Components of our progress

What does the National Security Concept project say about science and technology?

Yegor Yermalitskiy

The higher the degree of confrontation in the world, the faster the development of technology is gaining momentum. Technological warfare has long been not just a concept, but a reality. The one who most actively applies scientific knowledge to solve practical problems has significant advantages. Intelligence and breakthrough ideas make it possible to create more competitive products, make people’s lives more comfortable and safer, and countries to move faster in their development. In the context of global changes in the information and technical fields, the rapid renewal of knowledge and technology, it is extremely important not to miss important stages of development.  

National innovations guarding the security 

In the scientific and technological sphere of our country, a comprehensive development of the national innovation system is being carried out, and its individual components are being improved on an ongoing basis. Scientific research and development are guided by the specific needs of the economic, social and other spheres of activity of society and the state. Measures are being taken to comprehensively modernise key sectors of the economy and increase the science intensity of GDP.
Practice has confirmed the ability of Belarusian science to solve breakthrough problems. 
During the years of independence, Belarus has made significant progress in nanotechnologies, nuclear and renewable energy, aerospace, artificial intelligence, digitalisation and robotics, biotechnologies and pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering and instrumentation, precision farming, the creation of new medicines and methods in healthcare and many other areas. These are all components of our progress and ensuring national security. 

Aleksandr Gorbash 

Scientific and technological security — the state of protection of scientific, technological and educational potentials from threats that impede the development of scientific activities, the creation and implementation of innovations and advanced technologies in the real sector of the economy and other areas.

OPINION

Oleg Dyachenko, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Council of the Republic on Education, Science, Culture and Social Development, Rector of the Academy of Postgraduate Education, 
“The era of digital, artificial intelligence, bioengineering has come. Naturally, there is a change in the structure of the economy, in which new knowledge, professional skill sets, and highly qualified specialists are increasingly in demand. To effectively solve the tasks set, human resources with a modern level of training are needed. Therefore, the rivalry of the planet’s economic hegemons is intensifying not only for control over the markets for their products, natural resources and advanced production technologies, but also for the possession of highly developed human capital. 
In the face of external and internal threats, a new geopolitical redivision of the world, we need not only to preserve the educational and scientific and technological potential of our country, but also to give impetus to the development of the national education system, as well as to ensure the comprehensive improvement of the national innovation system on an ongoing basis.”

FIGURE

According to the National Statistical Committee, the number of organisations engaged in research and development in our country was 445 by the beginning of 2022. 25,644 people were employed in the field of research and development. Of these, scientific research was carried out by 16,321 people. Young people under the age of 29 (inclusive) make up 20.7 percent of the total number of researchers.

The main national interests in the scientific and technological aspect are:

• further development of the economy and other areas based on modern knowledge and scientific and technological potential;
• creation of innovative technologies, intensive renewal of the real sector of the economy on their basis and implementation in all spheres of life of society and the state;
• expanding the presence of Belarus in the world market of science-intensive and high-tech products, mutually beneficial international scientific and technological co-operation and attracting advanced technologies to the country’s economy;
• provision of various spheres of activity of society and the state with scientific personnel.
In the scientific and technological sphere, a comprehensive development of the national innovation system is being carried out, and its individual components are being improved on an ongoing basis.
Scientific research and development are guided by the specific needs of the economic, social and other spheres of activity of society and the state.
Measures are being taken to comprehensively modernise key sectors of the economy and increase the science intensity of GDP.

pavel bogush

Internal sources of threats to national security in the scientific and technological aspect are:

• the impossibility of developing scientific and technological potential due to the low science intensity of GDP;
• low innovative activity of the real sector of the economy;
insufficient efficiency of the national innovation system, including the mechanisms for technology transfer from science to production, the equipment of the material and technical base of scientific institutions, the financing system, industry science;
• a decrease in the level of training and provision of scientific personnel, including highly qualified ones, and an increase in the average age of scientific workers.

The main external sources of threats to national security in the scientific and technological aspect are:

• limiting the access of domestic scientists and business entities to the results of research and developments of the world level;
• purposeful policy of individual foreign states and companies, stimulating the outflow of scientists and highly qualified specialists abroad;
• elimination of the subjects of the Republic of Belarus from the chains of creation of science-intensive and high-tech products.

The most important areas for neutralising internal sources of threats to national security in the scientific and technological aspect are:

• increasing the science intensity of GDP to a level that ensures the dynamic development of the scientific sphere, the rejuvenation of scientific personnel, the sustainable development of the real sector of the economy and other areas;
• development of the national innovation system;
improvement of the regulatory legal framework aimed at increasing the efficiency of scientific, scientific, technical and innovation activities, ensuring the functioning of the subjects of the innovation infrastructure;
• improvement of the system for stimulating innovation activity;
• introduction and use of advanced information, communication and other technologies in the real sector of the economy and other areas.

Aleksandr Gorbash

The most important areas of protection from external sources of threats to national security in the scientific and technological aspect are:

• co-operation within the Union State on the formation of a single scientific and technological space, development of a system of access to international electronic databases of scientific and technical information;
• creation of joint scientific laboratories and centres, including with the participation of friendly countries and organisations;
• ensuring the most favourable economic and image conditions for conducting research in Belarus and attracting investments in its scientific and technological sphere;
• creation of new innovative enterprises;
• expanding the export of science-intensive and high-tech products and jointly entering new markets in co-operation with partner countries and countries adhering to the principles of mutually beneficial co-operation;
• concentration of resources on scientific research and development aimed at the production of products of higher technological modes;
• improvement of the system of technological forecasting, constant monitoring of the market of scientific ideas and provision of legal protection of intellectual property.

By Svetlana Isaenok