On 2 September 2014, Kazan hosted the opening ceremony of the 1st All-Russia Engineering Festival.
The event was attended by Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Education and Science Aleksandr Povalko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany in Russia Rudiger von Fritsch, Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin, Tatarstan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Ravil Zaripov, Tatarstan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Science Engel Fattakhov, Dean of the Ilmenau University of Technology Peter Scharff, Dean of Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg Jens Strackeljan, Dean of Kazan National Research Technical University Albert Gilmutdinov, Director of the Federal Nuclear Centre Valentin Kostykov, and State Secretary and Deputy Head of Roscosmos Denis Lyskov.