REPORT
on the Current Situation and Future Trends
of Science Development in the Republic of Belarus
based on the 2002 results
In 2002, significant efforts were made to improve the
management of scientific and technical sphere, introduction of innovations
in the national economy, and coordination of different stages of creating
and organizing the output of new products. According to the Presidential
Decree No 7 dated 5 March 2002 “On Perfecting the State Management in the
Science Sphere”, the Committee on Science and Technology at the Council of
Ministers of the Republic of Belarus (CST) and the Supreme Certifying
Commission of the Republic of Belarus (SCC) have been created and the
National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NAS of Belarus) has been
reorganized. It has been decided that the CST, SCC and NAS of Belarus should
form a system of state management bodies in the sphere of science.
According to the instructions of Head of State, the CST
and NAS of Belarus have been gradually implementing comprehensive measures
on organizational and economic regulation of research, scientific and
technical and innovation activities and protection of intellectual property
rights. In 2001-2002 and currently, in view of reorganization of the
scientific and technical sphere initiated by the President of the Republic
of Belarus, the CST and NAS of Belarus together with the Ministry of
Education and other state management bodies have prepared and submitted to
the Council of Ministers a number of underlying documents: the Concept of
Innovation Policy of the Republic of Belarus for 2003-2007 (approved by the
Regulation of the Council of Ministers No 1016 dated 31.07.2003), Concept of
the Intellectual Property Rights System in the Republic of Belarus for
2003-2005, and Concept of Further Development of Science in the Republic of
Belarus. The Ministry of Economy with the participation of other state
management bodies has prepared the draft Program of Increasing
Competitiveness and Structural Reform of the Belarusian Economy. The
priority directions of research activity in the Republic of Belarus for
2003-2005 have been developed and the draft Presidential Decree in this
regard has been submitted to the Council of Ministers after discussion
thereof by the scientific community. Under the Order of the President of the
Republic of Belarus No 09/66 Ï 1679 dated 7 May
2003 the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus and NAS of Belarus
should submit the above-mentioned draft Decree to the President of the
Republic of Belarus for its approval by 25 July 2003. The Council of
Ministers of the Republic of Belarus has developed and approved the “Plan of
Measures on Strengthening the Material and Technical Basis of Science for
2002-2003” and “Program of Urgent Measures on Development of the Material
and Technical Basis of Science for 2003 with Proposals on Material and
Technical Re-equipment of Research Institutions of the Republic for
2003-2005”.
In 2002, the work on concentration of financial resources
to accomplish scientific and technical tasks of priority branches of the
economy was carried out. The CST together with the Ministry of Finance and
Ministry of Economy prepared and the Council of Ministers approved by its
Decision No 1346 dated 30 September 2002 the “Regulation on the Procedure of
Creation and Use of Innovation Reserves”, which envisaged allocation of not
less than 30% of those reserves to finance R&D and introduction of their
results in production. Legal entities were made responsible for unjustified
receipt or misuse of target budgetary funds.
The target program methods have been further
developed. On the initiative of the CST, the branch republican bodies of
state management developed in 2002 the State Targeted Programs of
Development of Priority Economic Branches, which will promote better
coordination of joint activities of science and industry. The President of
the Republic of Belarus has approved the initiative of the CST on the state
targeted programs, which are intended both to use domestic developments and
to attract, where it is expedient, foreign scientific and technical
achievements. The proposals on extension of existing state scientific and
technical programs have been developed and submitted to the Council of
Ministers.
Work on forming research and innovation activities has
been made more active in the regions of Belarus, which are mainly
implemented through regional scientific and technical programs. According to
the suggestion of the CST, the Brest and Mogilev Executive Committees have
decided to set up structural subdivisions to coordinate research and
innovation activities. The issues concerning creation of regional innovation
foundations are under consideration (Brest, Vitebsk, and Mogilev Executive
Committees).
The NAS of Belarus has revised the list of existing state
programs of fundamental research (SPFR). By the Regulation of the Council of
Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No 111 dated 29 January 2002 a list of
priority directions of fundamental scientific research of the Republic of
Belarus for 2002-2005 has been approved. By the Regulation of the Council of
Ministers of Belarus No 594 dated 2 May 2003, a list of state programs of
fundamental and target fundamental research for 2003-2005 has been approved,
which includes 7 SPFRs and 30 state programs of a targeted fundamental
research. By the Regulation of the Council of Ministers No 1218 dated 26
September 2003 a list of state programs of applied scientific research for
2003-2005 has also been approved.
In 2002, the effectiveness of research carried out within
SPFRs increased. Based on the results of the research performed for SPFRs,
249 monographs (of which 25 abroad), 8411 scientific articles (of which 2369
abroad), 99 collections of research papers, 231 textbooks and manuals, 27
reference books and encyclopedias were published. Besides, about 5000 theses
of reports were placed in proceedings of more than 1900 republican and
international conferences, 163 protection documents were received.
