Mintimer Shaimiev: Physicists, mathematicians, chemists are our gold stock

On February 7th, on the threshold of the Day of Science, Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev visited the Arbuzov Institute of organic and physical chemistry (IOPC) of the Kazan scientific centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The head of the republic was accompanied by RT First Vice-Premier Ravil Muratov, Deputy Chairman of the RT State Council Rimma Ratnikova, Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin, heads of Tatarstan's chemical enterprises. IOPC Director Oleg Sinyashin showed the President around the institute.

As Oleg Sinyashin said, 330 people work today at the IOPC while they numbered 600 at the start of the 1990s. However, they managed to preserve their scientific potential as mostly engineering specialists were leaving the institute at that time.

The institute facilities allow not only developing new substances, but also carrying out analysis of their biological activity and even create technologies for mass production. The institute itself has a capacity of making up to 200 tons of various materials a year. The President was presented some promising developments.