The agreement is aimed at developing long-term cooperation between science, industry and the regions for the implementation of projects in the field of low-tonnage chemistry, new materials and chemical technologies.

The document was signed by Inna Shevchenko, Rector of the Southern Federal University, Mikhail Sutyaginsky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Titan Group of Companies, Yuri Slyusar, Governor of the Rostov Region, and Vitaly Khotsenko, Governor of the Omsk Region.

The partnership will result in the creation of new high-tech industries in both regions, as well as additional jobs for young scientists and specialists. The priority task of the parties is the development, industrial development and implementation in the territories of the Omsk and Rostov regions of technologies for the production of materials included in the list of critical industrial products of the chemical industry of the Russian Federation.

Yuri Slyusar, Governor of the Rostov Region, commented on the signing of the agreement:

"Cooperation with a leading industrial holding company and our flagship university opens up new opportunities for the introduction of advanced scientific developments in the real sector of the economy. We rely on a full innovation cycle — from the idea to mass production. This agreement will become a driver of technological development not only in the Rostov region, but throughout the country. Together, we will be able to replace critical imports faster and strengthen Russia's technological sovereignty."

The governments of the Omsk and Rostov regions will create favorable conditions for cooperation, provide state support measures, promote the development of scientific, innovative and industrial infrastructure, and coordinate the work of executive authorities for the successful implementation of joint projects in the territories of both subjects.

Vitaly Khotsenko, Governor of the Omsk region, added:

"The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has traditionally become a platform for making decisions that determine the future of the country's economy. The signed agreement is an example of such strategic cooperation. By combining the capabilities of two regions, a leading university and an industrial business, we are creating the basis for the emergence of new domestic technologies and the accelerated development of low-tonnage chemistry. For the Omsk Region, this is an important step in strengthening its status as one of Russia's key industrial centers."

The agreement provides for the joint development of microfluidic technologies for low-tonnage chemistry, in which research and development work will be carried out by the SFedU and its scientific infrastructure, and scaling, testing and industrial development of the developed technologies will be carried out at the production facilities of GC "Titan" in Omsk. This approach will significantly shorten the path from scientific development to industrial technology implementation.

Mikhail Sutyaginsky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of GC "Titan", noted:

"Today, it is not enough to create separate production facilities for the development of low-tonnage chemicals. It is necessary to build a full cycle — from a scientific idea and technology development to its industrial scaling and market launch. The signed agreement forms just such a model of interaction. We are combining the scientific potential of the Southern Federal University, the capabilities of the regions, and the industrial infrastructure of the Titan Group to address the challenges of technological sovereignty and create new industries for critical chemical products. Microfluidic technologies will play a special role in this work. They make it possible to significantly accelerate R&D, reduce the cost of developing new processes, and move faster to industrial technology adoption."

One of the first joint projects will be the development of microfluidic technology for the synthesis of aniline from phenol. The project provides for R&D, the creation of experimental microreactor equipment, the development of technological modes and the subsequent industrial development of technology at the enterprises of GC "Titan".

Inna Shevchenko, Rector of the Southern Federal University: "Technological sovereignty in new materials is a national task, but it is always solved at a specific point: in the laboratory, on the production site, in a joint team of scientists and engineers. It is valuable to us that GC Titan is one of the few companies capable of becoming a true industry partner that helps universities see and structure the real technological barriers of the chemical industry — those bottlenecks where science must provide answers to business and the state. From the logic of analyzing such barriers, our joint developments in the field of microfluidic technologies have grown, which make it possible to translate industry tasks into the language of precise engineering solutions, as well as projects for the industrial production of silica, and work in other areas. We proceed from a simple management principle: to think on a national scale, but to act where the movement towards technological leadership can be measured through a specific result. The partnership with the Titan Group of Companies is exactly about that."

The agreement also provides for joint training of personnel: the participation of students and young researchers in scientific and industrial projects, the creation of project teams, as well as the implementation of educational and professional development programs for specialists in the chemical industry.