Business news

The list of such projects was adopted during the first session of the commission on scientific and technical cooperation of the Belarusian-Chinese intergovernmental committee on cooperation in Minsk on 24 June.

The priority areas for developing innovations include energy-effective technologies, industrial and civil engineering technologies and enterprises, medicine and pharmaceutics, information and communication technologies, aerospace technologies, agribusiness technologies, rational nature management, processing of natural resources, bio and nanotechnology industries.

Addressing participants of the session, Chairman of the State Science and Technology Committee of Belarus Alexander Shumilin noted that contacts at the top level had given a positive impulse to the advancement of cooperation, including cooperation in the area of science, high technologies and innovations. The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, ministries, universities, R&D companies, high-tech companies, technological clusters, centers for international R&D cooperation are involved in Belarusian-Chinese scientific and technical cooperation.

For instance, the Ningbo University has teamed up with the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus to implement the project designed to create a technology for the precision millwork of rods with spiral surfaces. Results of the project will be used to start manufacturing new-generation roof bolts in Belarus. Such bolts are used in the mining industry to greatly improve the safety of underground operations. The project provides for exporting over $800,000 worth of merchandise in 2017-2020.

The Belarusian State University, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Chinese corporation ZTE are working together to create a Belarusian-Chinese Internet-of-things (IoT) research lab. The lab will take care of promoting innovative solutions for monitoring commodity flows and will implement joint projects and research in the area of RFID technologies.

In 2015-2016 the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics signed three contracts with Chinese organizations to perform R&D work in the area of electromagnetic compatibility of radioelectronic devices, radiolocation, and ion-plasma equipment for thin-film technologies. The funding stands at $3.8 million. A total of ten contracts worth $9.8 million are being fulfilled for Chinese customers. The contracts focus on ultra-high frequency electronics, radiolocation, electromagnetic compatibility of radioelectronic devices, hydroacoustic communication, information security, vibration monitoring and diagnostics.

As far as prospects of advancing Belarusian-Chinese R&D and innovative cooperation are concerned, Belarusian and Chinese organizations are now working to create a joint lab of optoelectronic and laser technologies. The lab will be set up by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Oceanographic Instrumentation Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Shandong Province. The Belarusian National Technical University and the Northeastern University of Shenyang are considering opening a Belarusian-Chinese center for prospective applied R&D in order to implement joint scientific research projects, develop and assist with the commercialization of modern science-intensive technologies and innovative products. Plans have also been made to set up a joint engineering education center of the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics and the Chinese corporation Huawei. The engineering education center will focus on additional education, software development, R&D work as part of the education process.

Chairman of the State Science and Technology Committee of Belarus Alexander Shumilin said: “We are ready to supply more modern, innovative, competitive automobiles, tractors, mining machines, agricultural machines, road construction machines, technological equipment, medications, food and many other products. Every project involving scientific, innovative, and trade cooperation can and should evolve into joint ventures and enterprises. We practice a comprehensive approach to the development of joint business — technologies, direct investments, personnel training and mutually beneficial partnership.”

The first session of the commission on scientific and technical cooperation of the Belarusian-Chinese intergovernmental committee on cooperation will end on 25 June. Representatives of the Chinese side are expected to visit enterprises and universities in Minsk and Brest, including the Belarusian National Technical University, the China-Belarus industrial park Great Stone, OAO KBTEM-OMO, and the Brest State Technical University.