Vladimir Putin thanked everyone involved in creating the Siberian Circular Photon Source (SKIF). As the head of state noted, the creation of SKIF provides a further impetus for the development of education, science, and sectors of production and the economy in Russia that will be linked to the results of such megascience facilities. “I thank those who directly participated in the creation of SKIF. This is not the beginning of work in this mode, in this capacity, and at this scale — it is a continuation of what was done by our predecessors, back in Soviet times, and then by us in previous years,” Vladimir Putin emphasized. Located in the science town of Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, the facility comprises 34 buildings with a total area of nearly 87,000 square meters on a 30-hectare site. The fourth-generation-plus synchrotron is a universal research instrument — essentially a giant microscope. It generates radiation that allows scientists to “look inside” any object — living or non-living — at the atomic level without destroying it. Ultimately, research at SKIF will accelerate the development of new medicines, new materials, and new technologies. The first experiments are planned for autumn 2026. The head of state also toured the infrastructure of the new campus and the work of the Specialized Educational and Scientific Center of Novosibirsk State University (SUNTS NSU), speaking with students and young researchers — underscoring the federal center’s particular attention to the nation’s scientific and educational potential. As Governor Andrey Travnikov noted, for Novosibirsk Region the NSU campus and SKIF are elements of the large-scale “Academic Town 2.0” program. Within this framework, the region is actively supporting the development of research and innovation infrastructure — in particular, construction of the second phase of the Akadempark technopark, primarily in demand by students and graduates, will be completed next year. Also in Novosibirsk, a meeting of the Council for Science and Education was held, where Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko noted that artificial intelligence technologies are planned to be integrated into the operation of scientific megafacilities. The SKIF Shared-Use Center was proposed as the first site for this. The AI model to be used should be implemented within the federal scientific and technical program for synchrotron and neutron research. Russia has launched a pilot project “AI in Science” across nine priority areas of national projects for technological leadership. For successful scientific work, it is important to raise the level of proficiency in artificial intelligence technologies.