Georgia and global technology organizations launch a large-scale project in technology
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, October 12
The government of Georgia, along with global technological organizations have started a project which aims to set up a scientific and educational centre of modern technologies in Georgia.
The Georgian side will cooperate with the establishment and development of the European organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the Italian National Centre of Oncological Hadrontherapy (CNAO) and the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN).
The exact date of the project's implementation and the location of the Institute are not known at this time; however, the budget of the project is estimated to be roughly ˆ500 million, which will be provided by the Cartu Charity Foundation - a charity fund established and financed by the former Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The details of the project became publicized after the Georgian government met with the members of the commission and experts involved in the project; the meeting was also attended by Mr Ivanishvili.
“I want to thank all the guests for coming to Georgia. They are great specialists. I hope that with their help we will be able to carry out this project. The Georgian side will do its best to use all the opportunities for setting up a scientific and educational centre of modern technologies”, he said.
An official document of cooperation was signed by the Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili, as well as the representatives of the scientific organizations.
“The Georgian side will be actively involved in the implementation of the project, which includes the establishment of a research centre in Georgia, as well as the establishment of the Institute too. These two projects will cost ˆ500 million, which will be fully financed by Bidzina Ivanishvili,” Garibashvili said.
The PM also noted that after the project is carried out, Georgia will be the fifth country in the world to have a science and education centre of this type.
“This project gives us the opportunity to implement new methods of fighting against cancer and increasing the number of specialists in this field,” said the Minister of Health, Davit Sergeenko after the meeting.
The initiative has already been submitted to Parliament for consideration.
The opposition is sceptical about the project; they believe that it is utopian in nature.
The members of the opposition party, United National Movement (UNM), think that the project is very vague and unrealistic. They have already dubbed it “a new dream”.
“This new Institute is not subordinated to any Institution and it is unclear who will choose the scientists for it and according to what criteria,” UNM member Sergo Ratiani stated.
According to analyst Roman Gotsiridze, the project is an illusion and a fairy tale and excludes the fact that ˆ500 million be invested in it.
