Therefore, the
fund took on an additional responsibility to organise
business events within APEC, as well.
What does this have to do with business activities? "Let
somebody tell me that sales of technologies are not a
form of cooperation," Ms Speranskaya said. Besides, she
explains, ever since 1997, technology has occupied a
prominent place in the Charter of the Fund, as even then
it was quite obvious that it was attracting a lot of
interest in Russia from Asian countries. The term "sales
of technologies", she insists, is as misleading as the
more popular "transfer of technologies". She describes
the fate of cutting-edge technological ideas as follows:
"An idea can be sold at any stage of its development,
from a pure concept (which also has a price) to the first
mass-produced models. It is possible to sell a
manufacturing license or to create a joint enterprise,
including abroad. There are plenty of options, although
all of them require a long negotiation process between
sellers and buyers. Each deal demands a different scheme.
Solutions can vary significantly."
So far, the fund has had significant experience of
technology transfer with Malaysia. "We have been
conducting business for the longest time. We started
three years ago," Ms Speranskaya explained. "At the same
time, I cannot say that this particular transfer channel
is very fast. Malaysians are very cautious people by
nature. They check and re-check everything. In addition,
we have to consider that, at the start of perestroika,
certain Russian scientists, inebriated with an addictive
'smell of freedom', privately transferred a number of
technologies to Malaysia, a country without a visa
regime. As a result, Malaysia was literally inundated
with '25th-century ideas'. There were Russian citizens
who attempted to disperse clouds using three boxes while
sitting on a beach, and so forth. Consequently, the
Malaysian government simply denied entry to the country
for some Russian inventors. In the beginning, the Fund
had a hard time to prove its reputation. I would call our
business co-operation with Malaysia a process of
overcoming the initial distrust toward Russian
technologies."
At present, the fund has several dozen technology
transfer projects with Malaysia alone, all at different
stages of completion. The sale of the Be-200 hydroplane
for putting out fires can be considered a success. The
project can certainly be referred to as a technology
transfer deal, because the plane is unique, and its
design uses 18 cutting-edge technologies, and that number
continues to grow. For example, the plane has been
recently equipped with new types of aerosol sprayers. The
aerosol literally "eats away" smouldering fires which are
hard to extinguish even using the 14 tons of water the
Be-200 can carry.
Following contracts in Sukhoi and MiG fighters, Malaysia
has shown interest in purchasing the "flying fire
extinguisher" as it created an emergency relief fleet
using advanced technologies. "Emergency relief is,
unfortunately, a pressing issue for Asia," Ms Speranskaya
said. "The fund is currently negotiating the transfer of
other emergency relief technologies with Malaysia. One of
them is an interesting material for treating wounds. It
is a plaster soaked with a special patented solution,
which heals tropical ulcers as well as common burns and
blisters. In addition, we have special technology for
manufacturing fire-extinguishing suits, which are
completely different from existing suits made from common
fabric soaked with fire-repellent solution. The Russian-
made suits, in addition, are heat-resistant. We can sell
either the fabric or complete sets that include
everything from boots to gloves."
Malaysia, an obvious economic leader among ASEAN
countries, is also considered a preferred partner by the
fund because it is able and willing to serve as a
regional hub for the transfer of Russian technologies.
The transfer of technologies through Malaysia to
neighbouring countries would be faster than their direct
sales to each country.
Certainly, every country requires an individual approach.
For instance, the fund has signed four agreements with
various Chinese provinces. In technological terms, China
is growing fast because its provinces compete with each
other. Northern provinces have their own ties with
Russian laboratories in Siberia. However, Southern
provinces do not have this possibility, and have
expressed genuine interest in a series of Russian
technologies offered on APEC markets. The results of such
interest can be quite surprising: One of the provinces,
for instance, is particularly interested in technologies
related to sturgeon breeding.
Fund specialists, however, consider the deal on
information security software development the most
successful. Ms Speranskaya points out that the transfer
of technologies has unpleasant nuances, with the Teflon
cable mentioned above being a good example. "We spotted
attempts to buy this product in order to 'kill' it
later," Ms Speranskaya said. "The owner of the technology
rights does not want to part with the product in such a
way. The agreement that he has with the Fund includes the
concept of an 'end user', and the owner wants to sell the
technology only to an 'end user'. Certainly, from the
point of view of the global metal-based cable
manufacturing industry, the new technology will cause
problems for many manufacturers. Yet it is a standard
obstacle for any cutting-edge technology, which might
change the face of an entire industry branch."
Another point is the need for expert evaluation, both on
the part of the seller and on the part of the buyer. The
fund has a general agreement on the sales of "double-
purpose" technologies with Rosoboronexport, the state
body regulating the sales of military equipment.
According to Russian legislation, if Rosoboronexport
approves the sale, then there are no problems. However,
there have been negative experiences, as well.
The fund has concluded an agreement with the Russian Fund
for Fundamental Research, an organisation that recommends
independent experts. And expert services cost money. The
buyer, in its turn, can repeat the procedure. In such
cases, the fund requests assistance from its major
partners abroad. Normally, it would be a single
organisation in each country that performs functions
similar to those of the Russian Fund, Ms Speranskaya
said. Unfortunately, she added, it may take months or
even years for a product to appear on the market after
going through the lengthy process of expert evaluation of
the deal.
More at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com
Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti
Hindu Holocaust Museum
http://www.mantra.com/holocaust
Hindu life, principles, spirituality and philosophy
http://www.hindu.org
http://www.hindunet.org
The truth about Islam and Muslims
http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate
The terrorist mission of Jesus stated in the Christian bible:
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not so send
peace, but a sword.
"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in
law.
"And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
- Matthew 10:34-36.
o Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used for the educational
purposes of research and open discussion. The contents of this post may not
have been authored by, and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the
poster. The contents are protected by copyright law and the exemption for
fair use of copyrighted works.
o If you send private e-mail to me, it will likely not be read,
considered or answered if it does not contain your full legal name, current
e-mail and postal addresses, and live-voice telephone number.
o Posted for information and discussion. Views expressed by others are
not necessarily those of the poster.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This article may contain copyrighted material the use of
which may or may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. This material is being made available in efforts to advance the
understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic,
democratic, scientific, social, and cultural, etc., issues. It is believed
that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title
17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included
information for research, comment, discussion and educational purposes by
subscribing to USENET newsgroups or visiting web sites. For more information
go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this article for purposes of
your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the
copyright owner.
.
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