YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. At the venture conference
of the US Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF)
and its Armenian partner Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF)
in Yerevan on October 24, the scientific research organizations
- winners of the grant tender held by CRDF and EIF - were
announced. The tender was held under the CRDF Science and
Technologies Entrepreneurship Program (STEP).
For their developments with Armenian production
enterpise-partners, 5 thousand dollars will be given to the
Institute of Mathematics (for design and creation of prototype
of a new piston pump), to the scientific group led by Ruben
Vardanian of State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA) (for
development of new cost-effective photovoltaic solar energy
concentrator system), and the group led by Gagik Aivazian (SEUA)
(for design, fabrication and marketing of photovoltaic systems
based on silicon vertical multi-junction solar cells). The
scientific group led by N. Vardanian, laboratory head of the
Institute of Microbiology, will receive a grant for developing a
new integrated biometallurgical process for gold production, the
same institute's group led by Hrachia Hovhannisian - for
intensification of probiotics production by means of burdock's
raw inulin, while the group headed by Mikael Hovhannisian of the
Institute of Botany - for TPS technology used in elite
seed-potato production.
During the conference, another four reports on applied
developments were made. EIF Director Bagrat Yengibarian said
that the work on assistance of their authors will continue
separately.
Natalia Pipia, Manager of SRDF Industrial Programs,
underlined the importance of the fact that the scientific groups
- tender participants found production enterprises as partners.
Jim Butterworth, jury member, expressed a high opinion about the
applied developments presented by 10 Armenian scientific groups.
The jury was also composed of Hovhannes Avoyan, Director of
Sorsio company (Armenia), Chairman of the Union of IT
Enterprises, Ara Hamazaspian, Director of the Izmirlian
Foundation, and Hayk Papian, Director of Venture Management
Advisors company.
B. Yengibarian reminded that the above mentioned 10
developments were selected out of 30 bids. According to him, it
is envisaged to spend 20 thousand dollars to assist the
scientific groups which won the tender. He expressed a hope that
such a tender will be held in 2007 as well.