Scientific Life Magazine: interview with the Regional Director of TerraGroupLabs

2.2k · October 18, 2016

INTERVIEW FROM THE SCIENTIFIC LIFE MAGAZINE

On the occasion of establishment in Tarkov of the Russian Regional Office of TerraGroupLabs, our magazine has interviewed the Regional Director of the company, Evgeny Anatolievich Kovtun.

SL: Hello, Evgeny Anatolievich. Thank you for consenting to this interview. To begin with, could you please tell about TerraGroupLabs in more detail?

EK: Hello. Yes, surely. TerraGroupLabs is a research company. We are engaged in a wide range of research and experimental works. But that is not the most important thing, because among other activities we profoundly engage in the practice of issuing grants to groups of independent researchers, discover and support promising projects.

SL: And what incentivized such a distinguished in the scientific community company to open its office exactly in Tarkov?

EK: Well, first of all - in Russia. I think the readers of your magazine do not need another explanation of the scientific potential of the country, so there is nothing surprising about this. Tarkov was chosen exclusively because of its special economic zone and the benefits associated with it.

SL: How do you feel about the fact that your company's “foreign agent" status can cause some doubts regarding the purity of its intentions in development of the Russian science?

EK: What do you mean?

SL: You could be suspected in talent poaching and foreign enticement of the promising projects.

EK: It's just an empty talk. Seeing an enemy in every foreign company leads to isolation from any investments. Of course, we not only scientific, but also a commercial organization, and we expect an adequate return on investments, but it doesn't matter whether we get it in Russia or in the United States. Idea is a unique product, it does not disappear from sharing.

SL: In case of sharing. And if not?

EK: And again, I don't understand you...

SL: Oh well, lets put this extensive topic aside. Could you explain the grant application and awarding procedure? Who makes the decisions?

EK: There is a Special Commission, consisting of multiple stages, starting with regional level and, in the case of special status or special financing, all the way to the headquarters.

SL: Is the choice of candidates by the Commission guided by exclusively scientific interests, or, as mentioned above, financial as well?

EK: Purely scientific, but potentially profitable in the long term.

SL: However, it is known that among those who received grants from TerraGroupLabs there are such people as Rector of the Tarkov University, head executives of some major businesses and even a Deputy Minister. Can you please comment on this? Are those scientific or financial interests of your company?

EK: Our activities are legal, transparent and focus exclusively on the development and promotion of science in the country - and that's all I’d like to tell you. And now, my apologies...

Unfortunately, Evgeniy Anatolevich appealed to busy schedule and interrupted the interview, leaving the questions we would like to ask unanswered. The conclusions are yours to make, dear readers. This is the way of science.

October 19, 2016

If you don't care about the story, view it like that. I find these interesting though. They let you piece together what happened in Tarkov that caused it to be evacuated, beyond any knowledge already guessed, gleamed, or gained from Contract Wars