This week 12 delegates left sunny and hot Havana and covered 9170 kilometers. They arrived in Minsk to participate in the Belarusian-Cuban scientific and practical seminar “Technology parks as a platform for developing entrepreneurship and creating an innovative economy”. The seminar was held on November 26-27 on the basis of the Science and Technology Park of the Belarusian National Technical University Polytechnic.
The seminar was organized by the State Committee for Science and Technology of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian National Technical University, the State Enterprise "Science and Technology Park BNTU" Polytechnic ", the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment of the Republic of Cuba. On the seminar were discussed mechanisms for the development of technopark structures, their financing and organization of activities, tools and technologies to support innovative enterprises partnerships based on technology parks, promising areas and forms of cooperation for the implementation of joint projects based on technology parks, and the best examples of business incubation of innovative projects were presented.
“Our partners are interested in creating a network of science and technology parks in Cuba. For us, this seminar is an opportunity not only to share the experience with our Cuban colleagues but also the opportunity to create a joint infrastructure to promote our products in Cuba. This is especially true in the field of medical technology, "says Yury Gennadevich Alekseev, General Director of the Science and Technology Park of the BNTU" Polytechnic ", Vice-Rector for Production Activities of the BNTU.
The vice-rector also noted that soon the leaders of Belarusian technology parks and representatives of the State Committee for Science and Technology of the Republic of Belarus will visit universities and research organizations in Cuba in order to draw up a plan of necessary actions and predict their results.
The event was held in three languages at once: Russian, Spanish and English.
A welcoming speech at the plenary session "Innovative Economics: Technology-Technoparks-Transformation" was made by the Chairman of the State Committee for Science and Technology of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Shumilin. The Chairperson believes that a Belarusian-Cuban seminar is undoubtedly a landmark event. He noted that the Republic of Belarus has long accepted an innovative development path for itself, and our specialists will be happy to share the experience with colleagues.
“It is very important to personalize our relations. The relations are not only between Belarus and Cuba but the relations between us, people,” - said Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba to the Republic of Belarus Juan Valdes Figueroa. “Despite the great distance between our countries, we have a lot in common: Belarus and Cuba are small in size, our economies are built on the basis of knowledge, science, and technology. "e seminar, wished the participants success and invited all those present to visit sunny Cuba.
Honorary guests and speakers of the event were Oleg Konstantinovich Baranovsky, Head of the Science and Innovation Department of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, Head of the Investor and Resident Relations Department of the Great Stone State Administration of the China-Belarus Industrial Park Administration, Igor Vladimirovich Presnyakov, Advisor to the Deputy Minister science, technology and environment of the Republic of Cuba Jesus Alberto Chia Garzon and others.
During the seminar, such topics as “Technologies for supporting innovative entrepreneurship based on technoparks”, “Mechanisms for the development of innovative infrastructure entities, their financing, and organization of activities”, “Promising areas for the implementation of joint projects” were discussed. The best examples of business incubation of innovative projects in the Republic of Belarus were presented.
The seminar was also attended by students of the Faculty of marketing, management, and entrepreneurship. Young people studying business administration and the management of innovative projects as part of their future major found the event informative.
One of the honored guests, Director of Technology Transfer of the Havana Technological Science Park, Rafael Luis Torralbas Ezpeleta, noted that having arrived in Minsk, he seemed to be in the “Game of Thrones”. “The only winter has come here,”- the director smiles at the students, thereby defusing the serious atmosphere of the event. “Two days ago in Cuba, it was +28 degrees Celsius, and here it – -6! Very cold. But even in winter, the center of Minsk is beautiful, especially at night! ”- Rafael Luis told us later.
Summing up the seminar, in just 2 days, the Belarusian and Cuban parties identified the vectors for the development of long-term scientific, technical and innovative cooperation.
More photos from the event here: files.bntu.by
