GRODNO, 29 June (BelTA) – An agreement to open two new technology and innovation support centers was signed in Grodno, BelTA has learned.
The centers will operate at Yanka Kupala Grodno State University and Grodno State Agrarian University. “Quite a number of technology and innovation support centers have opened in Belarus recently. Two new ones will be launched in Grodno. These are very convenient platforms for supporting people engaged in creative activities and inventions,” said Armen Azizyan, Vice-President of the Eurasian Patent Office of the Eurasian Patent Organization.
“Such centers should open at all universities of the country. This is a good tool to promote innovations that the country needs. We know that the future belongs to new technologies and ideas. For example, a center for innovative technologies opened at Grodno State Agrarian University last year. Now agricultural universities have four laboratories, three of them are run by our university. The three laboratories include a center for innovative technologies, this is a think tank generating the most advanced ideas. For example, the DNA technology center has become so widely incorporated into the manufacturing process that it now hosts teachers and students from a number of Russian universities for training. The embryo transfer center also runs courses where Russians learn new methods. And, of course, we are working together to update this process,” Rector of Grodno State Agrarian University Vitold Pestis said.
Vice-Rector for Science at Yanka Kupala Grodno State University Andrei Pronevich noted: “Starting from 2018, the university has been participating in the pilot project of the Education Ministry of Belarus University 3.0. Education, science and entrepreneurship are very closely interrelated. Innovative receptivity is one of the cornerstone principles of the development strategy of our university. We pay great attention to improving innovative entrepreneurial competencies of our teachers. Each student of our university attends an entrepreneurship course, has the opportunity to join the school of startups and projects in order to later showcase their skills and competencies at the InNaStart contest. We hold two such competitions annually and the number of applicants stands around 100. This bears fruit: 11 resident companies of the science and technology park of our university are our employees and students,” he said.
The agreement to open two technology and innovation support centers at Yanka Kupala Grodno State University and Grodno State Agrarian University was signed on the sidelines of the seminar “Development of a network of technology and innovation support centers in Belarus. The importance of geographical indications for the protection of national brands.” The event is taking place in Grodno.
