On December 2, on the basis of the MEPHIUS Full-cycle Microelectronics Design Center in the Scientific Laboratory Building of MEPhI, a joint educational and applied laboratory was opened with SMART technologies, a leading Russian IT integrator and software developer.

 The laboratory's work will include three main tracks – educational, applied, as well as holding events. The educational track provides for the preparation and implementation of new courses in DevOps, development of cloud platforms, virtualization systems, etc., including the conduct of laboratory work by students and the protection of graduation papers. Within the framework of the applied track – conducting research on AI, analyzing the security of joint solutions being developed, developing monitoring packages, etc. The events include lectures and seminars on applied areas (DevOps, virtualization, etc.), joint training courses, hackathons.

 Ivan Bantsov, Director of the Department of Integrated Projects of SMART technologies, thanked the management of MEPhI for the opportunity to create a laboratory: "Once upon a time, MEPhI, having given a high start, launched into orbit, let's say modestly, good graduates. And now it's time to share the information that we gathered in orbit. We will be happy to share our experience with current students. Thank you to our university for this opportunity!"

"For my part, I also want to thank you! I am very glad that the project will now begin to fill up with people, and next door you also have the laboratories of Grintatom and Digitum, so I hope for interaction and integration in a broad sense!", – The rector of the MEPhI National Research University, Vladimir Shevchenko, noted.Vladislav Samoilov, Director of the MEPHIUS Design Center, noted that the laboratory will become a center of innovation, focusing its efforts on developing solutions in the field of artificial intelligence and platform technologies, including training highly qualified IT personnel.

In the opening ceremony of the laboratory, Marina Stupnikova, Director of the NRU MEPhI Endowment Fund, announced that graduates who are part of the management of SMART technologies have formed a Target capital for the development of the MEPHIUS Full-cycle Microelectronics Development Center. The income from the endowment capital will be directed, among other things, to laboratory projects with the participation of MEPhI students. The selection of projects will be carried out by the Endowment Fund Board of Trustees, which includes graduates who have made large donations – Anton Efremov, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Oleg Kot, member of the Board of Directors of SMART technologies.

"Endowment capital is an excellent tool for recording long-term intentions for cooperation between our company and MEPhI. It seems to us important to prepare students in practice on real business tasks, but in such a way that it is organically integrated into the educational process. The laboratory site and the financial mechanism in the form of endowment capital create a stable foundation for these purposes," Oleg Kot commented on the initiative.

Mephius is a full–cycle microelectronics design center based at MEPhI.