Machines Building Machines: Bauman University Launches Industrial Robotics Center

Mission Possible

The new center at Bauman Moscow State Technical University (BMSTU) was created with a clear mission: to train specialists, conduct research, and implement solutions in industrial robotics and automation. These three pillars are expected to support the future of Russia’s manufacturing industry. Oleg Bolgarchuk, Director of the Industrial Robotics Development Center, believes such integrated platforms act as catalysts for technological breakthroughs:

“The new unit will become an important element of our strategy to prepare highly qualified professionals and advance domestic technologies. This is about laying the foundation for technological independence—not just training, but developing solutions that can already be applied in Russian factories.”

A Magnet for Talent

From a national strategy perspective, the initiative carries enormous potential. First, it strengthens technological independence at a time when Russia has long relied on imported automation solutions. Now, the country has an opportunity to develop competitive technologies for both the domestic and, eventually, international markets.

Second, the center will serve as a magnet for talent. It creates career pathways for young engineers, offering opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects and making the robotics profession more attractive.

There is a national university development program, Priority-2030, which our university has been part of since 2021. Its goal is to strengthen universities, including by enabling them to create products and technologies based on academic research that have practical applications for key industries of our economy. These outcomes can later be commercialized, with private companies becoming customers

Kirill Evseev

Doctor of Technical Sciences and Head of the “Wheeled Machines” Department at BMSTU

The center could evolve into an innovation lab where scalable solutions emerge and are deployed across industries such as machine building, metallurgy, transport, and logistics—all sectors that urgently need automation.

Building a Network of Centers

Bauman’s initiative is not the first of its kind. In 2024, a similar Industrial Robotics Development Center was launched at Innopolis University. As part of the federal project “Development of Industrial Robotics and Production Automation,” these centers are building a unified network of developers, engineers, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, researchers, and future specialists.

Another example is South Ural State University, which is opening a robotics center funded by a government grant. Overall, 1.1 billion rubles (about $12 million) has been allocated to universities and enterprises for robotics research and development.

Yet the projects also face risks: high costs of equipment, infrastructure, and staffing, as well as the need for teams with both theoretical knowledge and hands-on expertise. Resistance from traditional industries and the constant demand for state support remain major challenges. Still, if these barriers—financial, organizational, and institutional—can be overcome, BMSTU’s center could become the locomotive of robotics development in the Moscow region and a model for other universities and regions.

Staying on Track

In the coming years, BMSTU’s robotics center will focus on building a strong team, purchasing equipment, and launching its first research and education projects. These steps form the foundation for long-term development. The next stage will involve cooperation with industry partners and joint projects. Importantly, both hardware and software solutions developed at the center may eventually be exported.

If the plan succeeds, the center will become not only a hub of expertise but also a hub of the future—where technologies that transform the country’s industrial landscape are born.