OREANDA-NEWS. January 29, 2010. Russian Railways and the Russian Technologies State Corporation signed an agreement on cooperation. The document was signed by RZD President Vladimir Yakunin and the general director of Russian Technologies, Sergei Chemezov, reported the press-centre of RZD.

The aim of the agreement is to coordinate the activities of RZD and Russian Technologies in introducing innovative developments and technology to railway transportation, improving technical equipment levels for railway facilities and in transport-logistics technology, and coordinating the supply of high-tech products by Russian Technologies for use by RZD.

The parties plan to work jointly on the following main areas: - creating conditions for improving the RZD technical base, through introducing developments and products of Russian Technologies’ organizations; - developing innovative, energy efficient, energy-saving, and environmentally clean technologies, and creating the conditions for their broad application in the construction, reconstruction and use of rail transport facilities; - drawing up proposals for developing and improving transport-logistical technologies. The agreement sets out more than 30 areas of joint innovation activity between Russian Technologies and RZD.

These are divided into seven groups: the system for managing transport processes and logistics; infrastructure development; modernization and development of rolling stock; the system for managing and the ensuring the security of trains; improving the reliability and increasing the operation life of equipment; high-speed transportation; and improving the cost effectiveness of core activities.

Commenting on the signing of the agreement, RZD President Vladimir Yakunin said: "In view of the government goals for modernizing rail transportation, the company places huge importance on innovative development. The ideology of innovative breakthroughs is one of the basic principles for the future development of RZD. Our cooperation with Russian Technologies will allow us to successfully attain our goals for improving rolling stock, raising the efficiency and safety of transport management, along with other areas of innovative activity."

Commenting on the signed agreement, the general director of Russian Technologies, Sergei Chemezov, said: "Our cooperation in innovative activities will enable the system for managing transport processes to be modernized, and ensure the safety of train transport, while also improving transport logistics. Therefore, priority tasks are to improve the economic efficiency of RZD’s core activities, and develop new structural materials for high-speed rail infrastructure. Cooperation with RZD will provide a good platform for state corporation’s future development.