Belarus’ Scientific Potential

Belarus’ scientific potential is concentrated at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, institutions of higher learning, research institutes and centres, and design bureaus. Nearly 30,000 experts in 300 organizations are involved in fundamental and applied research projects. Out of 17,000 academic degree scientists, more than 2,500 have doctoral degrees. 73 percent of research and science organizations are located in Minsk, 10.4 percent are in the Gomel region, and 5.2 percent – in the Minsk region. The rest are working in the Mogilev, Grodno, Vitebsk, and Brest regions.

The organisations of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the ministries of industry, education, and public health are enrolled in more than 80 percent of the research projects. The share of the National Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Public Health in the fundamental research conducted in this country is 94.4. percent, in the applied research it is 72.5 percent. Developments in experimental design are largely performed by the Ministry of Industry.

30-35 state scientific-technological programmes are implemented annually in the sphere of applied research and developments. Putting developments into practice has resulted in achievements in automobile and tractor building, microelectronics, creation of artificial diamonds, modern TV sets, urban transport, medical equipment and medical products, sensor techniques. Belarus is among the world leaders in finding solutions to fundamental problems in the field of physics, mathematics, new materials, electronic computer software.

Scientific-technological centres of the corporate structures specializing in automobile-, tractor-, harvester-, engine building, microelectronics, TV facilities and communications are regarded as the basis of the economy’s innovative capabilities. At the same time, in organizing the innovation processes, industrial enterprises switch over from the principle of the “assimilation” of the developments by research organisations to the orders for specific developments aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of products.

With the object of forming a favourable environment for the IT development, of preventing an outflow of specialists to other countries, attracting investments into Belarus’economy, there was created a Park of High Technologies in 2005.

In 2006, by its resolution No 5, the Government of Belarus approved 25 state scientific-technological programmes. They aim to develop optical electronics, automobile-, tractor-, harvester building, medicine, biotechnologies, power engineering, new materials, and chemical technologies.

Belarusian scientific-technological products earned 7 gold medals, 7 silver medals, 11 bronze medals, and 25 diplomas at the 6^th Moscow International Fair of innovation and investment.