In 2002, 32 state scientific and technical programs, 9
branch programs, and 6 regional programs were implemented, as well as two
presidential and 12 state economic and social ones were scientifically
supported. As the analysis of the effectiveness of completed state
scientific and technical programs (SSTP) showed, budgetary support for their
implementation is returned to the budget, by means of taxes on the sale of
products based on the introduced developments, on average within 1,5 to 2
years. The most effective SSTPs are the “Television”,
“Belavtotractorostrojenije” (automobile and tractor building), and “Building
materials and technologies”.
Out of 1501 tasks of the scientific and technical
programs and projects, 1470 (98%) were fully completed in 2002. As a result,
118 new types of machines, equipment and instruments, 134 types of
materials, 137 technological processes, and 58 systems and complexes were
produced and brought into practical use in 2002; 32 varieties and hybrids of
crops were put on a variety trial and 7 herds and farm animal lines were
formed.
During 2002 the CST contributed much to coordination and
improvement of concluding stages of creating scientific and technical
products developed within the framework of the state programs at all levels.
In 2002, in accordance with the 35 branch plans for
utilization of completed developments, which were adopted by 21 republican
state management bodies and organizations subordinated to the Council of
Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, 1155 targets were under
implementation, of which 899 targets (77.8%) were fully implemented, for 184
targets the production was prepared and the output of new products started.
Within 72 targets (6.2%) new products were not produced, mainly because the
preproduction stages had failed to be completed.
The total value of new products in 2002 amounted to
979.48 bln. roubles, which 5.97 times exceeded the total budgetary funds
allocated for the implementation of SSTPs in 1996-2000.
The governmental customers have pointed out the following
major causes of failure to carry out the plan targets: lack of funds needed
by producers to prepare and start production of new products; incompleteness
of measures on preparation of new productions; lack of orders from
customers; lost urgency and insufficient competitiveness of developments,
often because of their obsolescence; realization of technical re-equipment
and reconstruction of producing enterprises.
The results of implementation of the above-mentioned
plans for 2002, including each incomplete target, have been analyzed in
detail by the CST, as well as considered by the governmental customers at
meetings of the Boards (Ministry of Industry, State Committee for
Standardization, Metrology and Certification, Ministry of Communications),
of the Scientific and Technical Councils (Ministry of Agriculture and Food,
Concern “Belneftekhim”(petrol and chemicals), Concern “Bellegprom” (light
industry), Concern of Powder Metallurgy), and of the Presidium of NAS of
Belarus. At the same time, the governmental customers (excluding the
Ministry of Agriculture and Food) have approved the revised and supplemented
development plans for 2003 and have also taken measures intended to
strengthen the commitment discipline and responsibility of producers and
strictly observe the above plans in 2003, including the personal
responsibility for their fulfillment at the level of deputy managers of
government customer organizations.
71 innovation projects with total funding of 4239825.5
thsd. roubles, of which 3175325.5 thsd. roubles out of the republican
budget, and 21 innovation projects financed by the Belarusian Innovation
Foundation on a repayable basis with total funding of 1835670.1 thsd.
roubles, of which 930077 thsd. roubles out of the republican budget, were
fulfilled in 2002.
In 2001-2002, 241 patents were granted and 377
applications were introduced for the developments implemented within the
programs. The highest inventive activity was seen in the following programs:
“Belavtotractorostrojenije” (29 patents issued and 32 applications filed for
29 program targets), “The Agroindustrial Complex” (114 targets) – 71 and 122
respectively, “Oncology” (22 targets) – 11 and 6 respectively, “New
Materials and Surface Protection” (76 targets) – 44 patents and 101
applications respectively.
In 2002, 691 inventions, 339 utility models, 86
production prototypes, 12 crop varieties, 1675 trade marks, and 3
integrated-circuit layouts within the whole country were recorded in the
State Register. 615 patents for inventions, 277 patents for utility models,
176 patents for production prototypes, and 12 patents for crop varieties, as
well as 1653 certificates for trade marks and 1 certificate for the
integrated-circuit layout were prepared and issued.
In 2002, scientific research and development (R&D)
activities were carried out in more than 300 research organizations,
educational institutions, and large industrial enterprises. 30.7 thousand
persons, of which 18.5 thsd. researchers and 12.2 thsd. technicians and
supporting personnel, were engaged in implementation of those R&D. The
domestic costs of R&D in 2002 amounted to 162.3 bln. roubles, which is 94.2%
as compared to the 2001 level.
