The Skoltech AI Center has become one of the winners in the third-wave competitive selection of AI research centers conducted by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development. The competition is part of the Artificial Intelligence federal project of the Data Economics national project and is supervised by the Strategic Agency for Supporting and Shaping AI Developments.

The program will provide each winner with about 300.963 million rubles in 2025 and 375.338 million rubles in 2026, while the industrial partners will annually co-finance at least 30% of the budget. The main focus will be on fundamental and generative models, elements of strong AI, multi-agent systems, and other priority areas identified during the previous foresight session and important for accelerating the technological sovereignty of the country.

After signing an agreement with the Ministry of Economic Development, the center will begin implementing the Engineering Artificial Intelligence program with the multi-agent engineering AI system (MAS AI) at its core — a library of intelligent agents managed by AI, covering the entire cycle of engineering work, from data retrieval to generation and verification of CAD documentation. In 2025, the the team will develop the basic architecture of MAC AI, pilot automatic code correction together with an industrial partner, study hybrid physically informed models and methods for reducing hallucinations of large language models, and put into operation a new HPC cluster. The center will also launch professional training programs in generative AI.

A prototype of the MAS AI system — equipped with modules for generating and validating CAD drawings — is set to debut in 2026. Industry pilots in the oil and gas sector will also conclude that year. Early estimates suggest that adopting MAS AI could cut software testing time by up to 50% and reduce design costs by as much as 30%.

“Government support under the third wave gives us the momentum to move quickly from fundamental research to industrial AI solutions,” said Skoltech President Alexander Kuleshov. “Our aim is to develop reliable, explainable AI technologies that strengthen the competitiveness of Russian industry.”

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko noted that both President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin have called for a stronger emphasis on foundational AI research, along with the integration of AI across other fields.

“Investments in AI research centers are already delivering results,” he said. “The first wave focused on strong, trustworthy, and ethical AI. The second wave targeted applied research in healthcare, transportation, industry, and smart cities. These centers now account for nearly half of all AI research output in Russia. President Putin has set a target of publishing at least 450 papers at top-tier global A* conferences by 2030. We’re seeing real progress, which is why the government is continuing to back these programs.”

The Strategic Agency for Supporting and Shaping AI Developments, a project office established at the Skolkovo Foundation, is managing the third-wave research center program and providing ongoing support.

“In 2025, the agency coordinated the third wave of competitive selection for AI research centers,” said Agency Director Tatyana Soyuznova. “Each of the seven selected teams will receive 676 million rubles over two years to pursue research in strong, trustworthy, multi-agent AI. The agency will focus on supporting these centers in meeting their scientific and commercial goals. Their work will help lay the foundation for Russia’s AI capabilities and attract the country’s top minds to the field.”

About the Skoltech AI Center

The Skoltech AI Center is home to more than 300 researchers, engineers, and graduate students working at the intersection of theoretical and applied AI. Its mission is to develop platform-ready solutions for industry, energy, transportation, and sustainability using advanced mathematical techniques, such as novel reasoning and planning methods, tools to fine-tune generative models and reduce hallucinations, domain-adaptive data generators, hybrid modeling, generative manifold modeling, and 3D computer vision.

The center leads Russia in the number of publications at A* conferences and in journals tracked by the Nature Index. Its algorithms are already in use by major companies. The center also runs graduate and doctoral programs, continuing education courses in AI and robotics, and the international SMILES Summer School on machine learning.