7 ulitsa Promyshlennaya, St. Petersburg 198095, Russia Phone: (812)186-04-01,186-04-25,186-04-29 Telex: 121-450 RITM Fax: (812)186-04-59The State Research Center of the Russian Federation -- Central Research Institute of Shipbuilding Technology (CRIST - Russian acronym TsNII SM, the TsKB follow-on) is one of the most prominent scientific institutions of St.Petersburg, the leading technological center of shipbuilding industry in Russia. Total employment was 2,000 as of December 1995. It develops advanced materials and production technology, including production equipment, for ships and submarines. The Institute was formerly part of the RITM Scientific Production Association, a Research and Production Association comprising Proletarsky Zavod and the Central Research Institute for Ship Machine-building established in 1970. It is interested in developing new projects in software, specialized lighting, automation, vibration reduction and noise abatement areas.
During over 60 years of its history the CRIST went through several successive stages of development connected with solution of scientific and engineering problems of shipbuilding. The Institute has made an important contribution into fulfilment of the state naval shipbuilding programs, in the establishment of the industrial base for construction of warships and vessels of all types and classes, including nuclear-powered ships. The designs and developments of the Institute have allowed to build up the research and engineering potential for integrated mechanization and automation of technological processes in shipbuilding, for equipment of shipbuilding production facilities on the basis of most advanced and resource-saving technologies. During the above period it has been developed, manufactured and introduced at shipyards more than 20,000 models of various equipment, instruments and tools; some new models were exported to other countries. Alongside with changes in main directions of the technological process in shipbuilding the forms and methods of research were elaborated, the experimental facilities of the Institute, its structure and production capabilities were improved.