The science intensity of GDP in Belarus made up 0.73%
(compare to 0.81% in 2001), which was below the 2002 forecast (1.2%). This
fact complicates the task to reach in 2005 the 1.8% level of the GDP science
intensity, as it was envisaged by the Program of Social and Economic
Development of the Republic of Belarus for 2001-2005. The analysis of change
in the structure of financing sources gives grounds to relate the reduced
expenditure on R&D to the reduction of the budgetary allocations from 50% in
2001 to 43.7% in 2002. The share of budgetary support for development of
the material and technical basis of science also decreased in 2002 and came
to 4.35% of total budgetary financing of science (compare to 7.5% in 2000
and 6.0% in 2001). In comparison with the figures provided by the Law of the
Republic of Belarus “On the Budget of the Republic of Belarus for 2002”, the
state scientific and technical programs were financed by the budget at 78.9%
and innovation projects at 83,3%; expenditures on development of the
material and technical basis of research organizations amounted to 94.0% as
compared to the plan, those on international scientific cooperation made up
86.8%, and on measures on training, improvement of professional
qualification and certification of scientific staff – 87.9%.
Accordance to the information of the Ministry of
Statistics and Analysis of the Republic of Belarus, 407 advanced
technologies were developed in 2002 and 150 organizations were engaged in
their development. Out of 407 technologies, 43.5% has been developed by
industrial enterprises, 10.8% by higher educational institutions, and 45.7%
by science and science service organizations.
Throughout the branches of industry, higher education,
science and science services, 595 enterprises use 13156 advanced
technologies. The largest share of the technologies is concentrated in
industry (91%) and in science and science services (8.5%). 325 enterprises,
or 13.9% of their total number, have been recognized as the most active
ones in implementation of innovations. The main sources of financing were
own funds of enterprises (77.2%), those of non-budgetary foundations (5.8%),
those of foreign investors (2.2%), and those of the republican budget
(0.5%).
The value of innovation products dispatched by
enterprises in 2002 amounted to 1733 bln. roubles or 9.3% of total
dispatched industrial products. 164 enterprises were engaged in the
technology exchange.
The personnel policy was improved in 2002, with the main
goal oriented not only to increase the number of researchers, but also to
improve their professional skills. However, a significant reduction in the
number of professionals (1408 persons or 4.4%) engaged in research and
development, which took place in 2002, shows the inadequacy of measures
intended to develop the scientific capacity of the country. The total
reduction of scientific personnel is mainly caused by their internal
migration, though the external migration is also going on. The total number
of emigrants (scientists and higher school teaching staff) from the observed
organizations for the period from 1996 to 2002 made up 500 persons (of which
about 30 doctors of science and more than 150 candidates of science). In
2002, about 60 researchers and higher school teachers, including
post-graduates, emigrated and remained abroad after temporary stay (based on
data of the NAS of Belarus Centre of Monitoring the Scientific and Teaching
Personnel Migration in the Republic of Belarus).
In 2002, the tendency toward deterioration of the
researchers’ age structure was preserved. During 1993-2002, the share of
researchers aged 31-39 years halved (from 32.3% to 16.7%) and those aged 60
years and over, on the contrary, increased 4.5 times (from 2.6% to 11.7%).
The problem of progressive ageing of scientific personnel of NAS of Belarus
is still acute: the average age of candidates of science is 50 years and
that of doctors of science – 60 years.
International scientific cooperation received its further
development. 22 projects were under implementation in 2002 within the
framework of international scientific cooperation programs. The total budget
of joint projects reached almost 352.4 mln. roubles. Within the
international scientific relations the emphasis has been recently placed on
stimulation of innovation activity, highly qualified training of personnel,
and dissemination of developments of Belarusian scientists. In 2002, some
Belarusian research institutions, enterprises and higher educational
establishments took part in a number of international actions.
In order to implement the state policy of computerization
and management of national information resources, the National Center of
Information Resources and Technologies has been set up in the NAS of
Belarus.
Major Conclusions and Proposals.
The existing system of management of
scientific and technical sphere covers practically all aspects thereof and
in general provides implementation of progressive management methods:
determination of priorities, program and goal-oriented planning of solving
most urgent problems, intellectual property protection, expert examination
and selection of research and innovation projects, accumulation and a
targeted use of financial reserves through specialized government and
departmental funds, and development of mutually beneficial international
cooperation.
In 2002, appropriate measures were taken to expand
statistical observation of innovations. Reporting was introduced on creation
and use of advanced production technologies and innovation activities of
industrial enterprises. All this measures have significantly increased the
content of information used for management. Nevertheless, it is very
important that scientific and information support of the state scientific
and innovation policy should be further developed thorough appropriate
research carried out in research institutions of the Ministry of Economy and
Ministry of Statistics and Analysis. This includes data on commercial
technology exchange with foreign countries, use of information technologies
and output of related products (works and services), innovation activities
of small businesses, etc.
