International Science and Technology Center

The International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) is an international organization established by an international agreement in November 1992 as a program to prevent nuclear proliferation and the proliferation of other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by giving Russian and Newly Independent States (NIS) scientists and engineers with knowledge and skills of WMD or missile delivery systems, opportunities to redirect their talents to peaceful activities such as fundamental research, international programs and innovation and commercialization.

The ISTC supports innovative projects that are expected to create business opportunities by launching new commercial joint ventures that link the demands of international markets with the highly qualified scientific talent pool available in Russian and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) institutes.

The ISTC is a non-profit organization with a sister organisation called the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU).

The Funding Parties to the ISTC are Canada, the United States, the European Union, Japan, Norway and South Korea. The Recipient Parties are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan.

ISTC activities fall in two broad categories: Research Projects, which employ former weapons scientists (FWS) in the development of new science and technology (S&T), and supplemental programs, which include workshops and other events to integrate FWS in the global S&T and industrial communities, training, and commercialization support initiatives.

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