Agenda of the National Children's Council of the Council of the Republic: development of a cluster strategy

A field meeting of the Scientific and Advisory Council under the Presidium of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus was held in Novopolotsk. The topic was the development of an innovative industrial petrochemical cluster.

Three years ago, an unusual petrochemical cluster was created in the city. It included Polotsk State University, OJSC "Naftan", and the Novopolotsk City Executive Committee as the coordinator. Later, other enterprises and organizations joined the cluster. What did this step give the city of oil refiners in the end, what tasks does the cluster face now? Why did the decision to create an association ripen, and what do ordinary citizens expect from it? These and other issues, led by Natalya Kochanova, were discussed in detail at the field meeting of the Scientific and Advisory Council. Members of the Council of the Republic, representatives of ministries, other state bodies and organizations took part in the relevant dialogue.

First of all, the participants of the meeting familiarized themselves with the work of the city-forming enterprise OJSC "Naftan" and visited Polotsk State University to see firsthand the results of the Novopolotsk cluster's work. Before the dialogue began, Natalya Kochanova noted its importance:

– The creation and development of clusters is the President's directive. The goal is to unite science, education, and production into one clear system. As a result, modern scientific developments become maximally accessible to enterprises. Innovation processes are accelerated, industry operates more profitably, and the cost of production is reduced. Importantly, an effective personnel training chain appears. However, clusters are a relatively new trend for our country, so based on the analysis of the activities of the structure already created in Novopolotsk, we need to identify the problems faced by the pioneers and what needs to be done at the legislative level to make the work of such associations in the country effective.

Progressive scientific developments, the creation of a well-equipped industry laboratory, labor protection, training of highly qualified personnel for "Naftan" taking into account the ongoing production modernization and new units being commissioned – all this is very important for Novopolotsk. Therefore, for the creation of a continuous

the educational chain of formation into the cluster, along with PSU, included a polytechnic college. And from September 1, unique "petrochemical" classes for the country appeared in the city's schools. Here, children mainly from families of Naftan and Polymer workers study – those who intend to continue the family dynasty in production.

Photo: BELTA

Dmitry Demidov, member of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, Chairman of the Novopolotsk City Executive Committee, notes:

– Thanks to its serious industrial and scientific potential, Novopolotsk is currently considered a center of economic growth. The cluster strategy not only increases the efficiency of work in this direction but also stimulates the activation of innovative processes. Expanding the number of cluster participants by including other enterprises and institutions, including foreign ones (a Chinese representative has already joined the cluster), will allow for the improvement of the scientific and technical base and the human resources potential of the city as a whole. And, importantly, it will attract new investments. Our next step is to create a cluster development organization, i.e., an association, as well as a well-equipped modern industry laboratory.



Following the meeting of the NKS, its participants concluded that the cluster strategy requires further study and development. Using the example of the Novopolotsk association, common algorithms of action for the country should be developed. InThe Scientific Advisory Council currently includes members of the Council of the Republic, representatives of the scientific community, and government bodies, who, through an exchange of views and discussion of controversial issues, will develop recommendations for the practical development of clusters, and for resolving issues of their financing and attracting investment. Therefore, cluster policy will also be considered by the SAC in the future.