Rustam Minnikhanov welcomes participants of the second stage of the First unified championship in unmanned technologies for the Cup of the Rais of Tatarstan

On August 28, in the village of Karaishevo Laishevsky region of the republic, the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov together with the President of the Academy of Sciences of Tatarstan Rifkat Minnikhanov and the Head of Laishevsky region Ildus Zaripov took part in the opening ceremony of the second stage of the First unified championship in unmanned technologies for the Cup of the Rais of Tatarstan.

The First unified championship in unmanned technologies for the Cup of the Rais of Tatarstan is held in the format of the "Three Elements" League and brings together modern technological and engineering disciplines. These include drone racing, aircraft model sport, radio-controlled yacht racing and a marathon of ground-based robotic systems.

Welcoming the championship participants, Rustam Minnikhanov emphasized that unmanned and autonomous technologies are developing rapidly today and are finding applications in various spheres of life.

"This area holds special significance for Tatarstan. The republic is consistently building a full-fledged ecosystem for unmanned and autonomous systems. Over 50 enterprises are already operating in this area," he said. He also expressed gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Government of the country for their support.

Under the national project for technological leadership "Unmanned Aircraft Systems," a research and production center for UAS has been established on the basis of Kazan National Research Technical University named after A. N. Tupolev – KAI.

According to the Rais of the republic, it is important to start with training young people. Today, specialized classes in unmanned systems have been created in 18 Tatarstan schools with around 2,000 schoolchildren studying in them. There are also 26 aircraft modeling clubs operating. Six vocational educational institutions offer programmes on the operation of unmanned aircraft systems. Modules on unmanned aircraft systems have been incorporated into the curricula of the republic's leading universities.

Such competitions are being held in our country for the first time, Minnikhanov said.

"Tatarstan possesses everything necessary to become one of the leading centers for the development of unmanned and autonomous technologies in Russia. I am confident that such competitions help us find talented young people, support their initiatives and shape a new generation of engineers," Minnikhanov added.

"Our task is to create opportunities for talented youth to implement their ideas right here in Tatarstan. That is precisely why this championship is much more than a sporting event. It brings together technology, engineering creativity and the aspiration of young people to create something new," he concluded.

Then, Minnikhanov looked around the competition venues and spoke with the participants. An exhibition of domestic developments in the area of unmanned technologies was also presented there, featuring industrial and training UAVs, ground-based robotic platforms, developments in aquatic unmanned systems and components.