MINSK, 18 October (BelTA) – The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is no longer funded only by the state budget. R&D products of Belarusian scientists allow earning money among other things. Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Vladimir Gusakov made the statement as he met with Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko, BelTA has learned.
The operation of the academy has been adjusted recently in compliance with instructions of the head of state. It is rigidly organized and geared towards earning financial resources on its own, Vladimir Gusakov told Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The head of the academy stressed: “It is no longer a purely state-funded organization the way it was in the past when everyone was sitting around and waiting for budget appropriations. I no longer seek budget appropriations. For a number of years everyone has known that even if money is in short supply, we encourage people to earn money. And it is truly so.”
In his words, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus has been able to hit assigned targets for the last few years. “We've had no reduction or disruption. I am talking about volumes of production, sales, implementation of all programs, fixed-capital investments such as the acquisition of devices and equipment. I am also talking about salaries and all the indicators specified by business plans,” Vladimir Gusakov clarified.
For instance, in 2021 the share of innovative products in Belarus rose up to nearly 23% while the volume of science-intensive and high-tech export exceeded 36%. The average monthly salary in Belarusian science was close to Br2,000, 14% up from 2020. In 2021 as many as 226 stock keeping units of import-substituting products worth over $485 million were made using R&D advances of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, including over $70 million made by academic organizations.
