Veronika Zaboluyeva, Chairperson of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Economics Committee, spoke about the prospects for innovative development in the Vitebsk region.
A number of measures are being taken at the state level to strengthen technological independence. On September 15, 2021, Head of State Alexander Lukashenko signed Decree No. 348, which approved the State Program for Innovative Development of Belarus for 2021-2025. During its implementation, organizations of all forms of ownership will carry out innovative projects to create new production facilities. This will allow for the successful promotion of domestic technologies in the global market and the use of advanced foreign developments. According to the document, 12,000 jobs should be created by 2025.
Interface of Economy and Science
The creation of a productive alliance between science and business is currently the most promising direction for the development of the Belarusian economy. The positive impact of scientific and industrial cooperation on innovation activity processes in regions and industries is noted by most researchers. This year, in his Address to the Belarusian People and the National Assembly, the Head of State noted that "the place of science in the country's development should be more prominent. The role of science and scientists needs to be raised significantly. It is not scientists who should be pushed, but they should "drive" industries into new technological paradigms in conditions of fierce competition. Our science can do a lot: from artificial intelligence to vital medicines and technologies."
– In our region, there is ongoing cooperation between the Vitebsk Academy of Veterinary Medicine and manufacturers of veterinary drugs, Rubikon LLC, the foreign enterprise VIC – Animal Health, and BelVitunipharm OJSC, – reported Veronika Zabolueva. – Such cooperation is driven by their need, primarily, for laboratory testing of various types of substances for drug production. At the same time, it is economically unjustified to create their own laboratories at each individual enterprise.
Using funds from the innovation fund of the regional executive committee, equipment was purchased and a laboratory was equipped at the Technology Transfer Center of the Vitebsk Medical University. This laboratory can conduct certain preclinical and clinical studies, as well as organize student training. Similar cooperation is being established between enterprises, for example, with BelVitunipharm OJSC. It has equipped laboratories for testing, without which the launch of drug production is impossible.
Long-term stable cooperation in chemical products has been established between Polotsk State University and Naftan OJSC, and in composite materials with Polotsk-Steklovolokno OJSC. Vitebsk Technological University cooperates with manufacturers of footwear, carpets, and linen fabrics. New types of construction and insulation materials (reinforced concrete), thermal underwear, and polyurethane waste processing technologies are under development.
Belvest SOOO, Energokomplekt PO LLC, VZRD Monolit OJSC, VZEP OJSC, and Izmeritel have their own laboratories and testing centers, which conduct tests of new types of products both for their own production and for third-party organizations.
Experimental sites for the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus are located at Tolochin Cannery RUP, Ustye enterprise, and flax processing plants in the region. Here, formulations, technologies, and cultivation methods for agricultural crops adapted to the conditions of the Vitebsk region are being refined.
Today, more than a third of the products exported from the Vitebsk region are high- or medium-tech. Any investment project financed by the innovation fund must meet the average European indicators in terms of added value.
Projects of the Future
The country is focusing on the implementation of comprehensive future projects that are intended to become economic growth points, as they involve the organization of unique production facilities with high economic potential. Among these, six projects are highlighted: national electric transport, biotechnologies in the agro-industrial complex, precision agriculture, innovative healthcare, biotechnologies for pharmaceuticals, and smart cities.
"Import substitution and increasing the share of innovative production are the most important tasks. Belarus should not depend on the 'whims' of Western political elites who restrict the freedom of civilized business," stated Alexander Lukashenko. "Import substitution is a matter of national security. There is a wide field here for the implementation of the boldest ideas of Belarusian scientists."
"The selection of development directions and indicators for 'future' projects is carried out by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the State Committee on Science and Technology. The Vitebsk region is nominated in the field of biotechnologies for pharmaceuticals with projects by OJSC 'BelVitunipharma' and LLC 'Belcarolin'," said Veronika Zabolueva. "It is the application of biological components in the production of pharmaceutical preparations that allows for a significant reduction in their cost, maximum effective adaptation to the physiological characteristics of each person's development, and solutions for waste disposal, etc. It should be noted that the concept for selecting 'future' projects is based on technological solutions of the 5th-6th technological orders, which requires the development of appropriate types of equipment, the search for which is currently being conducted by enterprises in the region in the fields of mechanical engineering, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and radio electronics."
Belarusian-Russian Dialogue
Since 1999, the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation have been member states of the Treaty on the Creation of the Union State. Under the conditions of Western sanctions, the multifaceted integration of Belarus and Russia is constantly strengthening through the implementation of joint initiatives. In his Address, the Head of State noted that "more attention should be paid to the implementation of the Union State's economic programs. They are aimed at supporting a unified system of priorities for the development of the scientific and technical space of our countries. Today, we are successfully working in the fields of space technologies, medicine, biotechnology, mechanical engineering, laser technology, microelectronics, and agro-industrial technologies."
– It should be noted that, according to the current legislation of the Union State, regions of both Belarus and Russia cannot yet act as project applicants. Programs are declared and implemented at the level of state management bodies in the form of developing and conducting a set of joint measures to strengthen security, solve major socio-economic problems, including research, experimental design, technological, production, organizational and economic, and other work, – clarified Veronika Zabolueva. – It is important to note that any program includes a scientific and technological part, to the implementation of which specialists from VSU named after P. Masherov were involved, and a production component: the Orsha Linen Mill and the Flax Institute were involved here.
As for the involvement of regions, today the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee and the administration of the Pskov region have proposed a cooperation model to the Standing Committee of the Union State that allows for building interaction at the level of local authorities, local educational, cultural, sports, and healthcare institutions. Their focus is on scientific research, production practice, health improvement, and the implementation of joint social events.