Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation has announced that it is fully engaged in developing “4.0 technologies” including blockchain technology, according to a press release signed by Rosatom IT Department head Evgeniy Abakumov, on October 1.
According to Abakumov, Rosatom will focus on three main areas of development within its drive to adopt new technologies, namely blockchain technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT). To this end, he revealed, the corporation is currently in the process of recruiting fresh talent in the three designated fields.
Quoted in the statement he said:
We are committed to integrating 4.0 technologies on a wider scale. IoT, AI, blockchain and others are to increase the efficiency of manufacturing process.
Russia has recently adopted a positive position on blockchain technology, with several state institutions like the nationwide Russian state pension fund announcing their intentions to implement blockchain technology at several points during the course of 2018.
A month ago, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs collaborated with the country’s Duma to create a new bill for regulating cryptocurrencies which could serve as a legal basis for the operation and oversight of the country’s blockchain sector. Despite the optimism this move generated, many were left disappointed when the draft bill seemed to back off from explicitly providing legal backing for cryptocurrencies.
Military and Economic Application of Blockchain Technology in Russia
Last month, CryptoGlobe reported that a Russian military research lab was created in June with the mission of exploring how blockchain technology can be leveraged to detect and prevent future attacks. The Russian Defense Ministry was also reportedly set to begin implementing blockchain technology in line with the integration of Russian cryptographic algorithms into international standards.
In August, CryptoGlobe also reported that Russian lawmaker Vladimir Gutenev suggested the adoption of a gold-backed cryptocurrency for international arms sale transactions by the Russian government so as to circumvent US sanctions aimed at preventing the sales of Russian weapons and goods in general.
