A joint meeting between the presidium of the Russian Academy of Science and the management of Norilsk Nickel took place in Moscow on December 9, 2002. At the meeting a concrete Integrated Programme was signed concerning exploratory work, scientific research and experimental development in the field of hydrogen energy and fuel cells. The Integrated Programme was signed by the president of the Academy of Science, academician Yuri Osipov, and the general director and chairman of the Management Board of MMC Norilsk Nickel, Mikhail Prokhorov.

"This is the biggest national project undertaken between the Russian Academy of Science and representatives of the Russian business community", said the president of the Academy of Science, Yuri Osipov. "This kind of cooperation will do much for the overall development of the sciences in Russia and the economy in general."

In the words of M. Prokhorov, "Working together with the Russian Academy of Science in the area of hydrogen energy and fuel cells presents a unique opportunity for our country to once again be counted among the leading economically developed world powers."

The joint meeting approved the formation of a working group responsible for the realisation of the Programme. This group will be charged with the task of preparing a proposal on research and development in the area of hydrogen energy production during the first quarter of 2004. On completion, this proposal will be presented to the Russian Presidential Council of Science and Advanced Technology.

Work on the Integrated Programme will be carried out in accordance with the General Agreement on cooperation between the Russian Academy of Science and Norilsk Nickel in the field of hydrogen energy and fuel cells, which was signed on November 10, 2003. This is the first major agreement between the Academy of Science and one of the largest industrial concerns in Russia.

The main aims of this cooperation are the development, financing and completion of high - priority high - technology projects and the provision of equipment and materials in the area of hydrogen energy production and fuel cells that are competitively priced and which will obviate the need for imports.

The agreement proposes the organisation of cooperation between academic institutes and industrial concerns in the production of competitively - priced power installations that utilise palladium and platinum group metals produced by Norilsk Nickel.