The work on using the scientific and technical
achievements has been intensified. In the result of applying the output of
new products developed within the SSTP, the budget expenditures on R&D
return to the budget within 1.5 to 2 years.
Above all it is necessary, without reducing requirements
for commitment discipline and quality of work of all subdivisions
responsible for the content of the state scientific and technical programs
and other organizational activities intended to increase the technical level
of production and social sphere, that attention is to be drawn to the
general conditions of the scientific and innovation activity development,
which comprise the following:
-
strengthening the innovation component of research and
development, intensive market study with regard to future trends in
implementation of prospective innovation ideas at early stages of
setting and commencement of applied research, which will allow to reduce
risks of its implementation;
-
development of innovation capacity of the industrial
sector through economic measures intended to promote innovation activity;
-
determination of the content of programs based on
forecasting of priority economic branches; elaboration of government
goal-oriented programs on development of priority branches in view of the
results of medium- and long-term scientific and technical forecasting;
-
development of modern methods of scientific and
technical forecasting in the Republic;
-
working out recommendations on creation in the country
of an efficient multilevel system of intellectual property management.
Aiming at further enhancement of the efficiency and the
level of fundamental and applied research and development in 2003, the NAS
of Belarus together with other government customers of programs and the
Council for Coordination of Fundamental and Applied Research should:
-
develop and approve governmental programs of
fundamental research and of a targeted fundamental and applied research;
-
ensure development of the draft List of Governmental
Programs of Applied Research in natural and technical sciences, the
humanities and social sciences for 2003-2005 and submit it in accordance
with established procedure to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of
Belarus for approval;
-
analyze the efficiency of public funds allocated to
research institutions and higher educational establishments to implement
programs of fundamental and applied research.
It seems expedient that the CST together with the
Ministry of Economy and government customers of programs should carry out a
detailed end-of-year analysis of executing plans on use in industry of
results of completed R&D targets that were financed from the republican and
local budgets and submit in March the corresponding information to the
Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.
For all that it is necessary to:
-
strengthen control over the use of R&D results; each
half year consider reports on the results of execution of branch plans at
meetings of the collective management bodies and submit those to the CST
within a month following the reporting one in order to analyze and prepare
proposals for the Council of Ministers;
-
ensure coordination of enterprises using the R&D
results and developer institutions; ensure priority financial support to
the mastering of scientific and technical products through reserves of the
branch innovation foundations and other non-budgetary sources;
-
in accordance with established procedure, ensure
repayment of inefficiently used budgetary resources to the republican
budget by R&D developers when those fail to reach the planned level of
their developments, which entails economic irrationality of the R&D
results achieved, as well as by users when those fail to meet undertaken
commitments on industrial use of the R&D results.
It seems expedient to restore the budget accounts of
organizations engaged in implementation of the scientific and technical
programs’ components financed from the budget and in scientific and
technical support of economic and social programs and innovation projects,
as well as to entitle the CST not to accept for consideration and not to
allocate republican budgetary funds to proposals of governmental customers
on new R&D in case those are to be carried out by research institutions or
used by enterprises that repeatedly failed to achieve the scientific and
technical level and competitiveness of their developments or timely put
into industrial practice the results achieved.
The main future activities in providing development of
science and innovations with high-skilled personnel are as follows:
-
improve the network of councils on defending theses and
increase their responsibility for the scientific papers produced; abolish
inefficient councils; ensure a wider representation of various
organizations in the councils;
-
more extensively attract the theses of highly qualified
scientists to the expert examination; in this view, reduce the rotation
period in the expert councils from 5 to 3 years;
-
improve the system of retraining and raising
qualification of researchers and professionals in innovation management;
-
improve the efficiency of post-graduate and doctorate
studies in state research institutions and higher educational
establishments of the Republic.
The financial, personnel, material and technical
resources of scientific and technical activities have been reducing, which
after all has led to a decrease in the share of output of research
institutions in GDP from 0.81% in 2001 to 0.73% in 2002 as
compared to the planned 1.8% for 2005. This certainly causes a decrease in
the scientific and technological capacity, which is the factor of economic
growth and increase in competitiveness of the economy. It seems necessary to
continue the work on preparing proposals to enhance financing of science and
innovations by using all sources and also to concentrate financial resources
on implementation of specific target programs.
The analysis of the current situation of science and its
impact on the innovation processes in the economy of the country confirms a
particular importance of domestic research and development not only for
acquisition and use of new knowledge, but also for achievement of an
up-to-date level of production and education as a precondition for further
development of science and increase of innovation activity in all spheres of
the economy.
