Russia and China to launch joint production of mass spectrometers

By the end of the year Russia and China will start joint mass production of mass spectrometers on femtosecond lasers. This was announced by Aleksander Kuleshov, President of the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, in an exclusive commentary at the TV BRICS studio in the Roscongress International Cooperation Area at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum ( SPIEF) 2025.

A mass spectrometer is a device for analysing the composition of substances at the molecular level, which makes it possible to determine precisely which elements or compounds are included in a sample. Femtosecond laser is a source of ultra-short laser pulses, which provides high accuracy in measurements.

According to Aleksander Kuleshov, the Russian side is responsible for the spectrometer itself, while the Chinese side is responsible for the femtosecond laser. He emphasised that the project is being implemented not at the level of memorandums, but in the course of real technological cooperation with several Chinese universities.

"This will be truly mass and, most importantly, inexpensive spectrometry," Kuleshov said.

He noted that despite the popular belief that mass spectrometers are exclusively scientific equipment, in fact they are widely used, including for product quality control.

Aleksander Kuleshov also emphasised that joint initiatives in BRICS give Russia access to a wider market.