Year
2001
Abstract
The NCI project objective is to establish a self-supporting company in Snezhinsk that will market equipment and provide support services for bar coding and other automated-identification technologies. Target customers are Ural-Siberian nuclear and non-nuclear industrial and trade facilities. The project involves personnel from the All-Russian Research Institute of Technical Physics (VNIITF), who have used bar code technology and recognize the commercial advantages of this technology and the need for Russified bar code equipment, software, and documentation. The city of Snezhinsk signed a general agreement with Oak Ridge on January 25, 2000, and this agreement covers work to be funded by the Nuclear Cities Initiative (NCI) or the Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention (IPP). Snezhinsk also signed its first NCI contract on February 28, 2000. This initial contract, titled “Bar Coding Technology Business Development,” included tasks to establish a business enterprise with product repair and customer support operations and to make plans for product Russification. Snezhinsk officially registered the new company, called Identification Technologies Company (ITEC), and recommended Mr. Gennady S. Tsygankov for the position of General Director. The city also recommended four other VNIITF employees for key positions in ITEC. During 2000, several U.S. companies, including Recognition Systems, Hirsh Electronics, Telesis, InfoSight, and the Intermec Corporation, have either signed a distributor agreement or have expressed interest in developing sound business relationships with ITEC for mutual benefit and prosperity. With a permanent office established in Snezhinsk, ITEC has acquired appropriate Russian licensing that enables the company to offer expert services for the design and programming of Material Control and Accountability (MC&A) systems and the design and installation of physical protection equipment at Russian nuclear facilities. ITEC can accept purchase orders or contracts from either domestic Russian customers or U.S. government laboratories. Project teams for the Krasnoyarsk Electrochemical Plant (ECP) in Zelenogorsk, the Urals Electrochemical Integrated Plant (UEIP) in Novouralsk, and the Mayak Production Plant already have contacted ITEC regarding immediate projects. The Company’s plans include the Russian conversion of western equipment and training from western suppliers for technical support and product sales. ITEC will continue to attract experienced personnel from VNIITF to support new company activities. Long-term plans include the possible assembly of hand geometry readers, mantrap booths, and Russified bar code equipment in Snezhinsk, using personnel attracted from VNIITF.