Russia and China will launch the joint mass production of mass spectrometers based on femtosecond lasers by the end of the year, the president of the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Aleksander Kuleshov, announced.
Speaking in an exclusive commentary at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2025, Kuleshov explained the division of labour in the project. The Russian side is responsible for the spectrometer itself, while the Chinese side is responsible for the femtosecond laser.
A mass spectrometer is a device for analysing the composition of substances at a molecular level, allowing for a precise determination of which elements or compounds are in a sample. A femtosecond laser is a source of ultra-short laser pulses that provides high accuracy in measurements.
Kuleshov emphasised that the project is being implemented through real technological cooperation with several Chinese universities, not just at the level of memorandums.
“This will be truly mass and, most importantly, inexpensive spectrometry,” Kuleshov said at the TV BRICS studio in the Roscongress International Cooperation Area.
He noted that despite a popular belief that mass spectrometers are exclusively scientific equipment, they are in fact widely used for applications including product quality control.
Kuleshov also emphasised that joint initiatives within BRICS give Russia access to a wider market.
