Within the ISTC, the Partner and Sustainability Department is responsible for all organizations, which could benefit from the services that ISTC has to offer, and which would consider funding the development of projects involving former WMD scientists, as well as for developing and disseminating programs that create market-based and economically sustainable employment opportunities for Russian and CIS scientists previously engaged in weapons-based technological development.

By the close of 2004, the ISTC had 242 registered partners and had 502 partner projects proposed. Of these, 486 projects have thus far received board approval and were funded and active by the close of the year. Partner funding since the Department began operation now exceeds $190 million. The new commercialization group within the Department concluded 5 commercialization agreements by the close of 2004, which has created in excess of 300 sustainable jobs for ISTC beneficiaries.

Russian machine building plant Molniya was awarded a prize for most exceptional contribution to construction of the ATLAS spectrometer project, for excellence in the construction of 29 modules for the Hadronic End-Cap Calorimeter of ATLAS.

The modules were constructed in the framework of an ISTC project funded by The European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) through the ISTC Partner Projects program. The Molniya machine building plant, a former weapons manufacturer located near Moscow, constructed a total of 29 modules for the LAr Hadronic End- Cap Calorimeter (HEC) of ATLAS. Thirteen modules have already been integrated into the four wheels of the detector, with the remaining 16 calibration modules designed for the ATLAS beam tests.

To manufacture the unique copper plates and module structures required, the company set up a dedicated production process and developed stringent quality control criteria. The task was completed on time, within budget, and the completed modules surpassed required quality standards.

Spokesperson for the ATLAS project Peter Jenni emphasized the value of high-quality components to the ATLAS project in his presentation of the award to the project team at Molynia. "For physicists it is gratifying

to see that all the pieces of the detector are coming together now from all over the world, we are closer to realizing our dream. This achievement would not have been possible without the right industrial partners and with Molniya we were happy to have such a partner". Acknowledging the ISTC contribution made to the project, Mr. Jenni presented a second award to ISTC Proposal Group Leader Elena Ryabeva, who added "Molniya is one of the excellent ISTC projects; a former weapons cooperation turned to a peaceful task using high scientific knowledge".

The importance of such international cooperation and joint ventures was stressed by all in attendance at the award ceremony. In his speech, Juan Antonio Rubio, Head of Education and Technology Transfer at CERN, commented that "as many as 40% of companies holding a high technology contract with CERN have reported technological and market learning and other benefits. A new market product has been developed on average from each contract with CERN. This is an example of technology transfer (TT) through procurement, a classical TT channel. With Molniya the technological benefits have already happened and I'm sure others will follow".