Belarus, Serbia to implement ten R&D projects in 2020-2021

MINSK, 2 December (BelTA) – Belarus and Serbia are expected to implement ten joint R&D projects in 2020-2021 and also plan to intensify joint participation in the EU Research and Innovation Program Horizon 2020, Chairman of the State Science and Technology Committee of Belarus Aleksandr Shumilin said as he attended a meeting of the Belarusian-Serbian commission on cooperation in science and technology on 2 December, BelTA learned from the State Science and Technology Committee.

In his words, new joint R&D projects will be implemented in agriculture and food, biotechnologies, nanomaterials, laser and chemical technologies. “The potential of bilateral cooperation in science, technology and innovations is still hugely untapped. We need to set new strategic goals, such as cooperation in high technology, including in ICT, pharmacy, optics, and biochemistry,” Aleksandr Shumilin said.

Plans are in place to sign an additional program on cooperation in science, technology and innovations for 2020-2021 between the State Science and Technology Committee of Belarus and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Serbia, and also a memorandum of understanding to boost cooperation in innovations and development of digital technologies between the State Science and Technology Committee and the cabinet of the minister without portfolio responsible for innovation and technological development in the Serbian government.

In 2019, Belarus and Serbia implemented ten R&D projects, including five in physico-mathematical sciences, two in chemical sciences and geosciences, and three in agrarian and biological sciences. On Belarus' behalf, seven projects were implemented by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, three by the organizations of the Education Ministry.