More legislative effort for Belarusian biotech cluster Belbiograd in order

Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov has instructed the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus to accelerate the development of the regulatory act on establishing Belbiograd, the press service of the Belarus government told BelTA after Andrei Kobyakov met with representatives of the scientific community on 4 September.

In 2013 the Belarusian Economy Ministry did preparatory work to create the national technological cluster Belbiograd. A government conference was held in October 2013. It was decided that upon the initiative of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus the Academy will take care of consequent efforts to create Belbiograd.

Apart from that, the Belarusian head of government instructed the Academy to think about ways to use Belarusian LED solutions to light the M1 motorway. Better funding of Belarusian science and individual research projects through streamlined budget spending was discussed as well.

At the beginning of the meeting Andrei Kobyakov said he was interested in learning about progress in the concentration of assets in breakthrough avenues of scientific effort, about effective use of the public funds, which are allocated for research projects and the commercialization of their results. The Prime Minister was also interested in the mechanisms the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus uses to raise extra-budget investments and results of the work.

Before the meeting Andrei Kobyakov went to see an exhibition of Belarusian scientific accomplishments, including stands of the Academy’s R&D centers for arable farming, potato farming, fruit and vegetable farming, and animal husbandry. The Prime Minister took about two hours to learn about the exhibits in detail.

The exhibition of Belarusian scientific accomplishments was open in the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus on 3-4 September. Over 500 innovative products were displayed. Machines and equipment, full-scale models were located outdoors. Experimental models were represented as well as engineering and consulting services, information about patents and licenses, design documents and scientific reports, fact-finding materials. A virtual exhibition is available on websites of Belarus’ Academy and its institutions.

The exhibition attracted representatives of Belarusian government agencies, enterprises, ministries and agencies, the diplomatic corps, trade representations, universities, private business, non-governmental organizations, residents of Minsk and other visitors.

The main purpose of the event was to step up promotion and commercialization of research efforts of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and popularize accomplishments of Belarusian science.

Poster presentations were arranged by top research institutions and scientists during the exhibition. The event also included a business matchmaking session, roundtable sessions on various branches of science (nano, bio, pharm, space technologies and their applications for the sake of developing the national economy) featuring top Belarusian scientists. Apart from that, books written by scholars of human sciences were presented.