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A Bradford industrial design group has landed a million pound deal to exploit the “vast array” of commercial opportunities within Russia’s medical sector.

Arkham Products has been appointed “development partner” with a Moscow-based state concern representing the country’s medical research establishment.

The deal with the Scientific Research Institute for Technological Problems “is expected to be worth in excess of 1m to Arkham by the year 2000”, says group marketing manager Chris Wood.

The contract came through a contact and there was no pitch for the project.

“Arkham was in the right place at the right time,” says industrial designer Dan Pascall.

“We will use new Russian advanced technology to improve existing [medical and military] products and make them cheaper,” Pascall adds.

Professor Anatoly Gvozdetsky, head of Russia’s ministry for health and sports, acknowledged the need for good design to develop world-class technology and science, but says: “We do not have the products. Therefore Arkham is becoming an integral part of the solution.”

There are already 15 medical and military products ripe for development, says Pascall, including an electronic tablet and a set of advanced step ladders.