Boris Paton proposed the EDAPS Consortium to elaborate a joint program of cooperation with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

15.04.2010

Press release

On April 14 the EDAPS Consortium was attended by the delegation of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (the NASU) headed by its President Boris Paton. The other members of the delegations were Academician Anatoliy Shpak, the First Vice-President of the NASU; Academician Vitaliy Pokhodenko, the NASU Vice-President; Academician Anatoliy Zagorodniy, the NASU Principal Scientific Secretary; Academician Vadim Loktev, the NASU Academic Secretary for Physics and Astronomy; V. Bogdanov, Head of Science Organizational Issues; Academician Vladimir Machulin, a member of the NASU Presidium.

The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine represented by the International Centre the Institute of Applied Optics is the founder of the Specialized Enterprise HOLOGRAPHY, one of the leading enterprises incorporated into the EDAPS Consortium. Moreover, an official opening of this enterprise was performed by Boris Paton ten years ago. And today this enterprise is among top three world’s manufacturers of the security holograms.

Georgiy Beilin and Sergei Grishin, the members of the Board of Directors of the EDAPS Consortium, as well as the managers and specialists of the EDAPS enterprises met the elite of the Ukrainian science at one of the major high-tech enterprises of Ukraine.

The excursion to the EDAPS high-tech enterprises was suggested to the Ukrainian scientists: the Specialized Enterprise HOLOGRAPHY (the manufacture of holographic security elements), ZNAK enterprise (the manufacture of plastic cards and documents blanks), the State Center for Documents Personalization of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, EDAPS Laser company (the partner of the EDAPS Consortium, the manufacture of lasers and laser systems). The presentation of the electronic (biometrical) passport for INTERPOL staff originated by the scientists and engineers of EDAPS was also performed.

 During this on-site visit to EDAPS Boris Paton expressed his lively interest in the details of the technological processes at all EDAPS enterprises. Up-to-date developments in the sphere of production of holographic security elements, plastic cards and identification documents and those with an electronic component were demonstrated to the NASU President. Most of all Ukrainian scientists were surprised with EDAPS achievements in the field of know-how equipment for production of security holograms, polycarbonate page (applied in the Ukrainian travel passports, De Beers jewellery passports and electronic passports for the INTERPOL staff), for the personalization of plastic cards and documents blanks, etc.

 According to Paton’s words the EDAPS manufacture practically “resembles scientific and technical instrument engineering”. The President of the NASU recognized a high security level of production at the EDAPS enterprises: “Security in the Consortium is organized in such a way that it amazes”.

The Consortium representatives suggested further expanding the cooperation with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. In response, Boris Paton proposed to elaborate a joint program between the EDAPS Consortium and the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, foreseen the work with separate institutes of the NASU in the sphere of development of the state-of-the-art technologies, including the application of nanotechnologies.

“An active cooperation is being carried out now with the Institute of Applied Optics. But there are many other institutes which could and should work with you. For this purpose a good program is to be prepared and adopted. We should make a program together, be it a frame one. And the special programs and activities with certain institutes should be developed within this program”, said Boris Paton.

In his address to the leaders of the Consortium he also noted: “I was here 10 years ago, when this enterprise was being created. Even then it was clear to what extent the production at this enterprise is science-based, and how high its technologies are. Today your enterprise is really grandiose with a whole range of the most advanced technologies implemented there, which you use for production and not for boasting with crucially innovative technologies.

I’d like to emphasize that you spend the earned money to update and develop your enterprise, your researches, and your developments, and do not spend them simply on “consumption". We were greatly impressed that actually you don’t “consume” the money, you create something new and move forward. More over your staff members are a pure gold. The NASU numbered 96 thousand people 20 years ago. Unfortunately, now it is slightly more than 40 thousand people.

 And your company’s developments and operating equipment (not just prototypes), which in some cases exceed its foreign counterparts in production capacity, quality, reliability, spoke volumes. I mean that very high level of your work. We would like to cooperate with you. Most of the NASU used to say that the science is not in demand. Regarding the EDAPS Consortium, its science is sought after and in demand. We should work and win together.

 To Boris Paton’s view there is no sense to seek assistance from foreign companies in ID-sphere if such technologies are available in Ukraine: “To my opinion the foreign companies are to be involved if you can’t do it yourself. And it should be done in such a way that it can correspond to the level of foreign technologies. Certainly, if such technologies are available, there is no need to buy them abroad, as it’s linked with kickbacks and other problems. Regarding the Ukrainian EDAPS Consortium, it has demonstrated the ability to create its own technology”.