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August 03, 2021
Bionic arms and blue-eyed bots: How Russia aims to nurture a tech hub in its Far East
Source: The Washington Post
Journalist Isabelle Khurshudyan
To see Russia’s ambitions for its own version of Silicon Valley, head about 5,600 miles east of Moscow, snake through Vladivostok’s hills and then cross a bridge from the mainland to Russky Island. It’s here — a beachhead on the Pacific Rim — that the Kremlin hopes to create a hub for robotics and artificial intelligence innovation with the goal of boosting Russia’s ability to compete with the United States and Asia.
A new name for the area has already been suggested: “Cyborg Island.”
“We have a dream,” said Artur Biktimirov, a neurosurgeon partnered with high-tech prosthetics developer Motorica, which has some operations on Russky Island and plans to expand its presence. Biktimirov hopes Motorica is the first in a tech boom there.
Read the full story and more from The Washington Post.