MINSK, 7 August (BelTA) – Organizations of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) have signed export contracts worth over $0.5 billion at exhibitions organized as part of the joint project Smart Belarus together with the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BelCCI), BelTA learned from BelCCI Chairman Vladimir Ulakhovich on 7 August.
The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed a cooperation agreement in late 2017. In 2018 the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry became a coordinator of Belarusian exhibitions and trade fairs abroad. Vladimir Ulakhovich said: “The Academy of Sciences has a colossal potential, resources, and R&D products while we have capabilities and a network of partners all over the world. This is why the joint project Smart Belarus was born. Within 2.5 years we've arranged 24 exhibitions together with the Academy of Sciences. Over 120 contracts, agreements, and memorandums were signed during the exhibitions. Let me quote one figure: NASB organizations alone signed export contracts worth over $0.5 billion during these exhibitions.”
The Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will continue working with the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus in order to promote Belarusian exports. “We have a huge potential. We need to learn how to demonstrate the country, accomplishments of Belarusian scientists all over the world in order to secure an economic effect among other things. We tried to organize a new-generation exhibition during the second congress of Belarusian scientists in 2017 and continue vigorously working on it. Today we present an interactive version of the Smart Belarus exhibition among other things. Unfortunately, the pandemic restricts conventional work but we organize online exhibitions,” the BelCCI chairman noted.
Vladimir Ulakhovich stressed that the Belarusian scientific community has something to take pride in. “Are there many small countries like Belarus that work in Antarctica or in space industry? We've gotten used to electric transport. We are actively working on BelAZ unmanned trucks. Belarus remains a leading food exporter. We definitely maintain very high international competition standards. Serious and scrupulous work of the scientists is behind all these accomplishments.”
The Smart Belarus exhibition was hosted by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus on 7 August. Over 150 R&D products and technologies were on display. The exposition was divided into three clusters relating to the most pressing priorities in the development of the sphere of science. Those were “IT Country. Scientific support in economic digitalization”, “Overcoming COVID-19”, and “Future technologies”. Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Vladimir Gusakov noted that the exhibition featured not only accomplishments of NASB organizations but also those of higher education institutions and other organizations. The official said: “We've been recently working actively with the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on all the exhibitions in order to make them look modern and attractive. It influences respect for and image of our science. During today's exhibition we've presented cutting-edge, most effective R&D products. Many of them are unique. Certainly, these are not everything the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus has to offer. We make something new every day.”
According to Vladimir Gusakov, Belarusian scientists have R&D accomplishments in various fields starting with space technologies and ending with agriculture. “I am talking about the latest medications for healthcare, biotechnologies and R&D products in the sphere of mechanical engineering, new materials for various branches of the manufacturing sector, and unique lasers, which are sold all over the world – from Japan to the USA. We have biotechnological, space, agribusiness, and mechanical engineering clusters. In other words, we pursue a policy of combining efforts,” he said.
