In Russia, Virtual Pharma Plants Are Training the Next Generation of Scientists

At SPIEF 2025, Russian educators unveiled a bold new chapter in pharmaceutical education—one where virtual reality and artificial intelligence power the labs, not just the textbooks

With real-world production facilities often off-limits to students, digital “twins” of pharmaceutical factories are becoming a vital training ground.

Speaking at the forum, Roman Kalinin, rector of Ryazan State Medical University, explained that specialized pharma sites rarely accommodate large student groups. VR simulators and AI-driven platforms now bridge that gap, letting students interact with lifelike production environments—no lab coat required.

“Virtual training labs and AI simulations are helping us close the skills gap and even train ahead of demand,” Kalinin said. He also emphasized the larger strategy: “Russia is placing a strategic bet on technological sovereignty in pharma. Building digital education infrastructure is a critical step toward global competitiveness.”

The implications extend beyond pharmaceuticals. Officials are eyeing similar digital solutions for high-tech fields like chemical engineering, biotech, and advanced manufacturing—where access to real equipment is limited, but virtual fidelity is increasingly limitless.