MOSCOW, January 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's annual nanotechnology production must reach at least 1 trillion rubles ($41 billion) by 2015, Russia's science and education minister said on Thursday.

Following a government session on nanotechnology development in Russia, Andrei Fursenko said the figure was attainable, if ambitious, and could be achieved if the industry received the necessary legal backing for its development, including a development program to run until 2015, as well as further financial support by the government.

The nanotechnology development program forecasts that Russia's annual output in the sector will reach 900 billion rubles by 2015, and the share of Russian nanotechnology produce in different sectors should be no less than 3% of the world hi-tech market.

Fursenko said his ministry was working with a consumer rights regulator on research into the health safety of products and materials related to nanotechnology production.

He also said the issue of proprietary rights in the sector had been resolved in principle, and established in the Civil Code, but that a number of laws still had to be adopted.

Fursenko said that the rights to the results of nanotechnology research in most cases should belong to research and development entities even if budget funds have been used.