GELENDZHIK /Krasnodar Region/, October 8. /TASS/. Bio-ecological settlements, due to be developed in a number of Russian territories, may be based on a network of Arctic integrated emergency rescue centers of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations that already cover the Arctic regions, Acting Head of the Research Institute for Advanced Research and Innovative Life Safety Technologies at the Ministry of Emergency Situations' St. Petersburg University Sergey Ivakhnyuk told the 3rd International Bioprom Forum.

"We propose to eye bio-settlements not just as autonomous residential clusters, but rather as key elements of a risk management system and an integral part of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry's infrastructure," he said. "This system may be based on the existing network of Arctic integrated emergency rescue centers, which already covers key logistics routes and most important territories of the Arctic Zone. Bio-settlements will act as a risk management framework."

In order to implement this approach, it is necessary to move forward from separate centers to their distributed network as outposts, he continued.

"This is a modular, autonomous solution that, first of all, ensures the settlement's safety, while it is located in the transport accessibility zone off the central hub, serves as its outpost and an additional base for deploying forces and assets in a remote area," he said.

The ministry's reference point in a bio-settlement will become not just a station on duty, but will act as a training ground in Arctic conditions, thus specialists will be able to train personnel right on the spot. Additionally, such a system offers an option to develop the institute of volunteers, involving local residents, and to carry out scientific research.

The project was supported by Mikhail Kovalchuk, President of the Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, who noted it was quite promising given the Northern Sea Route development. However, he suggested to eye the existing settlements along the Northern Sea Route, many of which are currently abandoned. They could be developed to create outposts, since they still have infrastructures. In his opinion, it would be easier to restore such settlements and create bio-ecological settlements on their basis.

The 3rd International Bioprom Forum ran in the Krasnodar Region's Gelendzhik on October 5-6. About 100 companies presented their achievements in biotechnology at the exhibition space of 7,500 square meters.