MOSCOW. Sept 18 (Interfax) - Testing of new developments and technologies at the Era military innovation technopolis will be carried out by the most experienced military specialists in collaboration with leading defense enterprises, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the Defense Ministry collegium on Tuesday.
The ministry is exerting great efforts to create the Era technopolis in keeping with Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision, he said.
"A unique, specialized research compound, which includes scientific-research, scientific-educational, and production clusters equipped with laboratories and the high-tech, state-of-the-art equipment is already operational in Anapa," Shoigu said.
The technopolis is selecting the best scientific-technical projects to meet the current and future needs of the Armed Forces and the Russian military-industrial sector, he said.
"Developments and technologies will be tested by the most experienced military specialists in cooperation with leading enterprises of the domestic military and industrial complex," the minister said.
The top priority for the technopolis is efforts to seek, develop, and introduce advanced scientific ideas and breakthrough defense and security technology and to expand Russian scientific and industrial capacity in order to build up the country's defense, Shoigu said.
"To achieve this objective, a new model of interaction between domestic scientific, educational, and production organizations is being implemented. Conditions for utilizing current resources and outcomes achieved in various scientific areas are being created. Leading Russian scientific workers, promising young scientists, and servicemen in scientific formations will take part in the work of the technopolis," he said.
The Defense Ministry hopes that Era will make it possible to increase the efficiency of applied scientific research, create a database of new technology, and facilitate the development of advanced military systems, Shoigu said.
"And - this is especially important - the project will promote an increase in scientific capabilities and reinforce the state's defense capabilities and the development of the national economy as a whole," he said.