From microwave technologies to microwave photonics: R&D Institute of Applied Electrodynamics, Photonics and Living Systems celebrates 35th anniversary

On April 1, 1988, an order of the Kazan Aviation Institute (KAI) was issued on the appointment of the Head of the Branch R&D Laboratory of the USSR Ministry of Radio Industry (ONIL-MRP) and the creation of its scientific and technical council to carry out the scientific program approved by the USSR Council of Ministers, on the basis of a joint order of the Ministry of Radio Industry and Ministry of Higher Education. ONIL-MRP became the first self-supporting subdivision in KAI. In connection with the effective development and significant results achieved in the field of electronic and microwave technologies in technical and living systems, in 1994 ONIL-MRP was renamed the R&D Center for Applied Electrodynamics (NIC-PRE) with the rights of a legal entity. After inclusion in the research program of the center of photonics directions, as interdisciplinary, NIC-PRE was restructured into the R&D Institute of Applied Electrodynamics, Photonics and Living Systems (NII-PREFZHS) using the potentials of photonics, biophotonics and microwave photonics for its further development. Considering the voluminous bibliography devoted to the developments of ONIL-MRP/NIC-PRE/NII-PREFZHS, the authors decided to focus on the “pillar” areas of research, which confirm both the correctness of the initially chosen directions for the development of the NII-PREFZHS, and the significance of its developments from the first years of its creation to today.