Meet the Flintstones a group of Russian scientists who have moved to the UK to exploit their world-beating technologies.

Flintstone Technologies teamed up with academics from Moscow University to form six new companies, two of which have set up at Begbroke Science Park.

Hardide is developing a new super-hard wear-resistant coating invented by Prof Lakhotkin, Sergei Alexandrov and Yuri Zhuk.

IntelliKraft is developing a new nanomaterial that could lead to super-longlife batteries and more efficient car engines. The two companies have been backed by Oxford Technology Venture Capital Trust.

Mr Zhuk said: "That was one reason why we are in Oxford. Another is that Begbroke is one of the world centres of expertise, with its leading-edge equipment, electron microscopes and so on."

He explained that it was impossible to find funding for such ventures in Russia and that he and his colleagues hoped to act as role models for others. Mr Zhuk added: "I feel quite at home here in Oxford.

"There are a few Russian students and academics who are attached to the Uni- versity."

Flintstone Technologies hopes to be valued at up to 20m when its shares start trading on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange on February 13. The money raised will ensure that Flintstone has enough to develop its existing companies and the funds to acquire new industrial-based technologies from Russia. Flintstone's chairman is John Taylor, former chief executive of British Nuclear Fuels, and the chief executive is Ian Woodcock, founder of Sterilox.

Flintstone takes a stake in each of the companies before spinning them off after two to three years. It still owns more than 20 per cent of the equity in the Begbroke firms.

Hardide plans to float on the stock market within four years.