Igor Ashurbeyli, one of the most reputed representatives of the Russian defense industry, reached the age of 50.

Igor Raufovich was born on September 9, 1963, in Baku. In 1980, he graduated summa cum laude from secondary magnet school N27 where a number of subjects were taught in English. In 1985, he obtained his first degree in "Systems Engineering" from the Faculty of Automated Control Systems, within the Department of Automation of Production Processes, in the Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry.

In 1988, while pursuing full-time postgraduate studies, he created and headed Cooperative Coordination and Production Enterprise “Socium” in Baku which was developing special software, computer competence training, computer equipment sales and consulting services. This sphere was not very profitable then.

In 1990, the scientist and entrepreneur moved to Moscow, where he founded and headed the All-Union Scientific Production Association “Socium” affiliated to the Union of Consumer’s Cooperatives Enterprises under the USSR Central Union of Consumer’s Cooperatives. “Socium” was engaged in developing, producing and marketing information databases.

In 1991, in cooperation with SPA “Almaz” and a number of other well-known public and private organizations, Ashurbeyli co-founded and headed OJSC “International Bureau of Information and Telecommunications”, engaged in design, manufacture and distribution of a wide range of information and telecommunication products.

         In 1992, he received his PhD (from the USSR State Commission for Academic Degree and Titles). The subject of the dissertation was “Problems of building non-centralized systems of automatic process control”. In 1994, he moved to a permanent position in SPA “Almaz”, where he successively held the posts of Deputy General Manager, Finance Director, First Deputy Director General, and Chairman of the Board of Directors.

In 2000, upon the written recommendation of B.V. Bulkin, the Designer-in-Chief, a Member of Russian Academy of Sciences, twice Hero of Socialist Labor the Board of Directors (comprising representatives of the relevant RF ministries and departments, unanimously nominated him to the post of General Director of OJSC SPA “Almaz” named after academician A.A. Raspletin. He had held this post up to 2011.

The scientist and manager joined the company in one of the most challenging periods of its existence and had done much to achieve an interrogation into the modern economy, to find new customers, to have steady income and a better position in the rankings of the Russian defense enterprises. While working in the company, he became one of the most prominent figures in the Russian military-industrial complex.

Under the leadership of Igor Raufovich the latest modifications the ​​air defense missile systems S -300 "Favorite" were created, the development of the Air Defense Missile Complex S-400 “Triumph” was completed, the state tests conducted and the “Triumph” was brought into service in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

His basic concept of creating the integrated system of air and missile defense AD-ABM (IS IMD AD-ABM) of the fifth generation was approved by the decisions of the Military Industrial Commission under the Russian government in 2007 and 2009. And in 2010 the technical projects of the IS IMD main components were successfully completed and adopted by the relevant state commissions: the systems "S-500", "Vityaz", "Morpheus" and others

By the end of 2010 Igor Ashurbeyli had initiated and implemented, on the basis of OJSC SPA “Almaz” headed by him, the integration of the AD-ABM schools of sciences: Air Force, Ground Forces, Navy, Space Forces and the Air Defense automated control systems.

Experts note that the company when was headed by him provided the development lead time of the air defense missile systems including the production of the prototypes in-house. In addition, experts appreciated highly the intention of Igor Ashurbeyli as CEO to preserve the unique human capacity, the brilliant galaxy of scientists, followers of the creator of ​​air defense missile systems in Russia, Academician A.A. Raspletin.

Under the leadership of Ashurbeyli the internal restructuring was carried out in "Almaz" and its subsidiaries, which resulted in the absence of debts in respect of taxes, wages and energy resources. The capitalization of the defense enterprise had grown by 37 times. He managed to return "Almaz" to the group of leaders of the Russian military-industrial complex.

Shortly after his resignation Igor Ashurbeyli defended his thesis in candidacy for a degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences on the problems of the automated technology for creating aerospace defense (ASD) system. As it was noted then by the "Independent Military Review" hot on the heels, the voting both in the dissertation council and in the expert council of the State Commission for Academic Degree and Titles passed without a single black ball. According to the article, "for the first time in Russia the doctoral dissertation was defended on the issue of Aerospace Defense (ASD) that marked the beginning of the new research area".

Igor Raufovich is the author of over 100 scientific papers, including three monographs. He is a member of the Academy of Engineering Sciences named after of A.M. Prokhorov, and a member of the Academy of Military Sciences.

Since 2011 Igor Ashurbeyli is the supervisor of the "Design Bureau -1" and the chairman of the Presidium of the “Non-Departmental Advisory Board on Aerospace Defense” (NAB ASD). Experts expect that Igor Raufovich will receive new appointments - he is included in the personnel reserve of the President of the Russian Federation (№ 309 from July 18, 2013).

Igor Ashurbeyli is known in the field of charity. He is the founder of the charity organization "Socium-A", a ktitor (benefactor) of the Patriarchal Representation - the Church of the Saint and Martyr Elizabeth in Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo (Moscow). In summer of 2013 he as a ktitor became the organizer of the first ever pilgrimage along the route of the sorrowful path taken by the Great Princess Elizabeth Fyodorovna. The route ran from the place of the massacre (1918) to the final resting place of the relics (1921): Yekaterinburg - Alapayevsk - Beijing - Jerusalem.

The scientist, manager, and philanthropist, Mr Ashurbeyli, received a lot of awards: the Order of Honor, the Award for Science and Technology from the government of the Russian Federation. He was decorated with the Georgiy Zhukov Medal, the Medal “In memory of the 850th anniversary of Moscow", the Order of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow III degree, the Order of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow II degree, the Order "St. Nicholas" III degree.