News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 21 April (BelTA) – The government will have to prepare a state program on innovation-driven development by 1 July 2016. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko gave the relevant instructions as he delivered his address to the nation and the parliament on 21 April, BelTA has learned.

“I want the government to prepare the state program on innovation-driven development by 1 July 2016. The program has to stipulate all the key guidelines, priority areas, top-priority measures and instruments required to form an economy of knowledge,” noted Alexander Lukashenko.

In his words, the transition to innovation-driven development will become the strategy to guide Belarus’ development. “The limited availability of mineral resources and raw materials is not the reason for it. We see totally different economic trends: brains, science, and innovations now represent the key values instead of what subsurface resources the god has chosen to give us,” stated the President.

Alexander Lukashenko said he believes that the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Hi-Tech Park have to be at the forefront of implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy. “We have recently discussed new ways of operation of the National Academy of Sciences in addition to the creation of an innovative R&D corporation intent on forming a hi-tech sector using our own research and technology basis. I believe that today the Academy of Sciences can put intensive efforts into the development of space industry, nano and bioindustries, robot technologies,” said the head of state. Alexander Lukashenko underlined that together with the State Science and Technology Committee and the Hi-Tech Park the Academy of Sciences should become the driving force of technological development of the national economy.

Alexander Lukashenko also noted that the work aimed at improving the effectiveness of innovative development institutions — the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Hi-Tech Park, the China-Belarus industrial park Great Stone, and technology parks — should always be in the center of attention of the country’s leadership, primarily the government. “Their operation should be evaluated not by how much they spend but by the real returns on investment in science. We want science to really work to advance the country instead of satisfying the personal curiosity of scientists at public expense,” stated the President.