Call to radically change framework of interaction between science and industry in Belarus

Sectoral institutes at the National Academy of Sciences should stay in touch with the needs of domestic manufacturing sector, Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko state at a meeting with the head of state on the country’s manufacturing outlook, BelTA has learned. "I would like to start with a question that you [Aleksander Lukashenko] raised during the meeting: what we lack for a qualitative breakthrough? The question is clear, the answer to it is simple: there is a lack of innovative and scientific contribution," Roman Golovchenko emphasized. According to the prime minister, in general, the statistics are not bad: the share of shipped innovative products is 46.5%, above the target of 33.5%. However, behind these indicators, there are no products that are really new for the world. "I once put forward this proposal. It is probably radical, not everyone agrees with it. Scientists disagree. But we need to change the framework of interaction between science and industry. We have sectoral institutes. Why do they work in isolation from the industry? In Soviet times, there was a branch science that developed new technological solutions for the manufacturing sector. Let's turn a number of institutes, at least as an experiment, over to those who really would enjoy the fruits of their labor," Roman Golovchenko suggested.

As an example, he cited the work of the Joint Institute of Mechanical Engineering at the National Academy of Sciences. It wants to design an electric sports car, but the prime minister expressed doubts that this is relevant for the country at this time. "Let it be a design bureau that will work for the interests of the Industry Ministry and fulfill the tasks facing the domestic industry," the head of government said. "Probably, there are no other ways. We need to tap into the potential that we have now," Roman Golovchenko added.