Over Br106bn spent on innovative projects in Minsk

In Minsk over Br106 billion has been spent on implementing projects of the state innovation-driven development program of Belarus, which runs in 2011-2015, since the program was launched, representatives of the Economy Committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee told BelTA.

As part of the program’s implementation the Minsk city administration acts as the customer for 22 innovative projects with their total funding at Br986.5 billion. Five projects have been completed.

At present Minsk companies are busy implementing innovative projects in various spheres, namely power engineering and energy saving, agribusiness technologies and manufacturing, medical equipment, development of the transit potential, information and communication technologies and so on.

Apart from that, a set of measures for innovative development in 2011-2015 is being implemented in Minsk for the sake of working out and assimilating Belarusian and foreign cutting-edge technologies with a view to developing high-tech manufacturing and the improvement of the technologies used by conventional production sector enterprises.

Projects in the area of electronics and microelectronics are of the greatest interest as well as projects in the area of nuclear power engineering, information technologies, genetic engineering, nano and biotechnologies, satellite communication, video and audio equipment, Internet, nanoenergy, molecular, cell, and nuclear technology, the use of stem cells, the engineering of live tissues and organs, restorative surgery and healthcare.

For the sake of encouraging innovative business in Minsk in addition to raising the share of small and medium business in the area of new and high technologies, the manufacturing of innovative products and the rendering of innovative services in the structure of the city economy work has begun to set up a city innovation center at premises of OOO Minsk City Technopark. The center will comprise entities to support entrepreneurship, innovative infrastructure, associations, business unions of entrepreneurs, research and engineering centers.

Minsk City Technopark was set up in 2011 for the sake of assisting the development of entrepreneurship in research, technology, and innovations. The technopark specializes in biotechnologies, nanotechnologies, pharmaceutics, machine-tool and instrument manufacturing, the production of new construction materials and other things. At present 23 enterprises that employ 296 people are residents of the technopark.